喜樂美語

核心畫面

A balance scale: two different-looking things on the two pans, and the beam stays level because they weigh the same.

一座天平：左盤和右盤放的東西看起來不一樣，重量卻剛好相等，所以橫桿是平的——那條等號就是這根保持平衡的橫桿。想通這一…更多收起一座天平：左盤和右盤放的東西看起來不一樣，重量卻剛好相等，所以橫桿是平的——那條等號就是這根保持平衡的橫桿。想通這一點，另外兩個用法就順了：一個是「這座天平上總共擺了哪些東西」，另一個是「有人把兩樣東西放上天平，說它們一樣重」。

From the word’s history

Latin aequatio means 'an equalizing', from aequus, 'equal, level' — the word names the act of making two sides come out the same, which is exactly what the beam of a scale shows.

拉丁文 aequātiō 的意思是「把東西弄成相等」，來自 aequus（相等的、平的）。也就是說這個字原本描述的是一個動作——把兩邊拉到一樣——而不是紙上的那串符號。這解釋了為什麼 equation 除了數學算式，還可以指「把兩件事劃上等號」這個舉動。

本題提供的詞源資料（Wiktionary）：Old French ← Latin aequātiō（an equalizing）；構詞上是 equate + -ion

Two branches

數學上的等式

這一家就是天平畫面本身，寫在紙上的樣子。

maths equation · noun · C1

A maths statement that shows two amounts or totals are equal, usually written with an equals sign.

方程式

把算式借來看事情

一旦把一個情況看成算式，兩件事就跟著發生：裡面每一項都得算進去，而且有人會宣稱兩邊相等。這一家就是把等號和算式整個搬進日常談話。

factors in play · noun · C1

The set of different facts, ideas, or people that all have an effect on a situation and that you have to think about together.

整體因素

原始詞典資料3 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

equationnoun/ɪˈkweɪ.ʒən/

  • 1

    The act or process of equating two or more things, or the state of those things being equal (that is, identical).

    • We need to bring the balance of power into equation
    • The cultural equation of love with suffering is similar to the equation of love with an experience of both transcendence and consummation in which love is affirmed in an ostentatious display of self loss.
  • 2

    mathematicssciencesAn assertion that two expressions are equal, expressed by writing the two expressions separated by an equal sign; in mathematical problems, equations describe various essential aspects of the problem, each of which contributes to the resolution of the problem in part.

  • 3

    astronomynatural-sciencesA small correction to observed values to remove the effects of systematic errors in an observation.

資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。