delegate
delegate — 名詞
1. A person whom a group chooses to speak and vote on its behalf at a formal event
代表
被選出代表群體的人
A person whom a group chooses to speak and vote on its behalf at a formal event such as a meeting or convention.
Each country sent two delegates to the climate summit in Geneva.
每個國家都派了兩名代表參加日內瓦的氣候高峰會。
sent + delegates + to [event]
The union delegates voted against the proposed contract changes.
工會代表投票反對提出的合約修改方案。
Niran was chosen as a delegate for the student council meeting.
Niran 被選為學生議會會議的代表。
Delegates from thirty schools attended the youth leadership forum.
來自三十所學校的代表參加了青年領袖論壇。
- representative
The most general term; a delegate is always a representative, but a representative may not have been formally elected or sent to a specific event.
- envoy
More formal and often diplomatic; an envoy is sent on a specific mission with higher authority than a typical delegate.
- deputy
A deputy stands in for a superior and has permanent substitute authority, whereas a delegate's role is usually temporary and event-specific.
用法筆記
Frequently appears in political, union, and committee contexts. The delegate speaks and votes on behalf of those who selected them.
常見錯誤
2. A participant at a large formal gathering such as a conference, sent by an organ
與會代表
出席大型會議的參與者
A participant at a large formal gathering such as a conference, sent by an organisation to observe, learn, or contribute to discussions.
The conference had over five hundred delegates from Asia and Europe.
這場會議有超過五百位來自亞洲和歐洲的與會代表。
number + delegates from [region]
Felipe met several other delegates during the lunch break between sessions.
Felipe 在會議的中場休息時間認識了幾位其他代表。
Each delegate received a badge and a programme at the registration desk.
每位代表都在報到櫃檯領取了一張名牌和一份議程表。
The keynote speaker answered questions from delegates after the talk.
主題演講者在演講後回答了與會代表們的提問。
- attendee
A broader term for anyone present at an event; an attendee may have come on their own, while a delegate is sent by a group.
- participant
Focuses on active involvement; a participant joins discussions or activities, whereas a delegate may simply observe.
- representative
Emphasises the link to the sending organisation; a conference delegate is almost always a representative of a company, country, or institution.
用法筆記
Common in conference brochures, event planning, and political conventions. In this sense the focus is on attendance rather than the act of being elected.
常見錯誤
delegate — 動詞
1. To hand over a specific task, duty, or decision-making power to another person,
委派；授權
將工作或職責交給他人處理
To hand over a specific task, duty, or decision-making power to another person, freeing yourself from having to carry it out directly.
The manager delegated the weekly reports to her assistant.
經理把每週報告的工作委派給她的助理。
delegate + [task] + to + [person]
The project manager delegated the client onboarding documents to Ravindra before Wednesday's deadline.
專案經理在週三截止日前把客戶入職文件委派給 Ravindra。
delegate + [task/document] + to + [person] + time deadline
The director delegated Min to handle the client negotiations.
主管授權 Min 負責處理客戶談判事宜。
Christopher decided to delegate responsibility for the event to the marketing team.
Christopher 決定把活動的籌辦責任交給行銷團隊。
- assign
Neutral and general; assigning does not necessarily imply shifting authority or responsibility, whereas delegating does.
- entrust
Stronger emphasis on trust and confidence in the person receiving the task; delegating can be purely practical.
- hand over
Informal phrasal verb; closer to delegating but can also mean physically passing something.
- keep
To retain a task rather than handing it to someone else.
- micromanage
To control every tiny detail instead of trusting others with delegated duties.
文法句型
delegate + [task/ responsibility/ authority] + to + [person]
delegate + [person] + to + infinitive
用法筆記
The task itself is the direct object in the most common pattern: 'delegate + job/duty/authority + to + person'. When the person is the direct object ('delegate + person + to + infinitive'), the focus shifts to whom you give the assignment. Frequently used in management and workplace contexts.
常見錯誤
2. To formally select a person to go to a meeting or event and speak or cast votes
推選；選派
推派某人代表團體發言或表決
To formally select a person to go to a meeting or event and speak or cast votes on behalf of the group doing the selecting.
The committee delegated Bilal to present their proposal at the board meeting.
委員會推選 Bilal 在董事會議上提出他們的方案。
delegate + [person] + to + infinitive
Samir was delegated to represent the company at the trade fair in Osaka.
Samir 被選派代表公司參加在大阪舉辦的商展。
passive: be delegated to + infinitive
The members delegated Rachid to vote on their behalf at the annual meeting.
會員們推選 Rachid 在年度大會上代表他們投票。
Each team delegated one person to join the planning committee.
每個團隊都選派了一個人加入籌備委員會。
- appoint
Broader and more official; you can appoint someone to a position (e.g. manager), but delegating is specifically about sending them as a representative.
- designate
More formal; often used in written instructions or official documents.
- authorise
Focuses on giving permission or power to act; delegating additionally involves the idea of representation.
文法句型
delegate + [person] + to + infinitive
be delegated to + infinitive
用法筆記
In this sense the person is the direct object, unlike verb sense 1 where the task is the direct object. Distinguish from sense 1 by asking: are we giving a task or choosing a spokesperson?