Sameness is a noun with two close uses, and the feeling is often a little flat.

Sameness is千篇一律/一模一樣這個字是 a noun with two close uses一個名詞,有兩種很接近的用法, and the feeling is often a little flat而且給人的感覺常常有點乏味。

First: a boring lack of variety — the sameness of the suburbs, the sameness of every weekday lunch. Here it is almost a complaint: nothing changes, and that wears you down.

First首先: a boring lack of variety是那種缺乏變化的無聊感——the sameness of the suburbs郊區的千篇一律, the sameness of every weekday lunch每天工作日午餐都一樣的單調。Here it is almost a complaint這裡幾乎帶點抱怨的意味: nothing changes什麼都沒變, and that wears you down而這讓人感到疲乏。

Second: the quality of being very like something else — the sameness of the two stories, a comforting sameness in a childhood beach. That second use can be neutral or even warm; the first is the one teachers hear most.

Second第二種: the quality of being very like something else是指跟另一個東西很像的那種性質——the sameness of the two stories兩個故事之間的相似, a comforting sameness in a childhood beach童年那片海灘那種讓人安心的一模一樣。That second use can be neutral or even warm第二種用法可以是中性的,甚至帶點溫暖; the first is the one teachers hear most而第一種是老師最常聽到學生用的。

It is more formal than blurting out “it’s all the same.” You would not usually praise a party for its sameness. Though actually, English also has identity and similarity, which scholars keep apart; everyday sameness does not bother. It just names “how same it is,” for better or, more often, for worse.

It is more formal than它比較正式,不像 blurting out “it's all the same.”脫口而出說「反正都一樣」。You would not usually praise a party for你通常不會用這個字來稱讚一場派對 its sameness很「一模一樣」。Though actually不過其實, English also has英文裡還有 identity and similarity同一性(identity)和相似性(similarity)這兩個字, which scholars keep apart這是學者會刻意區分的; everyday sameness does not bother日常用的 sameness 不會計較這些細節。It just names它就只是單純在講 “how same it is,”「有多一樣」這件事, for better or, more often, for worse可能是好事,但更常是壞事。