continental
continental — 形容詞
1. relating to the large land masses on Earth, such as Asia or Africa
大陸的
與地球洲或大陸有關的
relating to the large land masses on Earth, such as Asia or Africa
The theory of continental drift was first proposed by Alfred Wegener.
大陸漂移說最早是由阿爾弗雷德·韋格納提出的。
continental drift is a fixed scientific term
Scientists study the movement of continental plates in geology class.
學生們在地質課上研究大陸板塊的運動。
continental plates is a geology collocation
The Andes mountain range runs along the edge of the continental crust.
安地斯山脈沿著大陸地殼的邊緣延伸。
Continental climates often have drier air than coastal regions.
大陸性氣候的空氣通常比沿海地區乾燥。
- global
broader; refers to the whole world, not just land masses
- terrestrial
more scientific; relates to land as opposed to water or air
- oceanic
relating to the ocean rather than land
用法筆記
Commonly paired with scientific terms: continental drift, continental shelf, continental crust, continental plate.
2. associated with the European land mass, apart from Great Britain and the island
歐洲大陸的
指歐洲本土（不含英國與愛爾蘭）
associated with the European land mass, apart from Great Britain and the island of Ireland
Lan booked a train to explore continental Europe during her break.
Lan 訂了火車票，打算趁暑假探索歐洲大陸。
continental Europe is a fixed geographical label
The hotel served a continental breakfast with fresh bread and jam.
那間飯店供應歐陸式早餐，有新鮮麵包和果醬。
continental breakfast is a common food phrase
Cyrus prefers the continental lifestyle with its relaxed evening meals.
Cyrus 偏好歐洲大陸的生活方式，晚餐時間從容悠閒。
Many young Britons move to continental cities like Berlin or Barcelona.
許多年輕英國人搬到柏林或巴塞隆納等歐洲大陸城市工作。
- European
broader; includes Britain and Ireland unless context specifies otherwise
- mainland European
more explicit; avoids any ambiguity about including the British Isles
- British
specifically relating to Great Britain, as opposed to the European mainland
用法筆記
Frequently used in British English when contrasting the UK with the rest of Europe. Common in travel contexts: continental holiday, continental cuisine.
常見錯誤
3. describing the main land area of a continent, as opposed to islands or overseas
本土的
指一洲主要領土部分的
describing the main land area of a continent, as opposed to islands or overseas territories
Hugo drove across the continental United States last summer.
Hugo 去年夏天開車橫跨了美國本土。
continental United States is a territorial label
The airline flies to cities in the continental part of Alaska.
這家航空公司飛往阿拉斯加本土的城市。
The company ships goods from Hawaii to continental warehouses in California.
這家公司從夏威夷出貨到位於加州的美國本土倉庫。
During the war troops were stationed on both the islands and the continental mainland.
戰爭期間，軍隊同時駐紮在島嶼和本土大陸上。
- mainland
more general term; can apply to any region's principal land area
- contiguous
refers specifically to the 48 connected US states, more precise for US context
用法筆記
In American English, 'continental United States' commonly refers to the 48 contiguous states plus Washington, D.C., excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
continental — 名詞
1. a person from mainland Europe, rather than from Britain or the island of Ireland
歐洲大陸人
來自歐洲大陸（非英國或愛爾蘭）的人
a person from mainland Europe, rather than from Britain or the island of Ireland
Kasia is a continental who moved to London from Germany.
Kasia 是歐洲大陸人，從德國搬到倫敦。
The continentals at the meeting disagreed with the British team.
會議上，歐洲大陸的與會者與英國團隊意見不合。
continentals contrasted with British
The hostel owner, a friendly continental, gave us tips about Paris.
青年旅館的老闆是位友善的歐洲大陸人，給了我們一些巴黎旅遊建議。
Christopher felt like a true continental after living in Vienna for years.
Christopher 在維也納住了幾年後，覺得自己是個道地的歐洲大陸人了。
- European
neutral and more common; does not specifically exclude British or Irish people
用法筆記
Typically used by British or Irish speakers when distinguishing people from mainland Europe. Can feel slightly old-fashioned or informal in modern usage; 'European' is the more neutral alternative.