A linchpin is the person or thing a whole group or system cannot do without. Take that person or thing away, and the rest starts to fall apart.

A linchpin is the person or thinglinchpin是指...的那個人或東西 a whole group or system cannot do without一個團體或系統少不了。Take that person or thing away把那個人或東西拿走, and the rest starts to fall apart剩下的就開始垮掉。

You might call one nurse the linchpin of a night team, or one rule the linchpin of a plan. It feels a little formal: you hear it in the news and in careful writing more than in easy daily chat. A thing or an idea can be a linchpin, not only a person.

You might call one nurse the linchpin of a night team你可能會說某位護理師是夜班團隊的linchpin, or one rule the linchpin of a plan或某條規則是整個計畫的linchpin。It feels a little formal它感覺有點正式: you hear it in the news and in careful writing你在新聞和講究的文章裡聽到它 more than in easy daily chat比在輕鬆的日常聊天裡多。A thing or an idea can be a linchpin一個東西或一個想法也可以是linchpin, not only a person不只人可以。

Though actually, the first linchpin was a real pin. On an old cart, a pin went through the end of the bar that held the wheel. If that pin came out, the wheel slid off.

Though actually不過其實, the first linchpin was a real pin最早的linchpin是一根真正的插銷。On an old cart在老式的推車上, a pin went through the end of the bar有一根插銷穿過那根軸的末端 that held the wheel固定車輪的。If that pin came out如果那根插銷掉了, the wheel slid off輪子就會滑掉。

From about the middle of the 1900s, people began using the same word for whoever or whatever holds a system in place. Some writers spell it lynchpin; that is the same word.

From about the middle of the 1900s大約從1900年代中期開始, people began using the same word人們開始用同一個字 for whoever or whatever holds a system in place來稱呼任何撐住一個系統的人或東西。Some writers spell it lynchpin有些作者會拼成lynchpin; that is the same word那是同一個字。