沒在運轉:閒置與空轉
這一家最貼近核心畫面:有產能卻沒在生產。差別只在那台機器是「完全停著」還是「開著但空轉」,以及這狀態是自然發生的還是有人決定的。
not in use, inactive · adjective · C2
Not working or making anything — said of people, machines, factories, or land that could be used but are not in use right now.
閒置
Picture a machine that is switched on but making nothing, or a field that could grow crops but is bare. The capacity is fully there; it is simply not being turned into any result.
Old English īdel meant "empty, void, worthless" — the adjective, the verb idlian and the noun all descend from that same word. The modern range is that one idea of emptiness applied to machines, to talk, and to people.
古英語的 īdel 本意是「空的、沒有內容的、沒有價值的」,和荷蘭文 ijdel(虛的、無意義的)同源。列出的三個來源——形容詞、動詞 īdlian、名詞——其實都是從這同一個字長出來的。所以現代那些看似分散的用法,底下共用的是同一個「空」:機器空轉、話講得空、人空著沒事做。
Wiktionary: idle < Middle English idel < Old English īdel "empty, void, worthless" < Proto-Germanic *īdlaz; verb idelen < Old English īdlian
Three branches
沒在運轉:閒置與空轉
這一家最貼近核心畫面:有產能卻沒在生產。差別只在那台機器是「完全停著」還是「開著但空轉」,以及這狀態是自然發生的還是有人決定的。
not in use, inactive · adjective · C2
Not working or making anything — said of people, machines, factories, or land that could be used but are not in use right now.
閒置
人的閒:懶散與有閒
把那台不運轉的機器換成人。同樣是「有能力卻沒有產出」,但一旦講到人,這個字就帶上了評價——為什麼沒產出?是不想動,還是不必動。
lazy · adjective · C2
Lazy; not willing to work or make an effort.
懶惰
空的話與空的力氣:不會通往結果
這裡的「空」不是指沒在動,而是指動了也不會到達任何地方。話講了、事做了,但那條通往結果的線一樣是斷的——所以還是同一個核心,只是換成用在言語和行動上。
not serious, passing · adjective · C2
Not serious, or not done with a clear purpose — said of threats, curiosity, talk, or guesses that are only passing and not meant to lead to action.
無謂
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。
Idlename
A surname.
A suburb in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England (OS grid ref SE1737).
A river, the River Idle in Nottinghamshire, England, which flows into the River Trent.
idleadj詞源 1/ˈaɪd(ə)l/
obsoleteEmpty, vacant.
Not being used appropriately; not occupied; (of time) with no, no important, or not much activity.
Not engaged in any occupation or employment; unemployed; inactive; doing nothing in particular.
Averse to work, labor or employment; lazy; slothful.
Of no importance; useless; worthless; vain; trifling; thoughtless; silly.
obsoleteLight-headed; foolish.
idleverb詞源 2/ˈaɪd(ə)l/
To spend (time) in idleness; to waste; to consume.
To lose or spend time doing nothing, or without being employed in business.
Of an engine: to run at a slow speed, or out of gear; to tick over.
To cause (an engine) to idle (run at a slow speed, or out of gear).
To make (workers, students, etc) idle; to leave without work.
idlenoun詞源 3/ˈaɪd(ə)l/
The state of idling, of being idle.
engineeringmechanicalmechanical-engineeringThe lowest selectable thrust or power setting of an engine.
gamesgamingAn idle animation.
gamesgamingAn idle game.
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。