核心畫面

A line of bushes planted along the edge of a field: it marks where your land stops, keeps things from getting in or out, and stands between you and whatever is on the other side. Everything else in this word is that protective line moved indoors — around your money, or around what you are willing to say.

一排種在田邊的矮樹叢:它長在你的地和別人的地中間,把兩邊隔開,也擋住外面的風和亂跑的動物。重點不在那些樹本身,而在那更多收起一排種在田邊的矮樹叢:它長在你的地和別人的地中間,把兩邊隔開,也擋住外面的風和亂跑的動物。重點不在那些樹本身,而在那條「邊界兼屏障」的線——它讓你有一塊被保護起來的範圍。這個詞後面的其他意思,都是把這排樹搬到看不見的地方去:圍在你的錢外面,或圍在你的話外面。

Three branches

田邊那排樹

這一族就是字面上的那排樹籬本身,是整個字最具體、看得見的畫面,其他意思都從這裡長出去。

hedge (bushes) · noun · B1

a row of small bushes or trees that grow close together, usually used to divide one garden or field from the next one.

樹籬

為錢架的屏障

把樹籬從田邊搬到錢的外面:你看不見它,但它一樣站在你和外頭的風險之間,擋住可能吹進來的損失。

hedge, safeguard · noun · B2

something you do or buy to protect yourself from a possible problem in the future, especially from losing money.

保障;避險

為話架的屏障

這一族把樹籬架在你和對方的對話中間:你沒有走出來把話講死,而是留在籬笆後面,讓對方看不清你到底站哪邊。

avoid a direct answer · verb · B2

to avoid giving a clear, direct answer to a question, so that you do not have to say yes or no.

含糊其辭;避重就輕

原始詞典資料13 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。

Hedgename

  • 1

    A surname.

hedgenoun詞源 1/ˈhɛd͡ʒ/

  • 1

    A thicket of bushes or other shrubbery, especially one planted as a fence between two portions of land, or to separate the parts of a garden.

    • He trims the hedge once a week.
    • But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. ¶[…]The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window[…], and a 'bead' could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge, little dreaming that the deadly tube was levelled at them.
  • 2

    A barrier (often consisting of a line of persons or objects) to protect someone or something from harm.

    • Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
  • 3

    A mound of earth, stone- or turf-faced, often topped with bushes, used as a fence between any two portions of land.

  • 4

    human-scienceslinguisticssciencesA noncommittal or intentionally ambiguous statement.

    • When not inaccurate, much commentary on the contents of Hobson-Jobson is couched in hedges or relies on speculative estimates in the absence of exact information.
  • 5

    businessfinanceContract or arrangement reducing one's exposure to risk (for example the risk of price movements or interest rate movements).

    • The asset class acts as a hedge.
    • A hedge is an investment position intended to offset potential losses/gains that may be incurred by a companion investment. In simple language, a hedge is used to reduce any substantial losses/gains suffered by an individual or an organization.
  • 6

    With indication of a person's upbringing, or professional activities, taking place by the side of the road; being third-rate, poor, shoddy.

    • Attalus[…]made him so dead-drunke that insensibly and without feeling he might prostitute his beauty as the body of a common hedge-harlot, to Mulettiers, Groomes and many of the abject servants of his house.
    • He then traced them from place to place, till at last he found two of them drinking together, with a third person, at a hedge-tavern near Aldersgate.

hedgeverb詞源 2/ˈhɛd͡ʒ/

  • 1

    To enclose with a hedge or hedges.

    • to hedge a field or garden
  • 2

    To obstruct or surround.

    • Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.
    • Lollius Urbius […] drew another wall […] to hedge out incursions from the north.
  • 3

    businessfinanceTo offset the risk associated with.

  • 4

    To avoid verbal commitment.

    • He carefully hedged his statements with weasel words.
  • 5

    To construct or repair a hedge.

  • 6

    businessfinanceTo reduce one's exposure to risk.

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