字面：就是鉛做的
這一支就是那塊鉛本身，沒有任何比喻。其他家族都是從這裡借畫面出去的，所以先站在這裡看，後面幾支都比較好懂。
adjective · C1
Made of lead, the soft, heavy, grey metal.
鉛製的
核心畫面
Hold a lump of lead in your hand. It is a flat, dark grey with no shine at all, and it is far heavier than a piece that size should be. Put it down and it stays exactly where you left it. Nearly every use of leaden hands you one of those three things: the grey, the weight, or the slowness that the weight brings.
可以想成手裡放著一塊鉛。顏色是暗暗的灰，表面不反光。拿起來比看起來重得多。放下去，它就停在那裡，一點也不輕快。lea…更多收起
可以想成手裡放著一塊鉛。顏色是暗暗的灰，表面不反光。拿起來比看起來重得多。放下去，它就停在那裡，一點也不輕快。leaden 的各種意思，大概都是從這塊鉛身上拿走一樣東西——有時候拿的是那個灰（天空、海面），有時候是那個重量（手腳、心情），有時候是重到提不起勁的遲鈍（笑話、演講）。From the word’s history
One source records leaden as Middle English leden, from Old English lēaden 'made of lead', which by surface analysis is lead + -en, the same -en as in wooden and golden. So the literal 'made of lead' sense is the oldest shape of the word, and the grey, the heaviness and the dullness are later ways of using that same picture.
Wiktionary 記錄 leaden 來自中古英語 leden、古英語 lēaden「鉛做的」，拆開就是 lead（鉛）加上 -en——跟 wooden（木製的）、golden（金製的）是同一個 -en。所以「鉛製的」是這個字最早的樣子。灰、重、悶這些意思，都是後來借用同一塊鉛的畫面。
Wiktionary 'leaden' (kaikki extract 3f6f69a190036ae4:1165148811): Middle English leden, leaden; Old English lēaden; by surface analysis lead + -en
Four branches
鉛的顏色：灰暗的天與海
從那塊鉛身上拿走「顏色」這一樣：暗灰、不反光。天空、雲、海面披上這層灰，光就低下來了。
adjective · C1
Dark grey, like the colour of the metal lead. Used about the sky, the clouds, the light, or the sea when the day looks dull, low and gloomy.
鉛灰色的；陰沉的
鉛的重量：身體和心情都沉下去
這一支拿走的是「重量」。鉛比看起來重得多，抬不太動；英文就用它形容抬不起來的手腳，以及放不下來的心情。
adjective · C1
If your body, your legs or your arms feel leaden, they feel heavy and hard to move, so you move slowly — usually because you are very tired, ill or very sad.
（身體）像灌了鉛一樣沉
鉛的遲鈍：一點也不輕快
重量再往外推一步，就落到人做出來的東西上：笑話、演講、文章、表演。它們也可以像鉛一樣，掉在地上彈不起來。
adjective · C1
Dull and without life or lightness — used about a joke, a speech, a piece of writing, music or a performance that falls flat and feels slow.
沉悶的；無趣的