喜樂美語

核心畫面

One part held up against the whole, so you can see how much of the whole it takes up. Not "how big" on its own, but "how big compared with".

你手上有一整塊東西，然後你把目光放在其中一小塊上，問的不是「這塊有多大」，而是「這塊相對於整體，佔了多少」。重點永遠…更多收起你手上有一整塊東西，然後你把目光放在其中一小塊上，問的不是「這塊有多大」，而是「這塊相對於整體，佔了多少」。重點永遠是「拿來比」——一份對著另一份、一部分對著全體。所以 proportion 從來不是單獨一個數字，它總是兩個東西擺在一起看出來的關係：一杯水裡有多少糖、一個班上有多少人戴眼鏡、一張臉上眼睛佔多大位置。你可以把它想成心裡有一把尺，這把尺不量絕對大小，只量「比起來如何」。

From the word’s history

From Latin prōportiō, from pro ("in relation to") + portio ("a share, a part") — literally "a part set against another part", which is exactly the comparing move the modern word still makes. English portion comes from the same portio.

拉丁文 prōportiō 由 pro（對著、相對於）加 portio（份、部分）組成，字面就是「一份對著另一份」。這個組合正好就是現代 proportion 的核心動作：不看單獨的一份，而是把一份擺到另一份旁邊去看。英文的 portion（一份、一客）就是同一個 portio。

Wiktionary, "proportion" (Middle English proporcion ← Old French ← Latin prōportiō, from pro + portio); the payload's own ATTESTED ORIGINS note

Four branches

一部分對整體：比例與比率

這一族就是核心畫面本身，最沒有比喻成分的用法：把一份放到整體旁邊，或把兩份放在一起，講出它們相比之下的大小關係。

fraction of a whole · noun · C1

A part of a number or an amount, when you look at how big that part is next to the whole.

比例

各部分之間的協調：勻稱與造型

還是同一個比的動作，只是比較的對象從「部分對整體」換成「部分對部分」，而且結果不只是一個數字，而是好看不好看、對不對勁的判斷。

proper balance, design · noun · C1

The right or best way the size, shape, or position of the different parts of something fit together.

勻稱

整體看起來多大：規模

本來要跟別的東西比才有話講，但當一個東西大到讓所有比較對象都顯得渺小，我們就直接用複數 proportions 講它「大到什麼地步」——比較的對象被省略了，只留下那份驚人的量體感。

large scale or size · noun · C1

The size or importance of something, usually in the plural proportions, especially when it is very large.

規模

固定說法裡的分寸感

同樣是把兩件事擺在一起比，只是這次比的是「反應」與「事實」，而這幾個意思都只活在固定片語裡，不能拆開單用。

out of proportion · noun · C1

Too big, too great, or too strong when compared with something else, especially with the real facts, in the phrase out of (all) proportion.

不成比例

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。

proportionnoun/pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/

  • 1

    A quantity of something that is part of the whole amount or number.

    • “I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera, the gorged dowagers, the worn-out, passionless men, the enervated matrons of the summer capital,[…]!”
  • 2

    Harmonious relation of parts to each other or to the whole.

  • 3

    Proper or equal share.

    • Let the women[…]do the same things in their proportions and capacities.
  • 4

    The relation of one part to another or to the whole with respect to magnitude, quantity, or degree.

    • the proportion of the parts of a building, or of the body
    • The image of Christ made in Pilate's time after his own proportion.
  • 5

    mathematicssciencesA statement of equality between two ratios.

  • 6

    archaicmathematicssciencesThe "rule of three", in which three terms are given to find a fourth.

  • 7

    Size.

    • The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;[…]. Now she had come to look upon the matter in its true proportions, and her anticipation of a possible chance of teaching him a lesson was a pleasure to behold.
    • What other television show would feature a gorgeously designed sequence where a horrifically mutated Pierre and Marie Curie, their bodies swollen to Godzilla-like proportions from prolonged exposure to the radiation that would eventually kill them, destroy an Asian city with their bare hands like vengeance-crazed monster-Gods?

proportionverb/pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/

  • 1

    To divide into proper shares; to apportion.

    • In order to proportion the braking force to the weight carried by a wheel - a matter of special importance in the braking of wagons - variable leverage systems are now being introduced in which the end of one axle spring is linked to a control spring in the change-over valve, so automatically varying the leverage exerted by the brake-rod according to whether the wagon is full or empty.
  • 2

    To form symmetrically.

  • 3

    artartsTo set or render in proportion.

  • 4

    archaicTo correspond to.

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。