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Well-intentioned describes a person, a plan, or an action where the aim was good — genuinely, kindly good — but the result was not. That gap is the whole point of the word.
Well-intentioned Well-intentioned describes形容的是 a person, a plan, or an action一個人、一個計畫,或一個行動,where the aim was good其出發點是好的——genuinely, kindly good真心、善意地好——but the result was not但結果卻不好。That gap這個落差 is the whole point of the word就是這個字的重點所在。
When an English speaker calls something well-intentioned, listen for the "but" that is almost always coming: "a well-intentioned policy that made housing more expensive", "my well-intentioned aunt, who told everyone about the divorce".
When an English speaker calls something well-intentioned當英語使用者用 well-intentioned 形容某件事時,listen for the 'but' that is almost always coming要留意幾乎一定會出現的那個『但是』:'a well-intentioned policy that made housing more expensive''一項立意良善、卻讓房價變貴的政策','my well-intentioned aunt, who told everyone about the divorce''我那位立意良善、卻把離婚的事告訴大家的阿姨'。
It is a gentle word, because it gives the person credit for their heart while telling you their head or their timing failed them. It is not sarcasm and it is not an attack; it is what you say when you do not want to call someone stupid or selfish.
It is a gentle word這是個溫和的字,because it gives the person credit for their heart因為它肯定了這個人的一片好心,while telling you their head or their timing failed them同時也告訴你,他們的想法或時機沒抓對。It is not sarcasm and it is not an attack它不是諷刺,也不是攻擊;it is what you say when you do not want to call someone stupid or selfish這是你不想直接說某人蠢或自私時會用的說法。
Occasionally it is used purely positively — "well-intentioned people came from all over to help" — but even then the sentence usually admits somewhere that the help was . It is used both before a noun and after be. It is the sibling of well-meaning and, for a single act, well-meant; the three overlap so much that native speakers pick by rhythm rather than rule.
Occasionally偶爾 it is used purely positively它會被單純用在正面的意思上——'well-intentioned people came from all over to help''各地立意良善的人都來幫忙了'——but even then但即使如此 the sentence usually admits somewhere that the help was clumsy句子裡通常還是會透露出,那份幫忙有點笨拙。It is used both before a noun and after be它可以放在名詞前面,也可以接在 be 後面。It is the sibling of它是 well-meaning 的近親,and, for a single act而對單一行為來說,also well-meant也可以說 well-meant;the three overlap so much這三個字重疊得太多,that native speakers pick by rhythm rather than rule以至於母語者是憑語感選字,而不是憑規則。
組成well + intentioned, from intention: what you intend, what you plan to do. Intend comes from Latin intendere, literally to stretch toward — your mind stretching toward a goal.
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。
well-intentionedadj
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Having good intentions, even if producing unfortunate results.
- A 21-Valyrian steel dagger salute to Paddy Considine, who makes his exit from House Of The Dragon this week with a thunderclap of a performance. “The Lord of the Tides” is the swan song for his King Viserys I Targaryen, a well-intentioned but indecisive man who waited until the very last day of his life to flex his royal might.
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。