against
against — 連接詞
1. used to introduce a clause about a future situation that you are getting ready f
以備；為了
為將來某情況預先做準備時用
used to introduce a clause about a future situation that you are getting ready for, so you will have what you need by then.
Mei stocked the cellar with rice and oil against the time when winter storms cut off the village.
美儀在地窖裡囤了米和油，以備冬季風暴切斷村莊對外聯繫的時候。
against the time when + clause for future preparation
The old farmer saved every coin against the day when his eldest son would marry.
那位老農夫每一塊錢都存起來，為了長子將來要結婚的那一天。
against the day when + clause variant
Nurses kept extra blankets in the closet against when the heating system might fail.
護士們在櫃子裡多放了幾條毛毯，以備暖氣系統可能故障的時候。
Captain Ortega trained the new crew hard against the moment when real danger came.
奧蒂嘉船長嚴格訓練新船員，為了真正危險來臨的那一刻做準備。
Mrs. Lin tucked dried herbs into a jar against the winter when colds spread through the school.
林太太把曬乾的香草塞進罐子，以備冬天感冒在學校蔓延的時候。
- in case
much more common in speech; introduces a possible future need rather than an expected one
- in preparation for
preposition rather than conjunction; takes a noun phrase, not a clause
- for when
informal everyday equivalent: 'I'm saving this for when the kids visit.'
文法句型
against the time when + clause
against + when-clause
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'the time/day/moment + when' or by a bare 'when'-clause. Sounds formal or literary; in everyday speech, 'for' or 'in case' is more natural.
常見錯誤
against — 介系詞
1. in a position where one thing is pressed onto another thing or held up by it, so
靠著；緊貼著
兩物表面相接觸並有支撐或壓力
in a position where one thing is pressed onto another thing or held up by it, so the two surfaces are in contact.
Imani leaned the wooden ladder against the side of the garage.
Imani 把木梯靠在車庫的側牆上。
lean + against + [vertical surface]
The cat curled up against Grandpa's warm leg on the sofa.
貓在沙發上緊貼著爺爺溫暖的腿蜷成一團。
physical contact for support or comfort
Wen pressed his ear against the bedroom door to listen.
Wen 把耳朵貼在臥室門上偷聽。
Heavy rain beat against the kitchen windows all night.
整夜大雨打在廚房的窗戶上。
Mia rested the new bicycle against the brick wall.
Mia 把新腳踏車靠在紅磚牆邊。
文法句型
lean/press/rest + against + [surface]
用法筆記
Subject is often a person or movable object; the noun after 'against' is usually a flat or vertical surface (wall, door, tree, body). Often used with verbs of contact: lean, press, rest, push, knock, beat.
常見錯誤
2. with one thing shown in front of a different thing behind it; also used when jud
襯著；對比
以某物為背景或比較對象
with one thing shown in front of a different thing behind it; also used when judging or measuring one thing by setting it next to another.
The white sailboat looked beautiful against the dark blue sea.
白色的帆船襯著深藍色的海面，看起來很美。
visual figure against background
Mira photographed the cherry blossoms against a bright morning sky.
Mira 以明亮的清晨天空為背景，拍下了櫻花。
[subject of photo] + against + [background]
Mr. Patel weighed the cost of solar panels against the rising electricity bills last winter.
Patel 先生把太陽能板的費用拿來和去年冬天節節攀升的電費做比較衡量。
The bakery's holiday sales look strong against last December's poor numbers in the same shop.
這家麵包店的節日銷售，相較於同一家店去年十二月的低迷數字，看起來很亮眼。
Wairimu checked his answers against the teacher's key after class.
下課後，Wairimu 拿自己的答案和老師的解答對照。
- compared with
for the comparison sense; more neutral and explicit
- in contrast to
for the visual or comparison sense; more formal
文法句型
[figure] + against + [background]
用法筆記
Two related uses: (a) visual — a figure shown in front of a background; (b) comparison — judging one thing by setting it next to another. Common with 'weigh', 'check', 'measure', 'compare'.
常見錯誤
3. not supporting a plan, idea, or action — wanting to stop it or to defeat the peo
反對；對抗
不支持某計畫、想法或對手
not supporting a plan, idea, or action — wanting to stop it or to defeat the people who want it; also used for two sides competing in a game or contest.
Most parents at the meeting were against closing the small library.
會議上，大多數家長反對關閉那間小型圖書館。
be + against + [noun/-ing] (oppose a plan)
Thousands marched through Berlin to protest against the new tax.
