backdrop

backdrop — 名詞

1. a tall sheet of fabric, usually painted to show a scene such as a forest, city s

1.名詞B2
釋義

舞台背景幕

舞台後方的彩繪布幕

a tall sheet of fabric, usually painted to show a scene such as a forest, city street, or mountain range, which hangs vertically behind the actors on a theatre stage throughout a performance.

例句

The school painted a snowy mountain backdrop for the winter play.

學校為冬季公演畫了一幅雪山的舞台背景幕。

noun in object position with descriptive adjective

Two stagehands lowered the painted backdrop just before Act Two began.

兩名舞台工作人員在第二幕開始前放下彩繪的背景幕。

collocation: painted backdrop

同義詞
  • scenery

    broader term covering all painted stage decoration, not just the rear cloth

  • backcloth

    British theatre term for the same painted hanging

用法筆記

Almost always paired with a descriptive word naming the painted scene (forest, castle, beach). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is a physical theatrical prop, not a real-world view.

常見錯誤

❌The actors stood in front of the background of the stage.
✅The actors stood in front of the backdrop.
💡in a theatre, the painted cloth is called a backdrop, not a background.

2. the scenery, buildings, or landscape that you can see in the area behind a perso

2.名詞B2
釋義

背景；景致

人或物後方可見的風景

the scenery, buildings, or landscape that you can see in the area behind a person or object, often making the foreground look more striking in a photograph or film.

例句

The bride posed for photos against a backdrop of pink cherry trees.

新娘以一片粉紅櫻花為背景拍照。

fixed phrase: against a backdrop of [view]

Snowy peaks formed a stunning backdrop to the small fishing village.

雪峰為這座小漁村構成了壯麗的景致。

pattern: form a backdrop to [place]

同義詞
  • background

    more general; backdrop emphasises that the view is visually striking or scenic

  • setting

    highlights the whole surrounding place rather than just what is behind

反義詞
  • foreground

    the part of a view nearest to the viewer, opposite of what lies behind

文法句型

against the backdrop of [view]

用法筆記

Frequently appears in photography, film, and travel writing. Often modified by visual adjectives (stunning, dramatic, picturesque). Distinguish from sense 1: this is a real outdoor or architectural view, not a theatrical prop.

常見錯誤

❌They took the photo on the backdrop of the lake.
✅They took the photo against the backdrop of the lake.
💡the standard preposition is 'against', not 'on'.

3. the wider set of social, political, or economic conditions surrounding an event,

3.名詞C1
釋義

時空背景

事件發生時的整體社會情勢

the wider set of social, political, or economic conditions surrounding an event, used to help explain why the event is happening or what makes it significant.

例句

The election took place against a backdrop of rising unemployment and public anger.

這次選舉在失業率上升、民怨高漲的大環境下舉行。

fixed phrase: against a backdrop of [conditions]

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, small bookshops in Taipei struggled to survive.

在疫情的時空背景下，台北的小型書店艱難求生。

sentence-initial: Against the backdrop of...

同義詞
  • context

    neutral; backdrop adds a sense of dramatic or contrasting circumstances

  • climate

    emphasises the prevailing mood or atmosphere of the period

  • background

    more neutral; backdrop suggests the situation visibly shapes the event

文法句型

against a backdrop of [situation]

against the backdrop of [situation]

用法筆記

Almost always appears inside the prepositional phrase 'against (a / the) backdrop of'. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is abstract (situations, events, trends), while sense 2 is a literal visible view.

常見錯誤

❌The reforms happened in a backdrop of protests.
✅The reforms happened against a backdrop of protests.
💡only 'against' is standard with this meaning.