核心畫面
Think of something moving by small steps instead of one jump: a change that spreads itself out over time, so at any single moment you can barely see it happening, and only when you compare 'before' with 'now' do you notice how far it has gone.
可以想成：變化被切成很多很小的小步，一步一步慢慢挪，而不是一下子跳過去。因為每一步都太小，你當下幾乎察覺不到，要把「…更多收起
可以想成：變化被切成很多很小的小步，一步一步慢慢挪，而不是一下子跳過去。因為每一步都太小，你當下幾乎察覺不到，要把「以前」跟「現在」擺在一起比，才看得出來已經走了多遠。這個「小步、不跳、看不到接縫」的畫面，之後不只用在時間上，也用在坡度和轉彎上。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。
gradualadj/ˈɡɹadʒuəl/
- 1
Proceeding or advancing by small, slow, regular steps or degrees
- a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline
- Creatures animate with gradual life / Of growth, sense, reason, all summed up in man.
gradualnoun/ˈɡɹadʒuəl/
- 1
ChristianityAn antiphon or responsory after the epistle, in the Mass, which was sung on the steps, or while the deacon ascended the steps.
- 2
ChristianityA service book containing the musical portions of the Mass.
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。