To `stage-manage` an event is to arrange every visible part of it in advance so that it produces the effect you want — who stands where, who speaks, what the cameras see, what the audience is allowed to notice. The image comes straight from the theatre: a real stage manager makes sure everything appears on cue and the audience never sees the mess backstage.

To stage-manage an event stage-manage 一場活動, is to arrange就是安排好 every visible part of it它每一個看得見的部分, in advance而且是事先, so that好讓 it它 produces產生 the effect you want你要的效果 — who stands where誰站在哪裡, who speaks誰發言, what the cameras see鏡頭拍到什麼, what the audience is allowed to notice觀眾被允許注意到什麼。 The image這個畫面 comes straight from the theatre直接來自劇場: a real stage manager真正的舞台監督 makes sure要確保 everything每樣東西 on cue都準時 appears出現, and the audience而觀眾 never sees永遠看不到 the mess backstage後台的混亂。

Used about real life — a press conference, a meeting, a royal visit, a company announcement — it almost always carries disapproval. Saying "the whole thing was stage-managed" means: what looked spontaneous was not.

Used about real life用在真實生活時 — a press conference記者會, a meeting會議, a royal visit王室出訪, a company announcement公司發布 — it它 almost always幾乎總是 carries disapproval帶著不以為然。 Saying說 "the whole thing was stage-managed" 整件事都是事先安排好的, means意思是: what looked spontaneous看起來自然發生的 was not其實不是。

The people asking questions were chosen. The cheering crowd was placed there. You are telling your listener that they were shown a performance and invited to think it was life.

The people asking questions提問的人 were chosen是挑過的。 The cheering crowd歡呼的群眾 was placed there是被安排站在那裡的。 You你 are telling your listener是在告訴聽你說話的人: they他們 were shown被請看的 a performance是一場表演, and invited to think還被引導以為 it was life那就是真實人生。

That is why you meet it so often in the passive — "a carefully stage-managed appearance" — because the point is that someone arranged it and you are not supposed to know who.

That is why這就是為什麼 you你 so often這麼常 in the passive在被動式裡 meet it遇到它 — "a carefully stage-managed appearance" 一場精心安排過的亮相 — because因為 the point is重點就在: someone有人 arranged it安排了這一切, and you而你 are not supposed to know who不應該知道是誰。

It is not the same as "organize", which is neutral and even praising. Stage-managing is organizing plus hiding the organizing.

It它 as "organize" 跟 "organize", is not the same並不一樣, which那個字 is neutral是中性的, and even praising甚至帶著稱讚。 Stage-managing is Stage-manage 就是 organizing籌辦, plus加上 hiding the organizing把籌辦這件事藏起來。