ancient
ancient — 形容詞
1. coming from a very distant past, or continuing from that past until now.
久遠的
來自久遠過去或延續已久
coming from a very distant past, or continuing from that past until now.
The museum displayed ancient tools found under the desert sand.
博物館展出了在沙漠沙地下挖出的古老工具。
ancient + object from the past
Her family still follows an ancient custom at New Year.
她家到現在過年時仍遵循一項久遠的習俗。
ancient + custom/tradition
An ancient path runs from the village to the hilltop temple.
一條古道從村子一路通往山頂的寺廟。
These songs come from ancient times and are sung at harvest festivals.
這些歌曲來自久遠的時代，至今仍在豐收節演唱。
- age-old
stresses something continuing for many generations
- long-standing
best for customs, problems, or traditions that have lasted a long time
- old
the broad everyday word; ancient suggests a much more distant past
文法句型
ancient + noun
用法筆記
Often modifies nouns like custom, path, law, story, or tool. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense points to distant historical origin or long continuity, not only great age.
2. having existed for so many years that it seems extremely old.
古老的
年代非常久遠的
having existed for so many years that it seems extremely old.
An ancient oak tree still stands beside the school playground.
操場旁至今還立著一棵古老的橡樹。
ancient + tree/building/object
Workers repaired the ancient bridge stone by stone last summer.
工人去年夏天一塊一塊地修復那座古老的橋。
She bought an ancient clock that no longer keeps good time.
她買了一座古老的鐘，但它已經不太準了。
By noon, the hikers reached an ancient wall above the valley.
到了中午，登山客走到了山谷上方的一道古老城牆。
文法句型
ancient + noun
用法筆記
Usually describes physical things such as trees, walls, bridges, books, or machines. In everyday speech, calling a living person 'ancient' often sounds humorous or rude.
常見錯誤
3. connected with Greece, Rome, and other early civilizations before the Roman Empi
古代的
屬於早期文明世界的
connected with Greece, Rome, and other early civilizations before the Roman Empire ended.
She is studying ancient Greece in her world history class.
她在世界史課上學習古代希臘。
ancient + civilization name
The film shows soldiers marching through an ancient Roman city.
那部電影拍出士兵穿過一座古代羅馬城市的畫面。
ancient Roman + noun
Our teacher compared ancient Egypt with modern nations.
老師把古代埃及和現代國家拿來比較。
Ancient philosophers often wrote about duty, friendship, and the good life.
古代哲學家常寫到責任、友誼與美好人生。
- modern
belonging to recent or present times
- contemporary
existing in the same period as the present
文法句型
ancient + place/civilization name
用法筆記
Most often appears before names of places, peoples, or fields of study: ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, ancient history. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names a historical era, not just something from long ago.
常見錯誤
ancient — 名詞
1. someone who lived in the far past, especially in the Greek, Roman, or Egyptian w
古人；先民
生活在古代的人
someone who lived in the far past, especially in the Greek, Roman, or Egyptian world.
The poet often quoted the ancients when he discussed war.
這位詩人談到戰爭時，常常引用古人的話。
the ancients in plural
In class, Dilnoza pointed at the wall map as the teacher described the ancients.
課堂上，Dilnoza 指著牆上的地圖，老師正在講古人。
The guide explained how the ancients measured time by the sun.
導覽員解說古人如何靠太陽來計時。
In the museum hall, the guide compared our tools with those of the ancients.
在博物館展廳裡，導覽員把我們的工具和古人的工具相比。
- forebear
more literary and often linked to a family or people of the past
- ancestor
usually someone in your own family line, so it is narrower
- predecessor
broader; can mean any earlier person in a role or tradition
- modern
a person living in modern times
- contemporary
a person belonging to the present age
文法句型
an ancient
the ancients
用法筆記
Often used in the plural as 'the ancients' when talking about early peoples as a group. Singular 'an ancient' is possible, but it is much less common.