colony
colony — 名詞
1. A territory under the control of a distant, more powerful nation — the ruling po
殖民地
由遠方強國統治的地區
A territory under the control of a distant, more powerful nation — the ruling power manages its trade, laws, and political life, often for its own economic benefit.
Portugal governed the colony of Brazil for more than three hundred years.
葡萄牙統治巴西這塊殖民地長達三百多年。
colony + of + country name — possessive structure
The official arrived from London to manage the colony's trade and taxes.
這位官員從倫敦前來管理該殖民地的貿易和稅收。
possessive: colony's + noun
Local leaders in the colony demanded the same rights as citizens of the ruling country.
該殖民地的當地領袖要求享有與統治國公民相同的權利。
After years of protest, the colony finally won its independence from Spain.
經過多年抗爭，這塊殖民地終於脫離西班牙獲得獨立。
Many African nations were once colonies of European powers during the nineteenth century.
許多非洲國家在十九世紀時曾是歐洲列強的殖民地。
- territory
broader term — a territory may or may not be politically controlled by a foreign power (e.g. an overseas territory with partial self-rule)
- protectorate
a territory that keeps its own local rulers but is protected and controlled by a more powerful country in foreign affairs
- dominion
historical term for a self-governing territory within the British Empire, more autonomous than a colony
- independent nation
a country that governs itself and is not controlled by any outside power
文法句型
colony + of + country
用法筆記
Commonly paired with a possessive or 'of' phrase naming the ruling country. Frequently appears in historical and political contexts discussing imperialism and decolonisation.
常見錯誤
2. People from one country who move overseas permanently and build a community whil
移民群
移居新土地並定居的人群
People from one country who move overseas permanently and build a community while preserving political and cultural links with their country of origin.
A small colony of Dutch farmers settled in the fertile valley near Cape Town.
一小群荷蘭農民在開普敦附近的肥沃山谷定居下來。
colony of + [occupation/nationality] + settled in [place]
The Swedish colony in Delaware traded furs and timber with the local tribes.
位於德拉瓦的瑞典移民團與當地部落交易毛皮和木材。
Families from Scotland formed a colony in the highlands of New Zealand during the 1850s.
來自蘇格蘭的家庭在1850年代於紐西蘭高地形成了一個拓墾團。
Each ship brought more people to join the English colony on the island's eastern shore.
每艘船都載來更多人，加入島嶼東岸的英格蘭移民群。
- settlement
focuses on the physical place where settlers live, rather than the community of people
- diaspora community
a group of people living far from their original homeland, but diaspora usually implies dispersal rather than a single settlement
文法句型
colony + of + national/ethnic group
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (POLITICAL TERRITORY): this sense focuses on the PEOPLE who settle, not on the TERRITORY they occupy. The colony-as-people may exist even after the territory gains independence.
常見錯誤
3. A community of people who share the same occupation, hobby, or background and li
聚居區；社群
因共同興趣或職業而聚居的群體
A community of people who share the same occupation, hobby, or background and live close together, often in a relatively isolated setting away from the general population.
The old hotel became a summer colony for painters and sculptors from the city.
那間老飯店成了來自城市的畫家和雕塑家的夏日聚居區。
summer colony — seasonal community for a shared interest
A colony of retired doctors lived together in the seaside village near the cliffs.
一群退休醫生共同住在懸崖附近的海邊村落裡。
The university supported a research colony where scientists studied the local forest.
大學資助了一個研究社群，科學家們在那裡研究當地的森林。
An artists' colony grew up in the countryside near Paris during the early 1900s.
二十世紀初，一個藝術家社群在巴黎附近的鄉村逐漸形成。
The fishing colony sat on a narrow strip between the sea and the mountains.
那個漁村坐落在海與山之間的一條狹長地帶上。
文法句型
[occupation/adjective] + colony
用法筆記
Often used in compound nouns where the first word names the shared attribute (e.g. artists' colony, leper colony, mining colony). The shared element can be a profession, health condition, or cultural identity.
常見錯誤
4. A group of creatures or plants that belong to one species and live together in o
群體；群落
同種動植物聚居的群體
A group of creatures or plants that belong to one species and live together in one place, often with a social structure or a shared nest.
A large colony of ants marched across the kitchen floor toward the sugar bowl.
一大群螞蟻穿過廚房地板，朝著糖碗前進。
colony of + [insect] — typical pattern for insects
The coral colony stretched for miles beneath the clear blue water near the reef.
那片珊瑚群落在珊瑚礁附近的清澈藍色海水中綿延數英里。
Biologists counted over ten thousand penguins in the colony on the rocky beach.
生物學家數出沙灘上的企鵝群落有一萬多隻。
The bee colony filled the hollow tree with honey and wax during the summer.
那個蜂群在夏天把樹洞塞滿了蜂蜜和蜂蠟。
A colony of seabirds nested on the steep cliffs above the crashing waves.
一群海鳥在波濤拍打著的陡峭懸崖上築巢。
文法句型
colony + of + species
用法筆記
Often functions as a collective noun: 'the colony is' (singular verb) for the group as a unit, or 'the colony are' (plural verb) for the individual members. In biology, 'colony' can also refer to bacteria or cells grown in a lab dish.
常見錯誤
5. Several residential buildings constructed close together in a bounded area, typi
眷舍區
公司為員工建造的住宅區
Several residential buildings constructed close together in a bounded area, typically built by a company or employer for its workforce to occupy near a mine, factory, or railway.
The railway company built a colony of wooden houses beside the tracks for its workers.
鐵路公司在鐵軌旁為工人建造了一片木屋住宅區。
built a colony of houses — colony as a physical housing development
Each family in the workers' colony had a small garden and two rooms.
工人住宅區的每個家庭都有一個小花園和兩個房間。
workers' colony — compound noun for employer-built housing
The colony had its own clinic, market, and school for the miners' families.
這個住宅區有自己的診所、市場和學校，供礦工家人使用。
Rows of identical brick houses made up the new colony outside the city walls.
城牆外的新住宅區由一排排相同的磚造房屋組成。
A high fence surrounded the tea plantation colony where the workers lived.
一道高牆圍住了茶園工人居住的眷舍區。
- housing estate
a planned residential area, more common in British English; does not imply an employer-built setting
- company town
a town where all or most buildings and services are owned by a single employer
文法句型
workers' colony
mining colony
用法筆記
This sense is most common in South Asian and Southeast Asian English (e.g. a 'housing colony' in India refers to a residential neighbourhood). In other varieties, 'housing estate' or 'housing complex' is more common for modern developments.