核心畫面

One way to picture it: a person who points at the physical stuff of the world — what you can see, touch, weigh, buy — and says that is what counts as real, or as worth having.

一個人指著看得見、摸得到、秤得出重量的東西說「這才算數」。至於指的是哪一種「算數」,就分成兩條路:一條是「只有這些才更多收起一個人指著看得見、摸得到、秤得出重量的東西說「這才算數」。至於指的是哪一種「算數」,就分成兩條路:一條是「只有這些才真正存在」(哲學上的判斷),另一條是「只有這些才值得追求」(生活上的取向)。兩個意思共用同一個手勢——把重量全押在物質那一邊——只是押的場合不同:一個在談世界的組成,一個在談人的價值。material(物質)加上 -ist(抱持某種主張或作風的人),字面就是「站在物質這一邊的人」。

From the word’s history

material (from Latin materia "matter, substance") + -ist, the agent suffix (via Ancient Greek -ιστής) marking a person who holds a doctrine or characteristic stance.

由 material(物質,來自拉丁 materia)加上 -ist 構成;-ist 這個字尾(可上溯到古希臘 -ιστής)標記的是「抱持某種主張、或habitually 表現某種作風的人」。這兩層剛好對應到這個字的兩個意思:-ist 既可以指信奉某種學說的人(如 physicist 之外的 socialist、atheist),也可以指某種生活作風的人——materialist 兩邊都佔了。

The entry's attested origin tree: English material + the agent suffix -ist (Ancient Greek -ῐστής)

Three branches

哲學立場:只有物質是真的

這一支把「物質才算數」放在關於世界本質的討論上:問的是什麼東西真的存在。

philosophical materialist · noun · C2

A person who believes that only things you can see and touch really exist, and that mind or spirit is not a separate kind of thing.

唯物論者

生活取向:只有買得到的才值得

同樣是把重量押在物質那一邊,但這裡談的不是世界的組成,而是一個人拿什麼當生活的重心;也因此它帶著評價的味道。

materialistic person · noun · C2

A person who thinks money and the things you can buy matter more than art, faith, or what is right or wrong — used when the speaker does not approve.

物質主義者

另一條詞條下的同一組意思

詞典把同樣兩個意思在第二個詞條下又收了一次;意思與上面兩支完全對應,畫面沿用同一個「把重量押在物質那一邊」的手勢。

philosophical materialist · noun · C2

A person who believes that only things you can see and touch really exist, and that mind or spirit is not a separate kind of thing.

唯物論者

原始詞典資料4 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。

materialistnoun/məˈtiːɹɪəlɪst/

  • 1

    Someone who is materialistic, concerned only with material possessions.

    • Ironically, today's generation has become the little materialists and "fame whores" (New York Magazine's term) their boomer parents so reviled.
  • 2

    A follower or proponent of philosophical materialism.

    • It is weary work enough to argue with an ordinary materialist, who hurls statistics and whole strata of geological facts at your head, whilst you can only buffet him with deductions and instincts and the snowflakes of faith, that are, alas! so apt to melt in the hot embers of our troubles.

materialistadj/məˈtiːɹɪəlɪst/

  • 1

    human-sciencesphilosophysciencesOf or concerning materialism.

  • 2

    Synonym of materialistic, concerned only with material things.

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