核心畫面

One way to hold this word: think of the world as the everyday human business of money, deals, bargaining, and knowing how things get done. means inside that room. The un- puts someone, or something, outside it. From outside the room you can be a person who never wanted what is in there, a person who has not yet walked in, or a thing that seems to have come from somewhere else entirely.

可以想成:這裡的 world 指的是我們每天過的現實生活——錢、買賣、人情、怎麼把事情辦成。worldly 是待在那更多收起可以想成:這裡的 world 指的是我們每天過的現實生活——錢、買賣、人情、怎麼把事情辦成。worldly 是待在那個房間裡面的人。un- 把人或東西放到房間外面。而站在房間外面,有三種樣子:一種是根本不想要裡面那些東西;一種是還沒走進去、所以不熟裡面的規矩;還有一種不是人,是一樣東西或一個地方,美得、靜得好像不是從那個房間來的。

From the word’s history

The source records the word simply as un- + worldly, so the modern meanings all sit on top of that plain build: not of the world.

來源把這個字記成 un- + worldly。所以今天的三個意思,其實都疊在同一個很直白的組合上:不屬於這個世界。往人身上走,就是不在乎錢或還沒見過世面;往東西上走,就是不像人間該有的。

Wiktionary entry 'unworldly' (kaikki snapshot 3f6f69a190036ae4): "From un- + worldly."

Two branches

人站在現實世界外面

這一組把「房間外面」用在人身上。同樣是不在裡面,原因可以是不想進去,也可以是還沒進去,所以分成兩個意思。

adjective · C1

Not very interested in money or in owning things, so you do not spend your life trying to get them.

淡泊名利

東西不像這個世界的

同一個「在外面」的畫面,這次不放在人身上,而放在一樣東西、一個地方、一道光或一種聲音上。它不是態度,是感受:美得或靜得不像日常會有的。

adjective · C1

So unusual, still, or beautiful that it does not seem to come from the ordinary world.

不似人間