核心畫面

Picture a line drawn where something ought to have reached, and the thing stopping short of it. That gap is the whole word. The prefix under- puts it there, exactly as it does in undercooked and underpaid: the process happened, it simply did not go far enough. So the word never just means small or weak. It always points at a standard sitting somewhere in the sentence, and says this fell short of it.

可以想成有一條線,標著「本來應該到這裡」,而東西停在線的前面。那一段空白就是這個字的全部。前綴 under- 的作用更多收起可以想成有一條線,標著「本來應該到這裡」,而東西停在線的前面。那一段空白就是這個字的全部。前綴 under- 的作用就是把東西放在線的前面,跟 undercooked(沒煮熟)、underpaid(給太少)是同一招。所以它從來不只是「小」或「弱」。它一定在指句子裡某個標準,然後說「沒到」。

Three branches

沒長到、沒做足

核心畫面用在會成長、會被做出來的東西上:身體、能力、想法、制度。

adjective · C2

Not as fully grown, formed or worked out as it should be, or as it normally is by this stage.

發育不全的;沒做足的

經濟上沒發展起來的地方

同一條線,只是這次量的是一個地方的工廠、道路和公共服務,而且這個判斷是從外面下的。

adjective · C2

Used of a country, region or area that is poor and has little modern industry.

(國家、地區)落後的、不發達的

底片顯影不足

造字的方式一模一樣,但這裡的 develop 是「沖洗顯影」,是 develop 的另一個意思,所以要當成另一條路來記。

adjective · C2

Of a photographic film or print: left in the developing liquid for too short a time, so the picture comes out too pale or too faint.

(底片、相片)顯影不足的