核心畫面

One way to picture it: a hand held up in the middle of something that was already moving — not a wall that blocks it completely, but a hold-back that keeps it from going as far or as fast as it would.

某件事本來正在動、正要發生,這時有一隻手伸出來按住它。重點是「按住」而不是「擋死」——被 inhibit 的東西還在更多收起某件事本來正在動、正要發生,這時有一隻手伸出來按住它。重點是「按住」而不是「擋死」——被 inhibit 的東西還在那裡,只是被壓著、跑不出來、長不出去。拉丁文 inhibēre 就是 in-(在裡面、朝向)+ habēre(握住),字面上是「握住不放」。所以不管是化學反應被抑制,還是一個人想說的話卡在喉嚨裡,畫面都是同一個:有力量在,但被一股反方向的力按住了。

From the word’s history

From Latin inhibitio, from inhibēre = in- + habēre (to hold). Literally 'a holding back' — the modern core is exactly that restraining hand, whether on a chemical process or on a person's own impulse.

來自拉丁文 inhibitio,動詞 inhibēre 由 in-(朝向、在其上)+ habēre(握、持有)組成,字面是「握住、按住」。這個「按住」的畫面直接活到今天:科學上按住的是一個過程,心理上按住的是一個人自己的衝動。

payload origin note (Middle English inhibicioun ← Old French inibicion ← Latin inhibitio; inhibit + -ion)

Two branches

按住一個過程

這是核心畫面最素樸的形式:被按住的是一個過程。

suppression (of a process) · noun · C2

The slowing or stopping of a process, so it cannot happen or grow in the usual way.

抑制

被自己按住的人

同樣是「按住」,但按住的手來自自己心裡:想做的動作、想說的話明明已經成形,卻被一股內在的力量壓下去。這一步的轉折來自心理學——把生理上的抑制借來描述一個人對自己衝動的壓抑,久了就成了日常英語。

shy self-consciousness · noun · C2

A shy or awkward feeling inside you that stops you doing or saying what you really want.

拘謹

原始詞典資料5 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。

inhibitionnoun/ɪnhɪˈbɪʃən/

  • 1

    The act of inhibiting.

  • 2

    human-sciencespsychologysciencesA personal feeling of fear or embarrassment that stops one behaving naturally.

    • Often the guests, affected by the wine drinking, released all inhibitions and made erotic overtures, particularly to the slave cup-bearers.
  • 3

    biochemistrybiologychemistryThe process of stopping or retarding a reaction.

  • 4

    lawA writ from a higher court to an inferior judge to stay proceedings.

  • 5

    lawA recusal.

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