喜樂美語

核心畫面

One way to see it: someone acting in a room where a light has never been switched on. They are not stupid — they simply don't have the piece of knowledge everyone assumes they'd have, and it shows in what they say and do.

一個人在一間從沒開過燈的房間裡活動。他不是笨，只是缺了大家預設他該有的那塊知識，而這個缺口會從他說的話、做的事裡露出…更多收起一個人在一間從沒開過燈的房間裡活動。他不是笨，只是缺了大家預設他該有的那塊知識，而這個缺口會從他說的話、做的事裡露出來。ignorant 幾乎總是帶著一點責備的味道，因為它暗示「這件事你本來有機會知道」——正是這一點，讓它從「不知道」一路滑向「說話難聽」。

From the word’s history

From Latin ignōrāns 'not knowing, unaware', the present participle of ignōrāre (in- 'not' + the root of gnōscere 'to know'). The word describes a person in the state of not-knowing — and from there, how that state shows up in their behaviour.

來自拉丁文 ignōrāns（不知道的、沒察覺的），是 ignōrāre 的現在分詞：in-（不）＋ gnōscere（知道）的詞根，經古法文 ignorant 進入英文。它描述的是「處在不知道狀態中的人」——而這個字後來的發展，全都圍繞著那個狀態如何從一個人身上表現出來。

Wiktionary: ignorant < Old French ignorant < Latin ignōrāns ('unaware, unknowing')

Two branches

缺乏知識

最貼近字源的一支：狀態本身，以及這個狀態留下的痕跡。

lacking knowledge · adjective · C2

Not knowing facts or information that you should know.

無知的

言行無禮

從「缺知識」滑到「缺教養」：英國英語把那個空白從腦袋移到了行為上——不是不知道事實，而是不知道該怎麼待人。

rude/impolite · adjective · C2

Rude or impolite in the way you speak or act.

無禮的

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。

ignorantadj/ˈɪɡ.nə.ɹənt/

  • 1

    Unknowledgeable or uneducated; characterized by ignorance.

    • That man that doth not know those things which are of use and necessity for him to know, is but an ignorant man, whatever he may know besides;
    • The ignorant peasant, without fault, is greater than the philosopher with many; for what is genius or courage without an heart?
  • 2

    Not knowing (a fact or facts), unaware (of something).

    • For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
    • Eve. Somewhat forbids me, which I cannot name; For ignorant of guilt, I fear not shame: But some restraining thought, I know not why, Tells me, you long should beg, I long deny.
  • 3

    slangIll-mannered, crude.

    • His manner was at best off-hand, at worst totally ignorant.
  • 4

    obsoleteUnknown; undiscovered

    • Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed?
    • […] I beseech you, If you know aught which does behove my knowledge Thereof to be inform’d, imprison't not In ignorant concealment.
  • 5

    Resulting from ignorance; foolish; silly.

    • […] his shipping— Poor ignorant baubles!— upon our terrible seas, Like eggshells moved upon their surges, crack’d As easily ’gainst our rocks:
    • He had never felt a pain or a sorrow, and did not know what they were, in any really informing way. He had no knowledge of them except theoretically—that is to say, intellectually. And of course that is no good. One can never get any but a loose and ignorant notion of such things except by experience.

ignorantnoun/ˈɪɡ.nə.ɹənt/

  • 1

    One who is ignorant.

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。