A body that can do the job it is being asked to do: walk, lift, climb, stand a watch. The word is always measured against a task, and against the people for whom that task is closed off.
able-bodied 可以想成「這副身體做得動人家要求的事」。走得了、扛得起、爬得上去。它裡面永遠藏著一個任務，也藏著一個對照組——那些因為身體限制而做不到的人。所以這個字很少用來誇某個朋友，反而常出現在規定、名冊和公告裡：誰要去清路、誰走樓梯、誰算是合格的船員。
From the word’s history
From able body plus -ed, the same pattern as kind-hearted or long-legged: a person who has such a body.
從 able body（做得動的身體）加 -ed 而來，跟 kind-hearted、long-legged 是同一種造法：「有一副這樣的身體的人」。這個字面意思跟今天的用法幾乎重疊，沒有走遠。
Wiktionary entry for able-bodied (source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:11995946): From able body + -ed.
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