difficulty
difficulty — 名詞
1. how much effort, skill, or mental work you need in order to do something, deal w
困難
事情難做或難懂的程度
how much effort, skill, or mental work you need in order to do something, deal with it, or understand it.
Faisal finished the marathon despite the difficulty of the hilly course.
儘管賽道起伏不平、難度很高，Faisal 還是跑完了馬拉松。
collocation: despite the difficulty
The difficulty of the maths problem made two students raise their hands for help.
那道數學題的難度讓兩名學生舉手求助。
collocation: the difficulty of [something]
Sivan understood the difficulty of learning a new language at age forty.
Sivan 明白在四十歲時學習新語言的困難。
We underestimated the difficulty of moving a piano up three flights of stairs.
我們低估了把鋼琴搬上三層樓梯的困難度。
Rania climbed the steep trail without difficulty despite her fear of heights.
Rania 雖然有懼高症，仍毫不困難地爬上了那條陡峭的小徑。
- ease
The quality of being easy or effortless
- simplicity
The quality of being simple or uncomplicated
文法句型
difficulty of [noun/gerund]
with/without difficulty
have difficulty (in) doing
用法筆記
Typically uncountable. Common in 'the difficulty of [something]' and 'with/without difficulty' structures.
常見錯誤
2. something that causes trouble or makes a task, situation, or relationship hard t
難題
造成麻煩的具體問題或阻礙
something that causes trouble or makes a task, situation, or relationship hard to deal with.
Christopher had difficulties finding a babysitter for Saturday night.
Christopher 找不到週六晚上的保母，遇到了難題。
pattern: have difficulties (in) doing something
The company faced serious financial difficulties after the factory fire.
那家工廠發生火災後，公司面臨嚴重的財務難題。
collocation: financial difficulties
Tunde's visa difficulties meant he missed the start of the semester.
Tunde 的簽證難題使他錯過了學期開學。
Despite some initial difficulties, the project was finished ahead of schedule.
儘管初期遇到一些難題，專案還是提前完成了。
The new software caused unexpected difficulties for the accounting team.
這套新軟體為會計團隊帶來了意料之外的難題。
- problem
More general and everyday; can be small or large
- obstacle
Something that blocks progress or stands in the way
- complication
An unexpected difficulty that makes a situation more complex
文法句型
have difficulties (in) doing
face difficulties
cause difficulties
run into difficulties
用法筆記
Countable noun. When referring to many specific obstacles, the plural form 'difficulties' is the norm.
常見錯誤
3. a state in which a person, group, or organisation is experiencing trouble, hards
困境
處於麻煩或艱難的狀況
a state in which a person, group, or organisation is experiencing trouble, hardship, or a challenging situation that is hard to escape from.
The hikers were in serious difficulty when the storm hit without warning.
暴風雨毫無預警來襲時，登山者陷入了嚴重的困境。
phrase: be in difficulty
Our team ran into difficulties when the main server stopped working.
主要伺服器停機時，我們團隊陷入了困境。
phrase: run into difficulties
The charity helps families who find themselves in financial difficulty.
這個慈善機構幫助陷入經濟困境的家庭。
Haruto was in difficulty with his rent after his work hours were cut.
Haruto 因為工時被縮減而繳不出房租，陷入了困境。
Jessica's company got into difficulties during the economic downturn last year.
Jessica 的公司去年經濟不景氣時陷入了困境。
- ease
A comfortable or effortless situation
- prosperity
A state of success and financial well-being
文法句型
be in difficulty
get into difficulty
find oneself in difficulty
have difficulties
run into difficulties
用法筆記
Fixed expressions only; this sense almost never appears as a standalone countable noun. The noun is typically singular in 'in difficulty' and plural in 'in difficulties' or 'have difficulties'.