corruption
corruption — 名詞
1. behaviour in which someone uses a position of power for personal gain in a disho
貪腐；舞弊
利用職權謀取私利的不法行為
behaviour in which someone uses a position of power for personal gain in a dishonest or illegal way — for example, accepting money in exchange for giving a company a government contract
The mayor was arrested on charges of corruption after taking bribes from developers.
市長因收受建商賄款而被以貪腐罪名逮捕。
collocation: charges of corruption
A special committee was formed to investigate corruption in the education department.
一個特別委員會成立，以調查教育部門的舞弊問題。
collocation: investigate corruption in [institution]
Many citizens believe that poverty and corruption are closely linked in developing countries.
許多公民認為，在開發中國家，貧窮與貪腐密切相關。
Corruption among local police officers has damaged public trust in the justice system.
地方警察系統中的貪腐現象，已經損害了公眾對司法制度的信任。
The anti-corruption agency received over two thousand reports of suspicious activity last year.
反貪機構去年收到了超過兩千件可疑活動的通報。
- bribery
more specific; refers to offering/receiving money or gifts, while corruption is broader
- graft
American English, informal; focuses on using political power for personal money
- fraud
emphasises deliberate deception for financial gain, not necessarily requiring a position of power
- misconduct
broader and less severe; covers any improper behaviour, not just illegal acts
文法句型
corruption + in + [place/institution]
corruption + among + [group of people]
用法筆記
Frequently uncountable. Often appears in compound nouns such as anti-corruption, corruption scandal, and corruption case. The subject is typically an institution, government, or system rather than an individual.
常見錯誤
2. a change in the way a word is written or spoken compared to its earlier form, us
訛變；訛誤
詞語或文本偏離原始形式的變化
a change in the way a word is written or spoken compared to its earlier form, usually happening gradually as people use the word over long periods
The word 'picnic' is a corruption of the French word 'pique-nique' from the 17th century.
「picnic」這個詞是來自 17 世紀法語「pique-nique」的訛變。
pattern: corruption of [source word]
Linguists study how language corruption happens when two cultures come into close contact.
語言學家研究兩種文化密切接觸時，語言訛變是如何發生的。
The word 'caviar' may be a corruption of an Italian term from Black Sea trade.
「caviar」這個詞可能是來自黑海貿易中一句義大利用語的訛變。
The manuscript reveals several corruptions in the original Latin text that were added by later copyists.
這份手稿顯示原始拉丁文本中有幾處訛誤，是後來的抄寫員所添加。
- alteration
neutral term without the negative connotation of 'corruption'
- distortion
implies a more extreme or misleading change
文法句型
corruption + of + [word/language]
用法筆記
In linguistics, this term can be uncountable (the general process) or countable with a plural form (specific instances of altered words). Some modern linguists avoid the term because it implies a value judgement that older forms are 'purer'.
常見錯誤
3. the state of electronic information becoming damaged or altered so that it can n
毀損
電子資料受損而無法正確讀取
the state of electronic information becoming damaged or altered so that it can no longer be read or used correctly by a computer system
A sudden power cut caused data corruption, and half of the files would not open.
突然斷電導致資料毀損，有一半的檔案無法開啟。
collocation: data corruption
The IT team ran a diagnostic check to find the source of the memory corruption.
資訊科技團隊執行診斷檢查，以找出記憶體毀損的來源。
collocation: memory corruption
Always back up your work to prevent file corruption from hardware failures or software bugs.
務必隨時備份你的檔案，以防硬體故障或軟體錯誤造成檔案毀損。
The photo showed strange coloured stripes across the screen because of image corruption in the camera's memory card.
照片在螢幕上出現奇怪的彩色條紋，原因是相機記憶卡的影像毀損。
- integrity
in computing, data integrity means data is complete and unaltered
文法句型
data corruption
file corruption
corruption + in + [storage medium]
用法筆記
Almost always uncountable. Commonly appears as the second element in compounds (data corruption, file corruption, memory corruption). Frequent in passive constructions related to prevention: 'can be prevented', 'must be detected'.
常見錯誤
4. the natural process by which dead plants, animals, or other organic material bre
腐爛；腐朽
有機物質自然分解的過程
the natural process by which dead plants, animals, or other organic material breaks down, often through the action of bacteria or fungi
The corruption of the wood was visible in the soft, dark patches along the fence posts.
木頭的腐爛從籬笆柱上柔軟發黑的部分就可以看出來。
pattern: corruption of [organic matter]
Ancient burial sites preserve bones well because the soil conditions slow down organic corruption.
古代墓葬能完好保存骨骸，是因為土壤條件能減緩有機物的腐爛。
The naturalist's journal from 1783 describes the corruption of fallen leaves on the damp forest floor.
這位博物學家 1783 年的日記記載了潮濕林地中落葉的腐爛過程。
The biologist explained how the corruption of a fallen tree provides nutrients for new plant growth in the forest.
生物學家解釋，倒下的樹木腐爛後能為森林中的新生植物提供養分。
- decay
the more common, everyday word for the same process
- decomposition
technical term used in biology and chemistry
- putrefaction
specifically refers to decomposition with unpleasant smells, very formal
- preservation
the process of keeping organic matter from decaying
文法句型
corruption + of + [organic matter]
用法筆記
Now somewhat dated in everyday English; 'decay' or 'decomposition' are more common. This sense survives mainly in specialised biological or historical texts. Can also describe the deterioration of stone or metal through chemical processes.