喜樂美語

核心畫面

Think of putting something down on the table in front of other people: here it is, take a look, what do you say? A proposition is a thing set forward for others to examine, accept, argue with, or turn down.

你把一樣東西擺到桌上，推到其他人面前——「東西在這裡，你們看看，怎麼樣？」proposition 就是這個被推出來、…更多收起你把一樣東西擺到桌上，推到其他人面前——「東西在這裡，你們看看，怎麼樣？」proposition 就是這個被推出來、等著別人檢視的東西。重點有兩層：一是它被明白地擺了出來（不是心裡想想），二是它在等回應——別人可以接受、可以反駁、可以否決。這個字裡的 pro-（往前）+ pos-（放）就是「往前放」的意思，整個字族 propose、pose、position 都住在這個動作裡。

From the word’s history

From Latin prōpositiō, from prōpōnō = prō- ('forward') + pōnō ('to place, put'). Literally 'a putting forward'.

來自拉丁文 prōpositiō，動詞 prōpōnō 拆開是 prō-（向前）+ pōnō（放置），字面就是「往前放的東西」。同一個 pōnō 也給了英文 pose、position、compose、deposit。知道這點之後，proposition 的各種意思就都好認了：不管擺出來的是一個意見、一個生意、還是一條法案，動作永遠是「把它推到桌上」。

Wiktionary (proposition < Latin prōpositiō < prōpōnō, prō- + pōnō 'to place')

Five branches

推到桌上的提議與主張

這一家就是核心畫面本身：把一個做法或一個看法擺出來，等對方回應。

proposition, a suggestion · noun · C1

A suggestion, or a possible thing to do that people are looking at, especially in business or politics.

提議

擺上檯面表決的正式提案

同樣是「往前放」，只是這次放的地方是法律程序，而回應的方式是投票。

proposition, US ballot measure · noun · C1

A suggested change or addition to the law of a US state, which the people of that state vote on.

州民提案

要面對的難題

視角換了一邊：核心比較像「我把東西擺給你」，這裡是「東西擺在我面前，我得應付」。同一張桌子，從接收方看過去。

proposition, a thing to deal with · noun · C1

Used after words like different, tricky, simple, or costly to say how easy a person or thing will be to deal with.

要應付的對象

數學上待證的題目

從「提出一個等人評斷的主張」收窄而來——只是在數學裡，評斷的方式不是討論，而是嚴格的證明。

proposition, geometric theorem · noun · C1

In geometry, something that must be proved, or a question whose answer must be found.

命題

直接開口的性要求

動詞化的 proposition 保留了「直接擺出來」這個動作，只是內容固定成了性；正因為太直接，它在英文裡幾乎總帶著冒犯或不受歡迎的味道。

proposition, verb, sexual advance · verb · C1

To suggest to someone, in a direct way, that they have sex with you.

提出性要求

原始詞典資料14 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。

propositionnoun/ˌpɹɑpəˈzɪʃən/

  • 1

    The act of offering (an idea) for consideration.

  • 2

    An idea, plan, or suggestion offered.

    • 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; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.
    • And it would be a fine proposition If I was a stupid girl But honey, I am no one's exception This I have previously learned
  • 3

    informalAn idea, plan, or suggestion offered.

    • Quinn looked into the intersection. Tonya was standing in the middle of it, stance wide, taser in both hands, Quinn's rickshaw on the sidewalk behind her. "Ow," said Quinn, and it came out just shy of a proposition.
  • 4

    The terms of a transaction offered.

  • 5

    governmentpoliticsIn some states, a proposed statute or constitutional amendment to be voted on by the electorate.

    • In November, though, voters will be faced with proposition one. It's a citizen's initiative that will do two things. If passed, it would open up all primaries in Idaho, and it would create a new voting system known as ranked choice voting.
  • 6

    grammarhuman-scienceslinguisticsA complete sentence.

    • Our English nouns remain unchanged, whether they form the subject or the object of a proposition.
  • 7

    human-scienceslogicmathematicsThe content of an assertion that may be taken as being true or false and is considered abstractly without reference to the linguistic sentence that constitutes the assertion; (Aristotelian logic) a predicate of a subject that is denied or affirmed and is connected by a copula.

    • “Wiktionary is a good dictionary” is a proposition.
  • 8

    human-sciencesmathematicsphilosophyAn assertion so formulated that it can be considered true or false.

另外 3 個記錄的用法
  • 9

    mathematicssciencesAn assertion which is provably true, but not important enough to be called a theorem.

  • 10

    A statement of religious doctrine; an article of faith; a creed.

    • the propositions of Wyclif and Huss
    • There are some persons, whose religion is hugely disgraced, because they change their propositions, according as their temporal necessities or advantages do return.
  • 11

    The part of a poem in which the author states the subject or matter of it.

propositionverb/ˌpɹɑpəˈzɪʃən/

  • 1

    informalTo make an offer or suggestion to (someone).

    • The Superintendent of the facility tried to proposition with me that if I snitched to the guards and would work with him, then he would put my friend and me back together again.
  • 2

    informalTo make an offer or suggestion to (someone).

    • Yiannopoulos started releasing video interviews and other evidence meant to prove that [Ali] Alexander sexually propositioned both adult men in their 20s and at least two teenagers.

這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形：

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。