核心畫面

A light, straight shaft with one sharpened end, balanced so that it flies point-first once it leaves the hand. Everything about the object is built for a single action: being thrown.

javelin 的畫面可以想成一根又細又直的長桿,一頭削尖。它比看起來輕。重心偏前,所以一離手就自己往前飛,尖端先到更多收起javelin 的畫面可以想成一根又細又直的長桿,一頭削尖。它比看起來輕。重心偏前,所以一離手就自己往前飛,尖端先到。整根桿子只為一件事而生:被丟出去。這個字的每一個用法,都可以想成從這段飛行長出來。

From the word’s history

The word comes through Old French javeline and javelot from a Gaulish word for a forked branch — a cut stick, which is not far from what a javelin still is.

這個字經古法文 javeline、javelot,可以追到高盧語 gabulum,意思是「分岔的樹枝」,也就是一根砍下來的枝條。今天手裡那根削尖的細桿,離這個起點其實不遠。

Wiktionary entry 'javelin' (kaikki snapshot 3f6f69a190036ae4), supplied in this packet

Two branches

手上那一根桿子

這一組就是核心畫面本身:真的拿得起來、丟得出去的那根東西。

noun · B1

A long, light stick with a sharp point at one end, made so that it can be thrown as far as possible in an athletics competition.

標槍

用這根桿子命名的比賽

器材的名字被整個借去當項目的名字。

noun · B1

The javelin is the athletics event in which people throw a javelin, and the winner is the one whose throw goes furthest.

標槍(比賽項目)