核心畫面

One way to picture it: someone burning with one idea, so completely taken over by it that nothing else gets in.

一個人整顆心被一件事佔滿,燒得發燙,別的東西再也擠不進去。旁人跟他說話,話題轉三圈還是繞回那件事。這種「被一件事整個更多收起一個人整顆心被一件事佔滿,燒得發燙,別的東西再也擠不進去。旁人跟他說話,話題轉三圈還是繞回那件事。這種「被一件事整個佔據」的狀態,就是 fanatic 的底色——差別只在被佔據的是什麼:如果是政治或宗教信念,別人會覺得可怕;如果是球隊或電影,別人只覺得他很投入。

From the word’s history

Latin fanaticus originally described someone 'of a temple, divinely inspired, frenzied' — from fanum, 'temple'. The picture is a person seized by something inside a holy place, not in control of themselves.

拉丁文 fanaticus 原本是「屬於神廟的、受神靈附身而癲狂的」,來自 fanum(神廟)。原始畫面是廟裡被神附身、行為失控的人——所以這個字從一開始講的就不是「很喜歡」,而是「被某種東西整個佔住、自己收不回來」。這也解釋了為什麼它到今天都還帶著一點失控的味道。

Wiktionary, 'fanatic' (etymology: Latin fānāticus, from fānum 'temple'; first attested 1525)

Two branches

被信念佔住的人

最接近字源的用法:被佔住的是政治或宗教信念,所以旁人看到的是危險。

fanatic (extremist) · noun · C2

A person with very strong political or religious ideas who will not change them, and who other people often see as dangerous.

狂熱分子

被興趣佔住的人

同一種「被佔滿」的狀態,但對象換成無害的興趣,於是危險感褪掉,剩下投入的程度。

fanatic (enthusiast) · noun · C2

A person who likes one thing or activity so much that they give it a huge amount of time and energy.

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。

fanaticadj/fəˈnæt.ɪk/

  • 1

    Fanatical.

    • But Faith, fanatic Faith, once wedded fast / To some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last.
  • 2

    obsoleteShowing evidence of possession by a god or demon; frenzied, overzealous.

fanaticnoun/fəˈnæt.ɪk/

  • 1

    A person who is zealously enthusiastic for some cause.

    • The reclusive tycoon calling himself the Illusive Man is a human nationalist focused on advancing human interests, whatever the cost to non-humans. The Citadel Council regards him as a fanatic posing a serious threat to galactic security.
    • A zealot can't change his mind. A fanatic can't change his mind and won't change the subject. —Winston Churchill (attributed)

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