Done properly, with skill and care — but not beautifully, not brilliantly, nothing to make you gasp. It is the sound of a job done right by someone who knows what they are doing. That double feeling is the whole point of the word, and it is why it is tricky.

Done properly, with skill and care做得恰如其分，有技術也用心——but not beautifully, not brilliantly, nothing to make you gasp但不漂亮，不出色，不會讓你驚豔。It is the sound of a job done right by someone who knows what they are doing這是一個知道自己在做什麼的人，把事情做對的那種感覺。That double feeling is the whole point of the word這種雙重的味道正是這個字的重點所在，and it is why it is tricky也是它難搞的原因。

Said of a builder's work or a repair, it is real praise: workmanlike means solid, competent, no shortcuts. But said of a performance, a book, a film, or a football match, it is faint praise that quietly means "fine, but dull": "a workmanlike performance" from a critic means the actor did nothing wrong and nothing memorable. Sports writers use it constantly for a team that wins 1-0 without playing well.

Said of a builder's work or a repair用來形容工匠的手藝或一次修理，it is real praise這是真正的讚美：workmanlike means solid, competent, no shortcutsworkmanlike 意思是紮實、有能力、不偷工減料。But said of a performance, a book, a film, or a football match但用來形容一場表演、一本書、一部電影或一場足球賽時，it is faint praise that quietly means "fine, but dull"這是悄悄帶著「還好，但很無聊」意思的淡淡讚美："a workmanlike performance" from a critic means the actor did nothing wrong and nothing memorable一位評論家說 'a workmanlike performance'，意思是演員沒演錯什麼，但也沒有什麼令人記得住的地方。Sports writers use it constantly for a team that wins 1-0 without playing well體育記者常常用它來形容一支靠 1 比 0 獲勝、但踢得不怎麼樣的球隊。

So the same word can be a compliment about a wall and a small put-down about a play. Which one it is depends entirely on whether the thing is supposed to be exciting.

So the same word can be a compliment about a wall and a small put-down about a play所以同一個字，說一面牆可以是稱讚，說一齣戲卻可以是小小的貶低。Which one it is depends entirely on whether the thing is supposed to be exciting到底是哪一種，完全要看那件事本來應不應該讓人興奮。

Like workman, it has the -man inside it, so some writers now choose competent, skilled, or professional instead, but workmanlike is still widely used and does not sound offensive to most ears. It is an adjective; there is no common adverb form.

Like workman, it has the -man inside it就像 workman 一樣，它裡面藏著 -man，so some writers now choose competent, skilled, or professional instead所以有些作者現在改選 competent、skilled 或 professional 來用，but workmanlike is still widely used不過 workmanlike 至今仍廣泛使用 and does not sound offensive to most ears聽在大多數人耳裡也不覺得冒犯。It is an adjective它是形容詞；there is no common adverb form沒有常用的副詞形式。