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If something you say or write is unambiguous, there is only one way to understand it. Nobody can read it and come away with a different meaning. It is the opposite of ambiguous, which is when a sentence can be taken two ways.
If something you say or write is unambiguous如果你說或寫的東西是unambiguous(明確的), there is only one way to understand it就表示只有一種理解方式。Nobody沒有人 can read it and come away with a different meaning會讀了之後得出不同的意思。It它 is the opposite of ambiguous是ambiguous(有歧義的)的反義詞, which is when a sentence can be taken two ways ambiguous指的是一句話可以有兩種解讀。
The word is mostly used about language and messages — an unambiguous answer, unambiguous instructions, an unambiguous rule. Notice that we usually say it about the WORDS, not about the person. A person is 'clear'; their message is 'unambiguous'.
The word這個字 is mostly used about language and messages主要用在語言和訊息上 — an unambiguous answer, unambiguous instructions, an unambiguous rule an unambiguous answer明確的答案、unambiguous instructions明確的指示、an unambiguous rule明確的規定。Notice that we usually say it about the WORDS, not about the person注意我們通常是拿它形容「話語」,不是形容「人」。A person一個人 is 'clear'是「clear清楚的」; their message他說的話 is 'unambiguous'才是「unambiguous明確的」。
It has a second, slightly wider use: about signs, results and evidence. 'The test result was unambiguous' means the result points at one conclusion and no other. Doctors, lawyers, scientists and journalists like the word for exactly this reason — it says 'you cannot argue about what this means'.
It它 has a second, slightly wider use還有第二個、稍微更廣的用法: about signs, results and evidence用在跡象、結果和證據上。'The test result was unambiguous'「The test result was unambiguous測試結果是明確的」 means the result points at one conclusion and no other意思是這個結果只指向一個結論,沒有別的可能。Doctors, lawyers, scientists and journalists醫生、律師、科學家、記者 like the word for exactly this reason喜歡用這個字,正是因為這個原因 — it它 says 'you cannot argue about what this means'等於是說「這代表什麼,沒什麼好爭的」。
It is a formal word. In everyday talking, people say 'You made it very clear' rather than 'Your statement was unambiguous'. You will meet it much more in reading than in speaking, especially in news, contracts, rules, and academic writing.
It它 is a formal word是個正式的字。In everyday talking在日常對話裡, people人們 say 'You made it very clear' rather than 'Your statement was unambiguous'會說「You made it very clear你講得很清楚」,而不會說「Your statement was unambiguous你的陳述很明確」。You你 will meet it much more in reading than in speaking會在閱讀時遇到它比在口語裡多很多, especially in news, contracts, rules, and academic writing尤其是在新聞、合約、規章和學術寫作裡。
One thing worth knowing: unambiguous is not the same as complete or honest. A message can be perfectly unambiguous and still be a lie, or still leave out important things. It only promises one meaning, nothing more.
One thing worth knowing有一點值得知道: unambiguous is not the same as complete or honest unambiguous不等於「完整」或「誠實」。A message一則訊息 can be perfectly unambiguous and still be a lie可以完全明確,卻同時是個謊言, or或 still leave out important things還是漏掉了重要的事。It它 only promises one meaning, nothing more只保證一種意思,僅此而已。
組成un-(不)+ ambiguous(模稜兩可的)。ambiguous 來自拉丁文 ambiguus,由 ambi-(兩邊)加 agō(走、驅使)組成——字面上是「往兩邊走」,一句話同時往兩個意思走,就是模稜兩可。
原始詞典資料1 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。
unambiguousadj
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Clear, and having no uncertainty or ambiguity.
- An LR(k) grammar is clearly unambiguous, since the definition implies every derivation tree must have the same handle, and by induction there is only one possible tree. It is interesting to point out furthermore that nearly every grammar which is known to be unambiguous is either an LR(k) grammar, or (dually) is a right-to-left translatable grammar, or is some grammar which is translated using "both ends toward the middle." Thus, the LR(k) condition may be regarded as the most powerful general test for nonambiguity that is now available.
- At the height of the crisis, according to a retired SAC wing commander, SAC airborne alert bombers deliberately flew past their turnaround points toward Soviet airspace, an unambiguous threat which Soviet radar operators would certainly have recognized and reported. "I knew what my target was," the SAC general adds: "Leningrad." The bombers only turned around when the Soviet freighters carrying missiles to Cuba stopped dead in the Atlantic.
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。