把東西攪亂（動詞）
這一族是核心動作本身，以及那個動作往「人的腦子裡」延伸的兩步：先是攪亂桌上的東西，再來是攪亂人心裡的分類，最後是攪亂人對整件事的理解。
muddle, verb, mix up things · verb · C2
To mix things so they sit in the wrong order or in the wrong places.
弄亂
核心畫面
You can think of it as stirring things until they lose their places — like poking a stick into clear water with mud at the bottom: nothing is destroyed, but everything is now swirled together and you can no longer see which is which.
把本來各就各位的東西攪一攪，攪到分不清誰是誰。像把棍子伸進一池清水裡攪動底下的爛泥——水沒有少、泥也沒有不見，只是全…更多收起
把本來各就各位的東西攪一攪，攪到分不清誰是誰。像把棍子伸進一池清水裡攪動底下的爛泥——水沒有少、泥也沒有不見，只是全都混在一起，你再也看不清底下有什麼。muddle 的重點不是「弄壞」也不是「弄丟」，東西都還在，只是次序沒了、界線糊了。這個攪動可以發生在桌上（文件混成一堆），也可以發生在腦子裡（名字、日期全對不上號）——外面亂和裡面亂，在這個字裡是同一個畫面。From the word’s history
From Middle Dutch moddelen, to make muddy, from modde (mud) — literally to stir up mud in water. The modern sense keeps that picture exactly: things are still there, but stirred until nothing is clear.
這個字從中古荷蘭語 moddelen 來，字面就是「把水弄濁」，字根 modde 就是「爛泥」；換句話說，muddle 本來講的是「把泥攪進水裡」這個具體動作。現代意思幾乎原封不動地保留了那個畫面：不是把東西毀掉，而是攪到看不清楚。理解這個字時，把它跟 mud（泥巴）放在一起記，那種「本來清澈、被攪濁了」的感覺就會自己浮出來。
Wiktionary『muddle』詞源條（← Middle Dutch moddelen「弄濁」← modde「泥」）
Two branches
攪亂之後的那個狀態（名詞）
動詞是攪的動作，名詞就是攪完以後留下的那攤混濁：東西的混亂、腦袋的混亂，以及混亂造成的實際差錯。
muddle, noun, a mess · noun · C2
A state in which things are mixed together and not in their right places; an untidy or poorly ordered situation.
亂七八糟
原始詞典資料11 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。
muddleverb詞源 1/ˈmʌdl̩/
- 1
To mix together, to mix up; to confuse.
- Young children tend to muddle their words.
- I will not , to please hostile critics , muddle the argument by making it one of recondite learning , in which neither I nor my readers are strong . I try to lay before the reader reasons from which he can judge for himself
- 2
To mash slightly for use in a cocktail.
- He muddled the mint sprigs in the bottom of the glass.
- 3
To dabble in mud.
- c. 1721-1722, Jonathan Swift, The Progress of Marriage Young ducklings foster'd by a hen; But, when let out, they run and muddle
- 4
To make turbid or muddy.
- He did ill to Muddle the Water.
- 5
To think and act in a confused, aimless way.
- 6
To cloud or stupefy; to render stupid with liquor; to intoxicate partially.
- Their old master Epicurus seems to have had his brains so muddled and confounded with them, that he scarce ever kept in the right way.
- […] I vvas for five Years often drunk, alvvays muddled, they carry'd me from Tavern to Tavern, to Alehouſes and Brandy Shops, and brought me acquainted vvith ſuch ſtrange Dogs!
- 7
To waste or misuse, as one does who is stupid or intoxicated.
- They muddle it [money] away without method or object, and without having anything to show for it.
muddlenoun詞源 1/ˈmʌdl̩/
- 1
A mixture; a confusion; a garble.
- The muddle of nervous speech he uttered did not have much meaning.
- As a result, no single party or coalition immediately gained enough parliamentary seats to govern, thrusting Spain into a familiar political muddle and giving new life to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who only days ago seemed moribund.
- 2
A mixture of crushed ingredients, as prepared with a muddler.
- 3
archaicA muddy mess.
- I must drive as quick with a thunder-rain pelting in my face, and the roads in a muddle, and the horses starting—I can’t call it shying, I have ’em too well in hand,—at every flash, just as quick as if it was a fine hard road, and fine weather.
muddlenoun詞源 2/ˈmʌdl̩/
- 1
historicalA servant's attendant; underservant.
- We bought a few rugs and odds and ends and our sitting room looks quite European; then we have a bedroom with 2 beds and a dressing room, also a corridor for the muddles and servants.
- I have an ayah (or lady's maid), and a tailor (for the ayahs cannot work); and A—84 has a boy: also two muddles—one to sweep my room, and another to bring water.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。