核心畫面

Picture something going quietly on while a knock at the door, a drill, a piece of bad news waits just outside the frame and never gets in. The word is built on un-, so it is always naming an absence: the that could have arrived did not. That is why an undisturbed morning is worth mentioning at all. Point the picture at a room and nothing has been moved; point it at a person and nothing has shaken them.

可以想成一件事安安靜靜地進行著,而門上的敲門聲、電鑽聲、一個壞消息,就停在畫面外面,始終沒有進來。這個字的骨架是 u更多收起可以想成一件事安安靜靜地進行著,而門上的敲門聲、電鑽聲、一個壞消息,就停在畫面外面,始終沒有進來。這個字的骨架是 un-,所以它一直在說「沒有發生的事」:本來可能來的打擾沒有來。正因為這樣,一個 undisturbed 的早上才值得特別講出來。把這個畫面對著房間,就是沒有人動過;對著一個人,就是沒有什麼動搖得了他。

From the word’s history

Wiktionary gives the word as un- + disturbed, so the negative prefix is doing all the work the core image describes.

來源寫的是 un- 加 disturbed。也就是說,把「被打擾、被翻動」整個翻成反面。核心畫面裡那個「打擾沒有進來」的感覺,就是這個前綴直接給的。

Wiktionary entry for undisturbed, supplied in this batch's evidence packet: From un- + disturbed.

Two branches

沒被打斷、沒被動過

畫面直接用在事情和東西上:人做事沒被打斷,地方和物品維持原樣。

adjective · B2

Not interrupted, touched or moved by anyone or anything.

沒被打擾的;原封不動的

心裡不受影響

把同一個畫面對準一個人的心:該讓人不安的事情就在旁邊,卻沒有進到他心裡。

adjective · B2

Calm, and not upset or worried by something that could easily upset or worry a person.

不為所動;不受影響