Window-shopping is looking at goods in shop windows and displays for pleasure, without intending to buy anything. It names the activity itself, so it turns up as 'go window-shopping', 'do some window-shopping', or 'we were window-shopping'.

Window-shopping is Window-shopping 就是 for pleasure為了樂趣 looking at看 in shop windows and displays櫥窗和陳列裡的 goods商品, without intending to buy anything而不打算買任何東西。 It它 names the activity itself指的是這個活動本身, so it turns up as所以它會以這些樣子出現: 'go window-shopping'、'do some window-shopping'、或 'we were window-shopping'。

It is a warm, ordinary word. Nobody is ashamed of window-shopping; it is a normal way to spend an afternoon, and the pleasure is in the looking, sometimes in imagining owning the thing.

It它 is a warm是個溫暖, ordinary word平常的字。 Nobody沒有人 is ashamed of window-shopping會為 window-shopping 感到不好意思; it它 is a normal way是很正常的方式 to spend an afternoon用來打發一個下午, and the pleasure而那份樂趣 is in the looking就在看的本身, sometimes有時 in imagining owning the thing在想像擁有那樣東西。

Two things are worth noticing. First, the 'window' part is no longer literal — you can window-shop inside a department store, at a market stall, or on your phone at midnight, and people will use the word without blinking. Second, the intention is what defines it: if you are looking because you plan to buy next month, most people would say you are just shopping or looking around. Window-shopping means the not-buying is the point, or at least the accepted outcome.

Two things有兩件事 are worth noticing值得注意。 First第一, the 'window' part 'window' 這個部分 is no longer literal已經不是字面意思了 — you你 can window-shop可以 window-shop, inside a department store在百貨公司裡, at a market stall在市場攤位, or on your phone at midnight或半夜在手機上, and people而大家 will use the word照樣用這個字, without blinking眼睛都不眨一下。 Second第二, the intention意圖 is what defines it才是決定它的東西: if如果 you你 are looking在看 because you plan to buy next month是因為打算下個月買, most people大多數人 would say會說 you你 are just shopping只是在買東西 or looking around或隨便看看。 Window-shopping means Window-shopping 的意思是: the not-buying不買 is the point才是重點, or at least或至少 the accepted outcome是大家都接受的結果。

It also works as a picture for other things — window-shopping for jobs, for apartments, for universities — meaning you are looking without being ready to act. The verb 'to window-shop' exists and is used freely: 'we window-shopped for an hour'.

It它 also也 works as a picture能當一幅圖像用 for other things去說別的事 — window-shopping for jobs看工作, for apartments看房子, for universities看大學 — meaning意思是 you你 are looking在看, without being ready to act但還沒準備好行動。 The verb動詞 'to window-shop' exists是存在的, and is used freely大家也用得很自然: 'we window-shopped for an hour' 我們逛了一個小時，只看沒買。