Gathering dust (or collecting dust) is just an expression that means something is no longer used and is ‘lying about’. Things that are no longer used or needed can be described as redundant 冗余 or ‘surplus to requirements’ (not needed).
Here’s a laptop which a friend gave me. It had a slight problem – it kept ‘cutting out’ 关掉 for no apparent reason. He bought a new one and gave the old laptop to me.
The old laptop can probably be ‘sorted out’ -fixed – 修复 quite easily. It is quite common for laptops to ‘cut out’. It is usually caused by a build up 增加 of excessive 过度 heat, or faulty memory.
The two digital cameras seen on the laptop are old, but in good working condition. Both cameras are perfectly useable. I don’t use them anymore.
A collection of ‘bits and pieces’. here, there are two motherboards 主板 with CPU 处理器 and RAM (memory), graphic cards, hard drives..
It’s the sort of thing we accumulate over time. Things that we don’t use but don’t ‘toss away’ – don’t throw away. We keep things and ‘clutter the place up’. I have drawers full of bits and pieces. There’s actually enough spare parts (pieces) here to build a working computer.
I can’t remember where most of this stuff came from. Probably I have ‘stripped out’ – removed – 取出 the good, working pieces from broken computers or unwanted computers.
Soon I will go to China. Maybe I should take a mothetboard and hardrive etc (etcetera 诸如此类) with me and build a computer when I get there? Or maybe I will not be able to carry it all in my suitcase …
Teaching in China 