核心畫面

Picture a soft-looking green plant at the edge of a path. Nothing about it says danger — the hairs that sting are too fine to see. You brush past, feel almost nothing at the time, and then your skin burns and for hours. A small, hidden sting that keeps on being felt.

可以想成小路邊一株看起來軟軟的綠色植物。它外表完全不像會傷人,因為那些會刺的毛細到看不見。你擦身而過,當下幾乎沒感覺更多收起可以想成小路邊一株看起來軟軟的綠色植物。它外表完全不像會傷人,因為那些會刺的毛細到看不見。你擦身而過,當下幾乎沒感覺,過一會兒皮膚才開始又燙又癢,而且癢很久。一個藏起來的小刺,刺完還留著——這株植物的畫面,同時解釋了它當名詞和當動詞的用法。

From the word’s history

The evidence records nettle from Middle English netle and Old English netle/netele, part of a shared Germanic word (German Nessel), a diminutive of an older root of unknown origin.

來源記載這個字從中古英語 netle、古英語 netle/netele 而來,是日耳曼語族共有的字(德語 Nessel 同源),更早的字根來歷不明。這說明植物的名字是最早的,動詞的用法是後來從名字長出來的。

Wiktionary entries for nettle, noun and verb (kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:213620077 / 213690236), supplied in the evidence packet

Two branches

那株會螫人的植物

這一支就是畫面本身:一株長在路邊、碰到會刺的野草。

noun · B2

A common wild plant with rough, jagged leaves covered in tiny hairs that sting your skin and leave a burning, itchy rash if you brush against them.

蕁麻

被刺到:從皮膚到心裡

植物會做的那件事,被拿來當動詞用;接著同一個感覺又被搬到人的情緒上。

verb · C1

When nettles or something similar nettle you, their hairs sting your skin and leave a red, itchy rash. It is most often used in the passive: you get nettled.

刺到(起疹)