喜樂美語

核心畫面

Think of gild as a very thin skin of gold laid over the outside of something else. What is underneath — wood, plaster, stone, even bread — stays exactly what it was; only the surface changes. That one picture carries the rest of the word. When evening light turns a lake gold, the light is doing the same job as the gold leaf, only without touching anything. When a baker brushes egg over a so it bakes shiny and golden, that is a gold-coloured coat again. And it is why gild the lily means going too far: gold is only the outer layer, so putting it on a flower that is already beautiful adds nothing real.

「gild」可以想成一個動作：把很薄的一層金，貼在別的東西外面。裡面是什麼並不重要，木頭、石膏、石頭，甚至麵包都行；…更多收起「gild」可以想成一個動作：把很薄的一層金，貼在別的東西外面。裡面是什麼並不重要，木頭、石膏、石頭，甚至麵包都行；會變的只有表面那一層。從這個畫面出發，其他用法就好懂了。傍晚的光把湖面照成金色，光在做的是同一件事，只是它什麼也沒碰到。麵包師傅刷上蛋液，烤出金黃亮面，也是給表面加一件金外衣。而 gild the lily 之所以是「畫蛇添足」，正因為金只是外面那一層：百合本來就美，再鍍一層金，加的全是表面。

From the word’s history

The supplied Wiktionary entry traces gild to Old English gyldan, from a Germanic root that also gives gold. The word has meant covering a surface with gold from the start, which is why the surface, not the material, is still what it points at.

封包裡的 Wiktionary 資料把 gild 追到古英文 gyldan，再往上和 gold（金）同源。這個字從一開始講的就是「在東西上覆一層金」，所以到今天它指的仍然是外面那一層，而不是東西的材質。

Wiktionary entry supplied in this packet (source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:1050692289): Middle English gilden, Old English gyldan, Proto-Germanic *gulþą 'gold'.

Three branches

真的覆上一層金

這一支就是核心畫面本身：有人動手，把金箔或金色塗料貼在物體外面。

verb · C1

To cover the outside of something with a very thin layer of gold, or with something made to look like gold. The thing underneath is usually wood, plaster, stone or a cheaper metal, and it stays exactly what it was.

鍍金

看起來像鍍了金

同樣是「表面多了一層金」，只是這層金不是金屬，而是光或顏色造成的效果。

verb · C2

To make something look as if it is covered in gold, usually by shining on it. Sunlight, lamplight or firelight falling on a surface can gild it, but nothing is actually put on the surface.

使…泛出金光

固定說法：多此一舉

整句話的力氣正好來自核心畫面裡「金只是表面」這一點。

verb · C2

To spoil something that is already good by adding more to it when nothing more was needed.

畫蛇添足

原始詞典資料6 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。

gildverb詞源 1/ɡɪld/

  • 1

    To cover with a thin layer of gold; to cover with gold leaf.

    • High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt.
  • 2

    To adorn.

    • I will make fast the doors, and gild myself With some more ducats, and be with you straight.
  • 3

    cookingfoodlifestyleTo decorate with a golden surface appearance.

    • Gild the entire outside with beaten egg yolk, and sprinkle it with grated parmesan.
  • 4

    To give a bright or pleasing aspect to.

    • When sparkling stars twire not, thou gild'st the even.
  • 5

    To give a brilliant colour or flush to one's face; (also) to make appear drunk.

    • [Alonso] And Trinculo is reeling-ripe: vvhere sſhould they Finde this grand Liquor that hath gilded'em? Hovv cam'ſt thou in this pickle?

這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形：

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。