喜樂美語

核心畫面

Picture an old balance with a pan on each side. Put something in and the pan drops — how far it drops is how heavy the thing is. Almost everything weigh does comes from that picture: being heavy, finding out how heavy, and then the same balance used for ideas instead of objects — putting two choices in the pans and seeing which side goes down. One sense stands apart: weigh anchor, which kept the word's much older meaning of simply lifting something.

可以想成一個老式的天平，兩邊各一個盤子。東西放上去，盤子往下沉——沉得多深，就是它有多重。weigh 的大部分用法都…更多收起可以想成一個老式的天平，兩邊各一個盤子。東西放上去，盤子往下沉——沉得多深，就是它有多重。weigh 的大部分用法都從這個畫面來：東西本身有多重、去測出它有多重，然後把同一個天平拿來放想法，兩個選擇各放一邊，看哪一邊沉下去。只有一個用法站在旁邊：weigh anchor（起錨），它保留的是這個字更早以前「把東西抬起來」的意思。

From the word’s history

Old English wegan meant 'move, carry, support, bear'; the sense developed from 'move' to 'lift, raise' to 'bear up to determine the weight of'. The older 'lift, carry' meaning survives in the nautical phrase weigh anchor — which is why that use is not a metaphor about heaviness at all.

古英文 wegan 的意思是「移動、搬、撐住、承載」，後來一路變成「抬起來」，再變成「抬起來看有多重」。而更早的「抬、搬」這層意思，只留在航海用語 weigh anchor 裡——所以「起錨」跟「重量」其實沒有比喻關係，它是這個字沒有跟著改變的那一小塊。

Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com/word/weigh)

Three branches

重量：有多重、量多重

這一組是核心畫面本身，只是站的位置不同：一個是被放上天平的東西，一個是站在天平前面看數字的人。

weigh (have weight) · verb · B1

To have a particular weight, measured in units like kilograms or pounds.

重達；有…重

把想法放上天平

把天平從東西移到想法上。做決定的時候，好處放一邊、壞處放一邊，看哪邊沉下去——這一組全部都是這個動作的不同角度：你在秤、某個因素本身很沉、或者你在秤自己要說出口的話。

weigh up (consider) · verb · B1

To think carefully about something, especially by comparing the good and bad points, before making a decision.

衡量；仔細考慮

起錨：留下來的「抬起」

這一個不是從「重量」比喻過去的，而是這個字更早的意思沒有跟著變。古英文的 wegan 本來就是「搬、抬」，後來才慢慢變成「抬起來看多重」；只有航海這句話把老意思保留了下來。

weigh anchor · verb · B1

To lift a ship's or boat's anchor up from the bottom of the sea so that the ship can start moving.

起錨（開船出發）

原始詞典資料14 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。

Weighname

  • 1

    A surname.

weighverb/weɪ/

  • 1

    To determine the weight of an object.

  • 2

    Often with "out", to measure a certain amount of something by its weight, e.g. for sale.

    • He weighed out two kilos of oranges for a client.
  • 3

    To determine the intrinsic value or merit of an object, to evaluate.

    • You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.
    • He took a long time weighing his options.
  • 4

    obsoleteTo judge; to estimate.

    • But ſhe thereof grew proud and inſolent, / That none ſhe worthie thought to be her fere, / But ſcornd them all, that loue vnto her ment; / Yet was ſhe lou’d of many a worthy pere, / Vnworthy ſhe to be belou’d ſo dere, / That could not weigh of worthineſſe aright.
  • 5

    To consider a subject.

  • 6

    To have a certain weight.

    • I weigh ten and a half stone.
    • Each half-section of the battery weighs about eight tons, and the two underframes had to be strengthened to take this weight.
  • 7

    To have weight; to be heavy; to press down.

    • If they ſhall faile, I with mine Enemies Will triumph o're my perſon, which I waigh not, Being of thoſe Vertues vacant.
    • They only weigh the heavier.
  • 8

    To be considered as important; to have weight in the intellectual balance.

    • Your vowes to her, and me,[…] / Will euen weigh, and both as light as tales.
    • I anſwer, this is a good Objection, and ought to weigh with thoſe whoſe Reading is deſign’d for much Talk and little Knowledge, and I have nothing to ſay to it.
另外 4 個記錄的用法
  • 9

    nauticaltransportTo raise an anchor free of the seabed.

  • 10

    nauticaltransportTo weigh anchor.

    • Towards the euening we wayed, & approaching the ſhoare [...], we landed where there lay a many of baskets and much bloud, but ſaw not a Salvage.
    • Here we used to remain until nearly time for slack-water again, when we weighed and made for home.
  • 11

    To bear up; to raise; to lift into the air; to swing up.

    • Weigh the vessel up.
  • 12

    obsoleteTo consider as worthy of notice; to regard.

    • Thinke you I weigh this treaſure more than you? Not all the Gold in Indias welthy armes, Shall buy the meaneſt ſouldier in my traine.
    • Them all, and all that ſhe ſo deare did way,[…]

weighnoun/weɪ/

  • 1

    The act of weighing, of measuring the weight

    • Give the sugar a quick weigh.

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。