affair
affair — 名詞
1. a particular topic, problem, or situation that someone is thinking about, workin
事情；事務
正在處理或考慮的事情
a particular topic, problem, or situation that someone is thinking about, working on, or has to handle.
The minister called the strike a serious affair that needed quick action.
部長把這次罷工形容為需要立刻處理的嚴重事件。
adjective + affair (serious / urgent / private)
Maria told her brother that her divorce was her own affair.
Maria 告訴弟弟，她的離婚是她自己的事。
possessive + own + affair (= someone's responsibility)
Choosing a school for the twins became a long, stressful affair for the Lin family.
幫雙胞胎挑學校，對林家來說變成一件漫長又傷神的事情。
The mayor said pollution was a local affair, not a national one.
市長表示污染是地方事務，不是全國性的問題。
Aunt Rosa believed that money should never be a family affair at the dinner table.
Rosa 阿姨認為金錢這種事不該在飯桌上變成家務事。
文法句型
affair + of + noun
the + adjective + affair
用法筆記
Often paired with an adjective that classifies the matter (private, family, local, personal, internal, simple, complicated). Distinguish from sense 2: here the matter is neutral; in sense 2 it carries scandal or strong public reaction.
常見錯誤
2. a public event or series of actions, often involving wrongdoing by people in pow
事件；醜聞
引起公眾關注或譴責的風波
a public event or series of actions, often involving wrongdoing by people in power, that shocks or angers many people.
The Watergate affair forced President Nixon to leave office in 1974.
水門事件迫使尼克森總統在 1974 年下台。
the + proper-noun + affair (named scandal)
Reporters in Taipei kept digging until the bribery affair reached the front page.
台北的記者持續追查，直到那起賄賂事件登上頭版。
noun + affair (bribery / spying / corruption)
The whole affair embarrassed the company and cost the chairman his job.
整起事件讓公司顏面盡失，董事長也因此丟了工作。
Voters were still angry about the cash-for-votes affair months after the election.
選舉結束好幾個月，選民對買票事件仍然憤怒不已。
- scandal
stronger and more direct; focuses on moral outrage
- controversy
stresses public disagreement rather than wrongdoing
- case
more neutral; common in legal or media contexts
文法句型
the + proper-noun + affair
用法筆記
Usually preceded by 'the' plus a name or topic (the Dreyfus affair, the doping affair). Often appears with verbs of investigation and reaction: 'investigate', 'cover up', 'expose', 'be rocked by'.
常見錯誤
3. a romantic or sexual connection, often kept secret, between two people when at l
外遇；婚外情
通常為祕密的男女關係
a romantic or sexual connection, often kept secret, between two people when at least one of them is already married to or partnered with someone else.
Daniel ended his marriage after his wife discovered the affair with her colleague.
Daniel 在妻子發現他與同事的外遇後，結束了婚姻。
discover / end / confess + an affair
Sophie had a brief affair with a photographer she met in Paris.
Sophie 與一位在巴黎認識的攝影師有過一段短暫戀情。
have + a + adj + affair (with someone)
Rumours of an affair between the senator and his secretary spread quickly through the office.
參議員與祕書之間的緋聞，很快就在辦公室裡傳開。
The novel tells the story of a love affair that lasts only one summer.
這部小說描寫一段只持續一個夏天的戀情。
- marriage
official, public partnership rather than a hidden one
文法句型
have an affair (with someone)
用法筆記
Almost always implies secrecy, infidelity, or short duration. Use 'have an affair (with)' for the verb pattern. The compound 'love affair' can also describe a strong but temporary enthusiasm for something non-human (e.g. 'her love affair with jazz').
常見錯誤
4. an organised social occasion or gathering, usually labelled by an adjective such
活動；場合
帶有特定氣氛的社交聚會
an organised social occasion or gathering, usually labelled by an adjective such as elegant, quiet, glamorous, or dull.
The wedding was a small affair held in a garden behind the church.
婚禮辦得很小，就在教堂後方的花園舉行。
a small / quiet / grand affair (describing an event)
Mrs. Chen hosts a charity dinner every spring; it is always a glamorous affair.
陳太太每年春天都會舉辦慈善晚宴，總是一場華麗的盛會。
a glamorous / formal affair
The end-of-year party turned out to be a dull affair with no music or dancing.
年終派對最後變成一場無聊的活動，沒有音樂也沒有跳舞。
Graduation in this town is a low-key affair, just coffee and short speeches.
這個小鎮的畢業典禮辦得很簡單，只有咖啡和簡短致詞。
文法句型
a + adjective + affair
用法筆記
Almost always takes a descriptive adjective immediately before it (small, grand, formal, casual, low-key, glamorous, dull). Without that adjective, 'affair' rarely means 'social event'.
常見錯誤
5. an object of an unusual or hard-to-describe kind, named loosely by its appearanc
東西；玩意兒
形狀或用途不易說清的物件
an object of an unusual or hard-to-describe kind, named loosely by its appearance or how it works.
Her hat was an enormous affair covered in feathers and silk roses.
她那頂帽子大得不得了，上面布滿羽毛和絲絨玫瑰。
a + adj + affair (loose label for an object)
Grandfather pulled out a strange wooden affair that looked half radio, half clock.
爺爺拿出一個怪怪的木頭玩意兒，看起來一半像收音機，一半像時鐘。
a strange / odd / curious affair
The coffee machine in our office is a noisy metal affair from the 1980s.
我們辦公室的咖啡機是 1980 年代留下的吵鬧金屬機器。
Lucas built the kite from bamboo sticks; the finished thing was a wobbly paper affair.
Lucas 用竹條做風箏，完成的那個東西是個搖搖晃晃的紙糊玩意兒。
- thing
much more neutral and far more common in this loose sense
- contraption
informal; suggests a complicated, odd-looking machine
- gadget
informal; usually a small useful device
文法句型
a + adjective + affair (= object)
用法筆記
Informal and slightly humorous. The speaker uses 'affair' because they cannot or do not want to give the object a precise name. Almost always preceded by an adjective that describes size, material, or appearance.