核心畫面

One way to picture it: something is put in front of you and you cannot take it in — you push it back out instead of letting it stay.

有個東西被放到你面前,而你「收不下」——不是還沒決定,是身體或心裡自動把它推回去。tolerance 是「收得下、承更多收起有個東西被放到你面前,而你「收不下」——不是還沒決定,是身體或心裡自動把它推回去。tolerance 是「收得下、承受得住」,加上 in- 就翻成反面:那個東西進不來。有意思的是,這個推回去的動作可以發生在心裡(我不接受這種人這樣想),也可以發生在身體裡(我的腸胃收不下牛奶)——同一個畫面,兩個舞台。

From the word’s history

From Latin intolerantia, from in- (not) + tolerare (to bear, to endure, to hold up under).

拉丁文 tolerare 的意思是「撐住、承受得住」,本來很有重量感——像扛著一個負擔而沒有垮掉。加上 in- 就成了「撐不住、承受不了」。這解釋了為什麼現代這個字聽起來總帶點負面:它描述的不是溫和的不喜歡,而是承受力已經到底了。

Latin intolerantia (in- + tolerare), as given in the entry's origin note

Two branches

心裡收不下:對人的不容忍

「收不下」發生在態度上:別人的想法遞過來,你連放著都不肯。

refusal to accept differences · noun · C2

A refusal to accept other people's beliefs, customs, or ways of thinking and behaving when they are different from your own.

不容忍

身體收不下:不耐症

同樣是「收不下」,只是主角從一個人的心變成一個人的身體:不是不願意接受,是真的處理不了。

physical intolerance · noun · C2

When your body cannot take certain medicines or eat certain foods without feeling unwell or getting a bad reaction.

不耐症

原始詞典資料2 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。

intolerancenoun/ɪnˈtɒl.ə.ɹəns/

  • 1

    The state of being intolerant.

    • Religious intolerance is a serious problem in Brazil.
    • By some paradoxical evolution rancour and intolerance have been established in the vanguard of primitive Christianity. Mrs. Spoker, in common with many of the stricter disciples of righteousness, was as inclement in demeanour as she was cadaverous in aspect.
  • 2

    medicinesciencesExtreme sensitivity to a food or drug; of a food that is generally considered edible, an individual inability to digest it.

    • lactose intolerance

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