handicap

• n. 障碍；不利条件，不利的因素
• vt. 妨碍，阻碍；使不利

来自短语hand in cap,一种流行于17世纪的娱乐游戏，大致规则如下：甲乙双方有两件价值不同的物品，请丙当裁判来评估价差，然后补齐差价进行交换。同时，甲乙双方交纳保证金用手拿着放进帽子里，如果裁判丙估出的差价甲乙双方都同意的话，则他们进行物品交换，同时保证金归裁判，如果估出的差价甲乙双方都不同意的话，物品不交换，但是保证金也归裁判，如果一方同意另一方不同意，但是不同意的一方保证金归同意的一方，物品不交换，但可以避免更大程度损失。其中的关键在于裁判为使个人的利益最大化，势必要进行尽可能公正的估价，这样才会树立名声，别人才会找他，如果甲乙双方都认为裁判不公，则没人再找这个裁判。并由该游戏引申词义让步赛，如马赛，球赛，棋赛等等，以及用于指残疾人，生理缺陷的人，即需要让的人，含冒犯意。

1. the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness;

"reading disability"

"hearing impairment"

2. advantage given to a competitor to equalize chances of winning

3. something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress

handicap

handicap: [17] The word handicap originally denoted a sort of game of chance in which one person put up one of his or her personal possessions against an article belonging to someone else (for example one might match a gold watch against the other’s horse) and an umpire was appointed to adjudicate on the respective values of the articles. All three parties put their hands into a hat, together with a wager, and on hearing the umpire’s verdict the two opponents had to withdraw them in such a way as to indicate whether they wished to proceed with the game.

If they agreed, either in favour of proceeding or against, the umpire took the money; but if they disagreed, the one who wanted to proceed took it. It was the concealing of the hands in the hat that gave the game its name hand in cap, hand i’ cap, source of modern English handicap. In the 18th century the same term was applied to a sort of horse race between two horses, in which an umpire decided on a weight disadvantage to be imposed on a superior horse and again the owners of the horses signalled their assent to or dissent from his adjudication by the way in which they withdrew their hands from a hat.

Such a race became known as a handicap race, and in the 19th century the term handicap first broadened out to any contest in which inequalities are artificially evened out, and was eventually transferred to the ‘disadvantage’ imposed on superior contestants – whence the main modern meaning, ‘disadvantage, disability’.

handicap (n.)

1650s, from hand in cap, a game whereby two bettors would engage a neutral umpire to determine the odds in an unequal contest. The bettors would put their hands holding forfeit money into a hat or cap. The umpire would announce the odds and the bettors would withdraw their hands -- hands full meaning that they accepted the odds and the bet was on, hands empty meaning they did not accept the bet and were willing to forfeit the money. If one forfeited, then the money went to the other. If both agreed either on forfeiting or going ahead with the wager, then the umpire kept the money as payment. The custom, though not the name, is attested from 14c. ("Piers Plowman").

Reference to horse racing is 1754 (Handy-Cap Match), where the umpire decrees the superior horse should carry extra weight as a "handicap;" this led to sense of "encumbrance, disability" first recorded 1890. The main modern sense, "a mental or physical disability," is the last to develop, early 20c.

handicap (v.)

"equalize chances of competitors," 1852, but implied in the horse-race sense from mid-18c., from handicap (n.). Meaning "put at a disadvantage" is from 1864. Earliest verbal sense, now obsolete, was "to gain as in a wagering game" (1640s). Related: Handicapped; handicapping.

Why do some people joke about those who are fat or handicapped according to the man?

出自-2011年6月听力原文

British exports have been handicapped by the strong pound.

英镑坚挺影响了英国的出口。

牛津词典

Not speaking the language proved to be a bigger handicap than I'd imagined.

事实证明不会讲这种语言造成的障碍比我所想象的大。

牛津词典

mental/physical/visual handicap

智力 / 生理 / 视力缺陷

牛津词典

Despite her handicap, Jane is able to hold down a full-time job.

简尽管有生理缺陷，却能够保住一份全职工作。

牛津词典

I see your handicap is down from 16 to 12.

我发现你的差点已从16杆降到了12杆。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The industrial injuries scheme takes into account the actual disability and whether it handicaps a person in working.

工伤赔偿方案要考虑实际残疾情况以及残疾是否会影响其工作能力。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Greater levels of stress may seriously handicap some students...

压力的加重可能会给一些学生带来严重的负面影响。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Being a foreigner was not a handicap.

身为外国人并不是一个障碍。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

She was away from school for 15 weeks, a handicap she could have done without...

她有15周没上学，这给她带来了本不该有的障碍。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

He lost his leg when he was ten, but learnt to overcome his handicap.

他10岁时失去了一条腿，但他学会了克服自己的残疾。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

She showed her mettle by winning in spite of her handicap.

那匹雌马尽管增加了负重而仍能获胜,可见很有耐力.

辞典例句

Only in America 0 are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink.

只有在美国在滑冰场的门口有残疾人的专用停车位.

期刊摘选

Handicap language is very rich, in different periods, the major trading practices different!

盘口的语言很丰富, 不同时期, 主力的盘中手法不一样!

期刊摘选

Losing our best player was a handicap to the team.

失去最棒的运动员对我队不利.

辞典例句

His lack of enthusiasm was a handicap in the eyes of his superiors.

在他的上司看来,他缺乏热情是他的一个缺点.

期刊摘选

A high level of education can be a handicap in trading.

在交易中,高学历可以成为障碍.

期刊摘选

Countries that are badly broken up topographically have a serious handicap in economic development.

地形上四分五裂的国家,其经济发展会遭受严重阻碍.

辞典例句

Mr McCain's main handicap is his liberal record on immigration.

麦凯恩先生的主要障碍在于他在移民问题上的自由主义记录.

期刊摘选

That is a handicap when it peddles itself to donors.

但当它向捐助国兜售自己时这个却是一项不利条件.

期刊摘选

But do you think my hands were as great a handicap as the bone spurs?

但是,你可以为,我这双受伤的手跟骨刺一样是个很大的不利条件?

英汉文学 - 老人与海

Poor eyesight is a handicap to a student.

视力不好对学生来说是一个障碍.

期刊摘选

Ignorance can handicap the progress of a city.

无知会妨碍城市的进步.

期刊摘选

I think there is in the handicap, in the disease, a lot of potentiality.

我认为即便身有残疾, 疾病的折磨, 同时也是可以有许多的潜力的.

期刊摘选

My dual position was, in fact, a handicap.

事实上, 我的双重身份对我是一个不利因素.

辞典例句

Slow reading is a major handicap in university studies.

阅读速度慢是大学学习的主要障碍.

期刊摘选

New facilities such as family compartments , handicap restrooms and snack bars are available.

还有像家庭包厢 、 残疾人洗手间和酒吧这样的新设施.

期刊摘选

He has a handicap of 200 metres.

他在赛跑中让了二百米.

《简明英汉词典》