dawn
dawn — 名詞
- dawnsingular
- dawnsplural
1. the time in the early morning when the sun's light first appears in the sky, bef
黎明；破曉
太陽升起前天空發亮的時段
the time in the early morning when the sun's light first appears in the sky, before the sun itself rises above the horizon.
Felix woke up before dawn to catch the early train to London.
Felix 在黎明前醒來，趕上了前往倫敦的早班火車。
before dawn — used as a time phrase
A cold mist hung over the fields at dawn, turning everything grey and quiet.
黎明時分，一層冷霧籠罩著田野，萬物都顯得灰濛而寂靜。
at dawn — prepositional phrase of time
The birds began singing at dawn, filling the garden with noise.
黎明時，鳥兒開始唱歌，整座花園充滿了聲音。
Dawn broke over the mountains, painting the snowy peaks in shades of pink and orange.
破曉時分，陽光越過山巒，把積雪的山頂染成粉紅與橘色。
We sat on the empty beach and watched the dawn slowly light up the sky.
我們坐在空無一人的沙灘上，看著黎明慢慢照亮天空。
- sunrise
slightly later — dawn is the pale light before the sun appears; sunrise is the moment the sun becomes visible
- daybreak
more poetic or literary than 'dawn'
- first light
emphasises the very earliest moment when shapes become visible
用法筆記
Often used with the verbs 'break', 'arrive', or 'come' to describe the moment daylight begins. 'At dawn' is a fixed prepositional phrase used to indicate a specific time of day.
常見錯誤
2. the point in time when something new starts to exist or develop, especially a ma
開端；萌芽
新事物或重要時期的起點
the point in time when something new starts to exist or develop, especially a major change or important period in history.
The invention of the printing press marked the dawn of a new era in education.
印刷術的發明標誌著教育新時代的開端。
the dawn of [a new era / a new age]
Many historians see the 1990s as the dawn of the internet age, when everything changed.
許多歷史學家認為一九九〇年代是網際網路時代的開端——一切都從那時開始改變。
The discovery of penicillin brought the dawn of modern medicine and saved millions of lives.
青黴素的發現開啟了現代醫學的黎明，拯救了數百萬人的生命。
Adopting a child was the dawn of a happier chapter for the young couple.
領養孩子是那對年輕夫婦更快樂一章的開端。
文法句型
the dawn of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed pattern 'the dawn of + abstract noun phrase' (e.g. the dawn of civilisation, the dawn of a new age). Not used for small everyday beginnings such as starting a meal or a conversation.
常見錯誤
3. used in fixed phrases to describe the whole period of daylight, from the time th
從早到晚
用於固定片語表示整個白天
used in fixed phrases to describe the whole period of daylight, from the time the sun rises until it sets, often suggesting continuous hard work or activity.
During harvest season, the farmers worked from dawn to dusk in the fields.
收成季節時，農夫們從早到晚在田裡工作。
from dawn to dusk — fixed phrase for all daylight hours
The construction crew laboured from dawn until dark to finish the building on time.
建築工人從天亮做到天黑，就是為了按時蓋好那棟大樓。
In summer, the village children play outside from dawn to dusk without getting tired.
夏天裡，村裡的孩子從早到晚在外面玩耍，一點也不累。
The lighthouse keeper worked from dawn to dusk and kept the light on all night.
那位燈塔管理員從早忙到晚，夜裡也得讓燈塔一直亮著。
文法句型
from dawn to dusk
from dawn until dark
用法筆記
This sense does not describe dawn itself — it is tied to the paired expression 'from dawn to dusk/until dark'. The singular form 'dawn' here is part of a fixed adverbial phrase, not referring to the morning time directly.
常見錯誤
dawn — 動詞
- dawnpresent simple I / you / we / they
- dawns3rd person singular
- dawning-ing form
- dawnedpast simple
1. used of a day, morning, or season that begins, typically with light spreading ac
破曉；降臨
白天開始或新時代來臨
used of a day, morning, or season that begins, typically with light spreading across the sky; also used of a new period in history that starts to take shape.
The day dawned bright and clear, perfect for a picnic at the park.
那天破曉時天氣晴朗，非常適合去公園野餐。
day + dawned + adjective — describing how the day begins
The morning dawned grey and rainy, so the Watanabe family decided to stay indoors.
那天早上天色灰暗還下著雨，渡邊一家決定待在家裡。
A new age dawned when the peace agreement was finally signed after years of war.
和平協議終於簽署後，一個新時代降臨了。
Summer dawned hot and dry that year, with no rain for almost two months.
那年夏天一開始就炎熱又乾燥，將近兩個月都沒下雨。
As the festival dawned, the whole town buzzed with excitement and activity.
節慶開始那天，整個小鎮都充滿了興奮與忙碌的氣氛。
文法句型
day/morning/era + dawns
用法筆記
Always intransitive — there is no object. The subject is typically a time word (day, morning, summer) or an abstract period (era, age). The literal sense (day becomes light) is less common than metaphorical uses (a new era begins).
2. when a fact or idea dawns on you, you gradually come to understand or become awa
明白；意識到
逐漸被理解或注意到
when a fact or idea dawns on you, you gradually come to understand or become aware of it, especially after not having realised it before.
The truth dawned on Felix slowly as he read the letter a second time.
Felix 重讀那封信時，才慢慢明白了真相。
the truth dawns on someone
It suddenly dawned on Jenna that she had left her passport on the train.
Jenna 突然意識到她把護照忘在火車上了。
it dawns on someone that + clause
The seriousness of the situation dawned on the team only after they reached the village.
救援隊直到抵達那個村莊後，才明白情況有多嚴重。
Gradually it dawned on the children that their pet hamster was not just sleeping.
孩子們漸漸明白，他們的寵物倉鼠不只是睡著了。
It never dawned on Bao that his friendly neighbour was actually a famous writer.
Bao 從來沒想過，他那友善的鄰居竟然是一位知名作家。
文法句型
it dawns on/upon someone that...
the truth dawns on someone
用法筆記
Used only with the preposition 'on' (or more formally 'upon'). The subject is almost always an abstract noun (the truth, the reality) or the dummy 'it' followed by a that-clause. This sense is never used literally with the sun or light.