喜樂美語

核心畫面

One way to hold this word is to picture a bird in its nest. It presses its body down into the dip, turns once, and stops moving. Three things are in that picture: a small movement, something around it on every side, and rest at the end. Whenever you meet nestle, look for those three. A child against a shoulder has them. So does a village down in a valley, even though the village never moved.

可以想成一隻鳥在窩裡的樣子。牠把身體往那個凹處壓下去，轉一圈，然後就不動了。這個畫面裡有三樣東西：一個小小的動作、四…更多收起可以想成一隻鳥在窩裡的樣子。牠把身體往那個凹處壓下去，轉一圈，然後就不動了。這個畫面裡有三樣東西：一個小小的動作、四周圍著牠的東西、還有最後的靜止。之後每次看到 nestle，就找這三樣。小孩靠在肩膀上，三樣都有。山谷裡的村子也一樣——雖然村子從來沒有動過，寫的人卻要你看見它「安頓好了」的那個樣子。

From the word’s history

The source traces nestle to Old English nistlan, to make or build a nest, from nest plus the ending -le, which marks a small repeated action. So the nest is not a metaphor added later; it is what the word was built from.

資料上說，nestle 來自古英文的 nistlan，意思是「築巢、待在巢裡」，是 nest 加上表示反覆小動作的 -le。所以鳥窩不是後來才加上去的比喻，而是這個字本來就從那裡造出來的。

Wiktionary, entry 'nestle' (evidence packet etymology_text: 'From Middle English nestelen… from Old English nistlan… equivalent to nest + -le.')

Two branches

靠過去，窩起來

這一族保留了鳥窩畫面裡的動作那一半：真的有人或動物在移動，而且移動得很小、很慢，最後停下來休息。

verb · B2

To move into a warm, comfortable position by pressing close against a person, or down into something soft. You can also nestle a part of your body, or something small, into that kind of place.

依偎、窩進去

被山林環抱著

這一族保留的是畫面的另一半：四周圍著、剛好嵌進去。山谷的形狀本來就跟鳥窩很像，所以村子放進去，用的還是同一個字。

verb · C1

Used about a place or a building: to sit in a spot that is surrounded and half hidden by what is around it, such as hills, trees, or taller buildings. It gives the feeling of something small tucked in safely.

坐落於、被環抱著

原始詞典資料7 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。

Nestlename

  • 1

    A surname from German.

nestleverb/ˈnɛsəl/

  • 1

    To settle oneself comfortably and snugly.

    • In the work that it [the Servants of India Society] will do in the future it will be the spirit of Mr. [Gopal Krishna] Gokhale that will inspire it. So I would remind you that while you raise a statue to his public honour, do not forget what matters more, the hope that ever nestled warmly in his heart, that is nearest and dearest to those who imitate him, throwing away everything of this world and burning upon the altar of their country in sacrifice all that the world could give of joy and wealth, […]
  • 2

    To press oneself against another affectionately.

  • 3

    To lie half-hidden or in shelter.

    • The old shop nestled between the newer apartment buildings.
    • Their purpose was to fortify in some strong place of the wild and desolate country, and there to nestle till greater succours came.
  • 4

    archaicbiologynatural-sciencesornithologyTo build or sit upon a nest.

    • The kingfisher […] nestles in hollow banks.
  • 5

    archaicbiologynatural-sciencesornithologyOf a bird: to look after its young.

    • This assimilates them more nearly to the natural conditions when the hen nestles her chicks on the earth, whilst the warmth is given chiefly over their backs.
  • 6

    To move or place into a comfortable position

    • She made no answer, but her fingers nervously nestled the leaves of a book.
    • With as little of movement as possible, Aeon nestled her head closer to his chest, even more inder his chin.

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。