When you deaden something, you make it weaker, quieter, or less sharp — you do not kill it; you turn it down. People say this most about pain and about sound.

When you deaden something當你deaden某個東西的時候, you make it weaker, quieter, or less sharp你是讓它變弱、變小聲、或變得沒那麼強烈 — you do not kill it你不是把它殺死; you turn it down而是把它調小。People say this most about pain and about sound這個字最常用在痛和聲音上。

A pill can deaden a headache so the pain is still there, but it does not shout at you. Thick curtains, a carpet, or a wall can deaden noise from the street.

A pill can deaden a headache一顆藥丸可以deaden頭痛 so the pain is still there讓痛還在, but it does not shout at you但不會那麼強烈地折磨你。Thick curtains, a carpet, or a wall厚窗簾、地毯、或牆壁 can deaden noise from the street可以deaden從街上傳來的噪音。

Feelings work the same way: shock, fear, or a long wait can deaden your emotions for a while, so you feel less than you normally would.

Feelings work the same way情緒也是一樣的道理: shock, fear, or a long wait驚嚇、恐懼、或長時間的等待 can deaden your emotions for a while可以讓你的情緒暫時麻痺, so you feel less than you normally would讓你感受到的比平常少。

It is an ordinary verb, a little more formal than “make quieter” or “make less painful,” and you will meet it in medicine, news, and everyday talk. Though actually, it is not the same as kill, even though it is built from dead: you deaden a feeling or a sound; you do not deaden a person.

It is an ordinary verb這是個普通的動詞, a little more formal than 'make quieter' or 'make less painful'比make quieter或make less painful正式一點, and you will meet it in medicine, news, and everyday talk你會在醫學、新聞、和日常對話裡遇到它。Though actually不過其實, it is not the same as kill它跟kill不一樣, even though it is built from dead雖然它是從dead這個字造出來的: you deaden a feeling or a sound你可以deaden一種感覺或一個聲音; you do not deaden a person但不會deaden一個人。