喜樂美語

You can picture something thrown down right in front of you on the path, blocking your way, so you have to stop and deal with it before you can move on. That blocking thing is a 'problem'. From it grow three directions: a real difficulty you must solve (a blocked road), a question deliberately set in front of you to work out (a maths puzzle), and a whole set of spoken phrases ('no problem', 'that's not my problem', 'what's your problem?') where people talk about whether something is, or isn't, a block in the way.

可以想成有個東西被丟在你前方的路上,擋住去路,你得先停下來處理掉,才走得過去。那個擋路的東西就是 problem。從它長出三個方向:一個是你非解決不可的真正困難(被擋住的路),一個是別人故意擺在你面前要你算出來的題目(數學謎題),還有一整套口語片語(no problem、that's not my problem、what's your problem?),都是在談某件事算不算一道擋在路上的關卡。

From the word’s history

From Greek 'problema' — literally 'a thing thrown or put forward', from 'pro-' (forward, in front) + 'ballein' (to throw). The modern core keeps that exact picture: something put in front of you, whether as an obstacle to clear or a question to tackle.

源自希臘文 problema——字面就是「被往前丟出來、擺在前面的東西」,由 pro-(向前、在前)加上 ballein(投擲)組成。現代的核心保留了同一個畫面:某個被擺在你面前的東西,可能是要清掉的障礙,也可能是要應付的題目。

etymonline.com (problem, from Greek problema < pro- + ballein)

登入就可以看每一支怎麼連回核心畫面。

同家族的字

複數 problems

意思相反

solutionanswereasy

原始詞典資料10 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，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。

problemnoun/ˈpɹɒbləm/

  • 1

    A difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with.

    • She's leaving because she faced numerous problems to do with racism.
    • “[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
  • 2

    A difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with.

    • I think he has a gambling problem. Lending him money will probably only make it worse.
    • I think he has a nose candy problem. Lending him money will probably only make it worse.
  • 3

    A question to be answered, schoolwork exercise.

    • Study hard, but don't overdo it. The problems in the exam won't be difficult to solve.
  • 4

    A puzzling circumstance.

  • 5

    Objection.

    • You got a problem with that?
  • 6

    Difficulty in accepting or understanding or refusal to accept or understand.

    • You made your best honest effort; if they judge you harshly, that’s their problem, not yours.
  • 7

    climbinghobbieslifestyleA set of moves required to complete a climb.

problemadj/ˈpɹɒbləm/

  • 1

    Of a person or an animal, difficult to train or guide; unruly.

  • 2

    Causing a problem; problematic; troublesome.

    • It is more problem to my family than to me.

problemverb/ˈpɹɒbləm/

  • 1

    To problematize.

    • Now, if I thought he was there, it was that at some point in time he told me that's where he would be. If that's probleming you, it's not probleming me.

摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。