核心畫面

Picture something standing upright with the weight in the wrong half: the heavy things are all up high and there is almost nothing holding the bottom down. A with the thick books on the top shelf. A backpack with the water bottles in the lid pocket. It has not fallen yet — it is just leaning, waiting for a push. Everywhere this word goes, that same shape goes with it: too much above, too little below, and trouble coming.

可以想成一個立著的東西,重量放錯了一半:重的全在上面,下面幾乎沒有東西壓著。像一個把厚書都放在最上層的書櫃。像一個把更多收起可以想成一個立著的東西,重量放錯了一半:重的全在上面,下面幾乎沒有東西壓著。像一個把厚書都放在最上層的書櫃。像一個把水瓶塞在頂袋的背包。它還沒倒,只是歪在那裡,等人輕輕一碰。這個字走到哪裡,這個形狀就跟到哪裡:上面太多,下面太少,而且看得出後面要出事。所以不管是東西、公司還是身形,說 top-heavy 都是在講「比例上面重」。

Three branches

真的會倒的那種上重下輕

這是畫面本身:真的有重量,也真的會倒。

adjective · B2

Heavier at the top than at the bottom, so that the thing does not stand steadily and falls over easily if it is pushed, knocked or leaned.

頭重腳輕的

把組織立起來看

重量換成人數:主管在上、做事的人在下,上面一多,整個就重。

adjective · C1

Used about a company or organization that has too many managers and bosses compared with the number of people doing the ordinary day-to-day work.

管理層過多的

把同一個比例用在身形上

比例不變,換成人的上半身與下半身;這一格來自 Wiktionary,尚未有正式編號。

adjective · C1

Used about a person's shape — in the source, usually a woman's — to say that the upper body, especially the chest, is large compared with the rest of the body.

上圍豐滿的