核心畫面

You can picture a slip with a stamp on it that reads PAID IN FULL. Nothing is owing any more, so whatever the money was for is now properly yours: your seat on the club list, your shares, your cover. English puts that stamp on two different kinds of thing. Stamp it on a person and you get a member whose fee is settled, and from there a teasing extension for someone who belongs to a type completely. Stamp it on money and you get capital, orders or a policy with nothing further to pay. The matters: paid-up goes in front of a noun, while pay up is the verb for handing the money over.

可以想成一張蓋著「已繳清」章的單子。錢付完了,不再欠,所以那筆錢換來的東西現在名正言順是你的——名單上的位子、手上的更多收起可以想成一張蓋著「已繳清」章的單子。錢付完了,不再欠,所以那筆錢換來的東西現在名正言順是你的——名單上的位子、手上的股份、保單上的保障。英文把這個章蓋在兩種東西上。蓋在人身上,就是會費繳清的會員,再往外一步,變成帶點玩笑的「某一類人的徹底一員」。蓋在錢身上,就是資本、訂單或保單,已經沒有後續要付。連字號是個線索:paid-up 放在名詞前面,pay up 則是把錢交出去的動詞。

Two branches

蓋在人身上:會費繳清的那一員

這一邊講的是「名分」:錢到位了,身分才算數,所以才會延伸出比喻用法。

adjective · B2

Used in paid-up member to describe someone who has paid the money needed to belong to a club, a union, a political party or a similar group.

已繳費的(會員)

蓋在錢身上:款項付清的那一筆

同一個章,換成貼在金額上:重點不是誰有資格,而是還欠不欠。

adjective · C1

Fully paid for, with no money still owing. It is used about things such as shares, company capital, orders and bills.

已付清的;實收的