成千上萬的人在柏林街頭遊行，抗議新稅制。
protest against + [policy]
Brazil will play against Japan in tomorrow's final match.
巴西明天的決賽將對上日本。
Two senators voted against the bill on Tuesday morning.
週二早上，有兩位參議員投票反對這項法案。
The lawyer fought hard against the unfair charges in court.
律師在法庭上力抗那些不公平的指控。
- opposed to
more formal; often follows 'be', as in 'be opposed to'
- anti-
prefix for nouns/adjectives (anti-war, anti-tax); not a preposition
- for
the natural opposite when expressing support
- in favour of
more formal opposite, often in voting or debate
文法句型
be against + [noun/-ing]
vote/argue/fight/protest + against + [thing]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (against the law / rules): sense 3 expresses a person's opposition; sense 4 describes a fact about legality. Often appears with verbs of conflict: vote, argue, protest, fight, campaign, play, compete.
常見錯誤
4. not allowed by a law, rule, or official policy — so doing it would break that ru
違反；違背
不符合法律、規定或政策
not allowed by a law, rule, or official policy — so doing it would break that rule.
Officer Brennan reminded the boys that riding bicycles on this narrow footpath is against the law.
Brennan 警官提醒男孩們，在這條狹窄的人行道上騎腳踏車是違法的。
be + against + the law (illegal)
Eating in the library is against school rules, Wairimu.
Wairimu，在圖書館吃東西是違反校規的。
be + against + [rules/policy]
Smoking inside the hospital is strictly against hospital policy.
在醫院裡抽菸嚴重違反醫院規定。
The lawyer warned the witness that lying to Judge Alvarez was against the rules of the court.
律師警告證人，對 Alvarez 法官說謊違反法庭的規矩。
- in violation of
very formal; common in legal or official writing
- contrary to
formal; often used with policy, rules, instructions
- in line with
matches a rule or policy
- in accordance with
formal; following a rule exactly
文法句型
against + the law/rules/regulations/policy
用法筆記
Subject is the action itself (often an -ing form or 'it'); the noun after 'against' names the rule or law. Common nouns: the law, the rules, school/company policy, regulations.
常見錯誤
5. used after 'have something / anything / nothing' to talk about a private reason
對某人有意見
私下對某人懷有不滿或反感
used after 'have something / anything / nothing' to talk about a private reason for disliking, blaming, or distrusting a person.
I have nothing against Wen — I just don't want to share an office.
我對 Wen 沒意見，只是不想跟他共用辦公室。
have nothing against + [person] (no personal dislike)
Does the manager have something against young women on the team?
經理是不是對團隊裡的年輕女生有意見？
have something against + [group] (hidden bias)
Mira clearly has something against her new neighbour, but won't say what.
Mira 顯然對新鄰居有意見，但又不肯說。
Grandma snapped at Uncle Ray, "What have you got against my brother since the wedding, exactly?"
奶奶對 Ray 叔叔厲聲說：「自從那場婚禮之後，你到底對我哥哥有什麼意見？」
- hold a grudge against
stronger; long-lasting bitterness for a remembered wrong
- have a problem with
more conversational; often used for present friction
文法句型
have something/anything/nothing + against + [person]
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by 'have' + 'something / anything / nothing'. The thing held against the person is usually unstated or vague — the focus is on whether a private reason exists, not what it is. Distinguish from sense 6, which states the absence of such a reason.
常見錯誤
6. used in 'have nothing against' to say you do not personally dislike a person or
並非反感
對某人或某事其實沒有反感
used in 'have nothing against' to say you do not personally dislike a person or thing, even when you are about to criticize them or refuse what they want.
I have nothing against jazz, but I prefer quiet music while I work.
我對爵士樂沒有反感，只是工作時喜歡安靜的音樂。
have nothing against + [thing] (softens criticism)
Dr. Dilnoza has nothing against pets, yet her clinic stays animal-free.
田中醫師並不討厭寵物，但她的診所就是不收動物。
softener before stating a refusal
Look, I've got nothing against your friends; I just need an early night.
聽著，我對你的朋友們沒什麼意見，只是今晚我得早點睡。
Aiko has nothing against the new manager personally — only against his methods.
