核心畫面

A bright yellow stone in your hand that catches the light exactly like gold, and for one moment makes you believe you are rich.

可以想成手上一塊黃澄澄的石頭,在陽光下閃得跟黃金一模一樣,讓你有那麼一瞬間以為自己發財了。這個詞的中心畫面大概就停在更多收起可以想成手上一塊黃澄澄的石頭,在陽光下閃得跟黃金一模一樣,讓你有那麼一瞬間以為自己發財了。這個詞的中心畫面大概就停在那一瞬間:不是「假的」三個字,而是「你真的信了,然後才發現」。

From the word’s history

The supplied Wiktionary entry explains the name as coming from the idea that the mineral fools people into believing they have found gold.

來源的說法是:這種礦石會騙人,讓挖到的人以為自己找到了黃金,所以叫「傻瓜的金子」。名字說的不是石頭的成分,而是它造成的誤會,這也正是兩個意思共用的那個點。

Wiktionary (kaikki extract supplied in this evidence packet), entry "fool's gold"

Two branches

像金子的那塊石頭

這是那個畫面實際存在的樣子:一塊真的礦石,握得到、敲得響。

noun · B2

A shiny yellow mineral found in rock, usually iron pyrite, that looks so much like gold that people take it for the real thing.

愚人金(黃鐵礦)

看起來值錢,其實是空的

同一塊石頭被拿來指任何東西:工作、投資、計畫,只要是「遠看發亮、走近落空」。

noun · C1

Something that looks exciting, valuable or full of promise, but is worth nothing once you get close to it.

華而不實的東西