cowboy
cowboy — 名詞
1. A person whose job is caring for cattle on a large farm, especially in the count
牛仔
美國西部牧場的牧牛工人
A person whose job is caring for cattle on a large farm, especially in the countryside of the American West, and often shown in films riding a horse and wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
Ignacio worked as a cowboy on a cattle ranch in Texas for nearly forty years.
Ignacio 在德州的一個牧場當了將近四十年的牛仔。
worked as a cowboy on [ranch]
The old wooden saddle in the museum once belonged to a famous cowboy from Arizona.
博物館裡那副舊木馬鞍，曾經屬於一位來自亞利桑那州的著名牛仔。
Children at the summer camp learned how cowboys used ropes to catch and hold cattle.
參加夏令營的孩子們學到了牛仔如何用繩索套住並控制牛群。
Classic western films show the cowboy as a brave loner riding across dusty plains.
在經典西部片裡，牛仔騎馬穿越西南部乾燥平原，是一個獨自面對危險的勇者。
Lakshmi's great-uncle was a cowboy who drove herds of cattle across the state of Montana.
Lakshmi 的叔公是一名牛仔，曾趕著牛群穿越蒙大拿州。
- cowhand
more neutral and less romanticised; a hired worker who tends cattle
- rancher
a person who owns or manages the ranch, not just a hired worker
- cattle herder
generic term used worldwide; not specific to the American West
- stockman
common in Australia and New Zealand for the same job
用法筆記
This sense is strongly tied to the history and culture of the American West. In Australia or the UK, terms like 'stockman' or 'herder' are more common for the same job.
常見錯誤
2. A person in a trade or business who acts without honesty, ignores rules, or prod
不肖業者
不誠實、不顧品質或規則的商人或工匠
A person in a trade or business who acts without honesty, ignores rules, or produces work of poor quality, often charging unfairly high prices.
Erik's builder was a cowboy who did shoddy work and charged double the proper price.
Erik 找的建商是個不肖業者，工程品質低劣，收費卻高出合理價格一倍。
a cowboy — dishonest or unscrupulous person in business
Regulators shut the firm after finding it was run by cowboys who ignored safety rules.
監管機構查封了那家公司，因為發現經營者是一群漠視安全規定的不肖業者。
Local residents complained that cowboy taxi drivers charged tourists three times the normal fare.
當地居民投訴，有不肖的計程車司機向遊客收取三倍的正常車資。
Adaeze refused to hire the cowboy contractor after checking his record for poor quality work.
Adaeze 查了那位不肖包商的紀錄後，拒絕雇用他——他的工程品質向來很差。
- con artist
focuses on intentional fraud and deception, not just careless work
- rogue trader
specific to business and finance, especially in British English
- charlatan
more formal; someone who pretends to have skills or knowledge they lack
- professional
someone who does their work with skill, care, and honesty
用法筆記
Common in British English for a tradesperson who does bad work or overcharges. In American English, this sense leans more toward a reckless or aggressive person rather than a dishonest one.
常見錯誤
3. A performer who takes part in rodeo competitions, such as riding untrained horse
競技牛仔
參加牛仔競技表演的選手
A performer who takes part in rodeo competitions, such as riding untrained horses, catching cattle with a rope, or staying on a bull.
Antonia watched the cowboy stay on a bucking horse for eight seconds at the rodeo.
Antonia 看著那位競技牛仔在野馬背上堅持了八秒鐘。
stay on [animal] at the rodeo
A skilled cowboy can rope a calf from horseback in under ten seconds.
一名技術純熟的競技牛仔，可以在十秒內從馬背上用繩子套住小牛。
The rodeo cowboy from Calgary broke his arm during the bull-riding competition.
那位來自卡加立的競技牛仔在騎野牛比賽中摔斷了手臂。
Hamza dreams of becoming a professional rodeo cowboy like his uncle who won three titles.
Hamza 夢想成為一名職業競技牛仔，像他贏得三次冠軍的舅舅一樣。
- rodeo rider
more specific; focuses on riding events rather than roping ones
- bronco rider
narrower — only a rider who tries to stay on a wild horse
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: a rodeo cowboy performs competitively in shows, while a ranch cowboy works daily with cattle on a farm. Some people do both, but the terms refer to different activities.
常見錯誤
cowboy — 動詞
1. To perform the job of a cowboy: riding a horse to care for cattle on a large far
當牛仔
在牧場從事照顧牛群的工作
To perform the job of a cowboy: riding a horse to care for cattle on a large farm or ranch.
Felix cowboyed on a Wyoming ranch that summer, rising at dawn to move the cattle.
Felix 那年夏天在懷俄明州的一個牧場當牛仔，每天天亮就起來趕牛。
cowboy as a verb — to work as a cowboy
The young man left the city to cowboy on a ranch in the Colorado hills.
那個年輕人離開城市，到科羅拉多州山區的一個牧場去當牛仔。
Mayumi always wanted to cowboy on a cattle ranch after watching western films.
Mayumi 看了西部電影後，一直想到牧場去當牛仔。
Few choose to cowboy — seven-day weeks in the hot sun pay less than factory jobs.
現在很少人當牛仔——每週工作七天頂著大太陽，待遇卻不如工廠的工作。
- herd cattle
more literal and neutral; describes the actual task without the cultural associations
用法筆記
Very rare in modern English. Almost always used in past tense or as an infinitive after verbs like 'choose' or 'want'. The noun form is far more common.