喜樂美語

核心畫面

Picture something that has been moved back and away from you, until there is a wide empty stretch in between. Start with a village three hours down a dirt road, then keep the same gap and change what it is made of: years instead of , likelihood instead of years, resemblance, warmth between two people. Every use of the word is that same gap, filled with something different.

可以想成 remote 是一樣東西被往後、往外挪開，中間空出好長一段距離。先想一個要開三小時土路才到的村子，然後把那…更多收起可以想成 remote 是一樣東西被往後、往外挪開，中間空出好長一段距離。先想一個要開三小時土路才到的村子，然後把那段距離留著、換掉它的材質：換成年份、換成「發生的機會」、換成兩件事像不像、換成兩個人之間的溫度。這個字每一個用法，都是同一段距離，只是裡面填的東西不一樣。

From the word’s history

remote came into English in the mid-15th century from Latin remotus afar off, distant, the past participle of removere to move back or away (re- back, away + movere to move). So remote is literally moved away - the same movere that gives move, motion and remove. The sense slight, inconsiderable (a remote chance, a remote resemblance) is recorded from 1711, and remote control from 1904. (Etymonline)

remote 大約在十五世紀中進入英文，來自拉丁文 remotus「遙遠的」，而 remotus 是 removere「移開、挪走」的過去分詞：re- 是「往回、離開」，movere 是「移動」。所以 remote 字面就是「被移開的」——跟 move、motion、remove 是同一個字根。難怪它可以從地理上的遠，一路用到機會的遠：「機會微乎其微」這個意思在 1711 年就有紀錄，remote control 則出現在 1904 年。（Etymonline）

Etymonline, entry 'remote' — https://www.etymonline.com/word/remote

Five branches

空間和時間上的遠

這一組是最好想的距離：真的很遠，遠到要花力氣才到得了——不管你要跨的是路，還是年份。

remote (far away) · adjective · B2

Far away from towns and cities, and hard to get to.

偏遠的

兩件事之間離得遠

這次距離拉在兩件事中間：它們離得太開，中間那條線幾乎接不起來。

remote (unrelated) · adjective · B2

Very different from something, or having little connection to it.

相去甚遠的

遠到幾乎等於沒有

距離再拉到極限：東西遠到看起來只剩一個小點。用在機會上就是「機會小到幾乎不用考慮」，用在否定句裡就成了「連一點點都沒有」。

remote (unlikely) · adjective · B2

Very small and not likely to happen.

微乎其微的

人跟人之間的距離

距離換成人與人之間的溫度：這個人明明就在你面前，感覺卻站得很遠。

remote (aloof) · adjective · B2

Not warm or friendly, and seeming to keep a distance from other people.

冷淡疏離的

隔著距離操作

這一組不再形容距離，而是把距離變成優點：東西在那邊，人在這邊，中間那段空白正好由它跨過去。

remote control · noun · B2

The small object you hold to control a TV or machine from a distance; a remote control.

遙控器

原始詞典資料9 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。

remoteadj[ɹɪˈməʊt]

  • 1

    At a distance; disconnected.

    • A remote operator may control the vehicle with a wireless handset.
    • remote workers
  • 2

    Distant or otherwise inaccessible.

    • After his fall from the emperor's favor, the general was posted to a remote outpost.
  • 3

    Slight.

    • There was only a remote possibility that we would be rescued as we were far outside of the regular shipping lanes.
    • They have a very remote chance of winning.
  • 4

    Emotionally detached.

    • After her mother's death, my friend grew remote for a time while she dealt with her grief.

remotenoun[ɹɪˈməʊt]

  • 1

    broadcastingmediaAn element of broadcast programming originating away from the station's or show's control room.

  • 2

    computingengineeringmathematicsA source control repository hosted on a remote machine, rather than locally.

remoteverb[ɹɪˈməʊt]

  • 1

    computingengineeringmathematicsTo connect to a computer from a remote location.

  • 2

    to remove (from something or someone)

    • These requirements are applicable whether you are remoting into a server or locally executing SharePoint cmdlets.

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。