To disconnect two things that were joined together, so they can move apart. The classic picture is a railway: workers uncouple the last carriage and it stays behind while the train pulls away. It works for anything with a physical link made to be undone — a trailer from a car, a hose from a pump, one machine from another.

To disconnect two things that were joined together把原本接在一起的兩樣東西分開，so they can move apart讓它們可以分開移動。The classic picture is a railway最經典的畫面是鐵路：workers uncouple the last carriage工人把最後一節車廂uncouple，and it stays behind while the train pulls away留在原地，火車則開走。It works for anything with a physical link made to be undone這個字適用於任何本來就設計成可以拆開的實體連結——a trailer from a car拖車跟汽車分開、a hose from a pump水管跟幫浦分開、one machine from another一台機器跟另一台分開。

The important part is that the joining was deliberate and temporary. You uncouple things that were coupled; you do not uncouple things that were glued or welded.

The important part is that the joining was deliberate and temporary重點是這個連結本來就是故意接上、而且是暫時的。You uncouple things that were coupled你uncouple的是本來就couple在一起的東西；you do not uncouple things that were glued or welded而不會拿去講被黏死或焊死的東西。

There is a wider, more abstract use, common in serious writing about economics and policy: to break a link between two things that used to rise and fall together. 'Countries are trying to uncouple economic growth from carbon emissions.' Here nothing physical is separated at all — a relationship is being broken.

There is a wider, more abstract use還有一個更廣、更抽象的用法，common in serious writing about economics and policy常見於嚴肅的經濟和政策文章：to break a link between two things that used to rise and fall together指打破兩件本來會一起漲一起跌的東西之間的關聯。'Countries are trying to uncouple economic growth from carbon emissions.'「Countries are trying to uncouple economic growth from carbon emissions.」（各國正試著讓經濟成長跟碳排放脫鉤）Here nothing physical is separated at all這裡完全沒有實體的東西被分開——a relationship is being broken被打破的是一種關聯。

And a third use, gentler and newer: about people. To uncouple is to end a romantic partnership, and the phrase 'conscious uncoupling' became famous around 2014 as a kinder-sounding word for separating. Some people find that use precious; it is still widely understood.

And a third use, gentler and newer還有第三種用法，比較溫和、也比較新：about people講的是人。To uncouple is to end a romantic partnershipto uncouple就是結束一段感情關係，and the phrase 'conscious uncoupling' became famous around 2014而「conscious uncoupling」這個說法在2014年左右變得很有名，as a kinder-sounding word for separating是「分手」比較溫和的講法。Some people find that use precious有些人覺得這種用法有點做作；it is still widely understood但大家還是普遍聽得懂。

The word is not common in daily speech. Ordinary English says 'unhook it', 'take it off', 'break the link'.

The word is not common in daily speech這個字在日常口語裡不常見。Ordinary English says 'unhook it', 'take it off', 'break the link'一般英語會說「unhook it」、「take it off」、「break the link」。