Teetotalism is the noun for the practice or the principle of never drinking alcohol at all. Where 'teetotal' describes a person and 'teetotaller' names one, teetotalism names the whole idea — the belief, the movement, the way of living.

Teetotalism is the noun forteetotalism是名詞，指 the practice or the principle of never drinking alcohol at all完全不喝酒這種做法或這種主張。 Where 'teetotal' describes a person「teetotal」是形容一個人， and 'teetotaller' names one「teetotaller」是稱呼這樣的人， teetotalism names the whole ideateetotalism指的則是整個概念—— the belief, the movement, the way of living這種信念、這場運動、這種生活方式。

It is uncountable, and it is a formal, bookish word: you meet it in history writing, in articles about religion or public health, in sentences like 'Teetotalism spread rapidly through the industrial towns' or 'Her teetotalism was a matter of religious conviction.' Nobody says it at a dinner table.

It is uncountable它是不可數名詞， and it is a formal, bookish word而且是正式、書面的詞： you meet it in history writing你會在歷史寫作裡遇到它， in articles about religion or public health在談宗教或公共衛生的文章裡遇到它， in sentences like 'Teetotalism spread rapidly through the industrial towns'在像「Teetotalism spread rapidly through the industrial towns」這樣的句子裡， or 'Her teetotalism was a matter of religious conviction.'或是「Her teetotalism was a matter of religious conviction.」這樣的句子裡。 Nobody says it at a dinner table沒有人會在餐桌上說這個詞。

The word carries its history with it. It belongs above all to the nineteenth-century temperance movement in Britain and America, where organised campaigners urged people to sign a pledge of total abstinence; so when you read 'teetotalism' you are usually reading about a social movement with meetings and pledges and moral argument, not simply about one person's private choice.

The word carries its history with it這個詞帶著它的歷史。 It belongs above all to它最主要屬於 the nineteenth-century temperance movement in Britain and America十九世紀英美的禁酒運動， where organised campaigners urged people to sign a pledge of total abstinence當時有組織的倡議者呼籲人們簽下完全戒酒的誓約； so when you read 'teetotalism'所以當你讀到「teetotalism」， you are usually reading about a social movement with meetings and pledges and moral argument你讀到的通常是一場有集會、誓約和道德辯論的社會運動， not simply about one person's private choice而不只是某個人私人的選擇。

That is the difference from 'not drinking': teetotalism sounds like a position you hold, something you could argue for. If you just mean a person's habit, 'he doesn't drink' is the natural English.

That is the difference from 'not drinking'這就是它跟「not drinking」不同的地方： teetotalism sounds like a position you holdteetotalism聽起來像是你所持有的一種立場， something you could argue for是一件你可以為它辯護的事。 If you just mean a person's habit如果你只是要說一個人的習慣， 'he doesn't drink' is the natural English自然的英文說法是「he doesn't drink」。