Aiko 並不是對新經理本人有意見，只是不認同他的做法。
- not have a problem with
very similar; slightly more conversational
- bear no ill will toward
much more formal; rare in everyday speech
- have something against
the direct opposite (sense 5)
文法句型
have nothing against + [person/thing]
用法筆記
A polite softener: speakers use it to make clear that an upcoming criticism or refusal is not based on personal dislike. Frequently followed by 'but', 'yet', or 'just'. Distinguish from sense 5: sense 5 questions or affirms the existence of a private dislike; sense 6 specifically denies it.
常見錯誤
7. used to say that a fact, situation, or quality puts someone in a worse position
對⋯⋯不利
讓某人在判斷或選擇中居於劣勢
used to say that a fact, situation, or quality puts someone in a worse position when others are judging them or deciding their future.
Wairimu worried that her lack of a degree would count against her at the interview.
Wairimu 擔心自己沒有大學學歷，在面試時會對她不利。
count + against + [person] for disadvantage in selection
The heavy rain on Saturday worked against the small farmers in the valley.
週六的大雨對山谷裡的小農戶相當不利。
work + against + [group] when conditions cause harm
Her young age went against her when the company chose a new manager.
公司在挑選新主管時，她年紀太輕反而成為劣勢。
Two late goals went against Brazil in the final ten minutes of the match.
比賽最後十分鐘，巴西連丟兩球，戰況轉為對他們不利。
Living two hours from the office really counts against any candidate applying for this night-shift job.
住得離公司兩小時車程，對任何應徵這份夜班工作的人都是相當不利的減分項。
- to the disadvantage of
more formal phrasing with the same meaning
- to one's detriment
formal; often used in writing or legal contexts
- in favour of
puts the person in a better position
文法句型
count/go/work + against + [person/thing]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a fact or condition (age, distance, evidence), not a person acting on purpose. Distinguish from sense 3 (active disagreement): here nobody is choosing to oppose you — the situation simply puts you at a disadvantage.
常見錯誤
8. moving toward something that is moving or pushing the opposite way, so that the
逆著；迎著
朝與某股力量相反的方向移動
moving toward something that is moving or pushing the opposite way, so that the two forces meet head-on.
Mira cycled home against a strong wind and arrived twenty minutes late.
Mira 頂著強風騎車回家，整整晚到了二十分鐘。
against + the wind for movement into oncoming force
The salmon swim against the current to reach the river where they were born.
鮭魚會逆著水流游回出生的那條河。
against + the current for fish or swimmers
Rowing against the tide, the small fishing boat barely moved away from the shore.
小漁船逆著潮水划，幾乎離不開岸邊。
Snowflakes drifted sideways against the headlights of Mr. Chen's old taxi.
雪花在陳先生那台老計程車的車燈前斜斜飄落。
The runners pushed forward against a cold breeze blowing off the harbour.
跑者迎著從港口吹來的冷風繼續向前。
- into
as in 'walk into the wind'; very similar but plainer
- counter to
more formal; common in writing about forces or trends
- with
moving in the same direction as the force, e.g. 'sail with the wind'
文法句型
against + the + [wind / current / tide / flow]
用法筆記
Almost always followed by a noun for a moving force: wind, current, tide, flow. Often appears in the figurative phrase 'against the tide' meaning to act differently from most people.
常見錯誤
9. used to show what a person, action, or thing is meant to keep you safe from, by
防範；對抗
用來表示防止或減輕某種傷害
used to show what a person, action, or thing is meant to keep you safe from, by stopping it or making the harm smaller.
Dr. Dilnoza gave the children a vaccine against measles before the school trip.
校外教學前，田中醫師幫孩子們打了麻疹疫苗。
vaccine + against + [disease]
Sunscreen protects your skin against painful sunburn at the beach.
防曬乳能保護你的皮膚，避免在海邊曬到刺痛。
protect + against + [harm] for active prevention
The Watanabe family bought insurance against floods after the storm last summer.
去年夏天那場風暴後，渡邊一家投保了水災險。
Thick stone walls offer good protection against the cold winter winds.
厚實的石牆能有效擋住冬天刺骨的冷風。
Lawyers warn drivers against signing any forms at the scene of an accident.
律師提醒駕駛人，千萬不要在事故現場簽署任何表格。
- from
common after 'protect' and 'safe'; almost interchangeable here
文法句型
[noun: vaccine / insurance / law] + against + [danger]
protect / guard / insure + against + [danger]
用法筆記
The object after 'against' is the unwanted thing (disease, risk, weather), not the person being protected. Common with nouns and verbs of safety: vaccine, insurance, defence, protect, guard, warn, insure.