displacement

displacement — 名詞

1. the situation in which people are forced to leave their homes or home region, us

1.名詞B2
釋義

流離失所

被迫離開家園或故鄉

the situation in which people are forced to leave their homes or home region, usually because of war, violence, natural disaster, or political oppression.

例句

The war caused the displacement of more than two million people across the country.

戰爭導致全國超過兩百萬人流離失所。

displacement of + number + people

Many farming families faced displacement when the river flooded the entire valley.

河流氾濫淹沒整個山谷時，許多農民家庭被迫離開家園。

同義詞
  • expulsion

    stronger, implies being forced out by authority

  • uprooting

    more emotional; suggests loss of connection to one's home

  • exile

    specifically forced absence from one's country, often for political reasons

反義詞
  • repatriation

    the return of people to their home country or region

文法句型

displacement + of + group

用法筆記

Often modified by a cause (war, disaster, climate change). The verb form 'displace' is transitive: 'the earthquake displaced thousands of people.'

常見錯誤

❌The family experienced a displacement when they moved to a bigger house.
✅The family experienced displacement when the war destroyed their village.
💡displacement implies force or necessity, not a voluntary move.

2. the volume of a liquid or gas that is pushed aside when an object is placed in i

2.名詞B2
釋義

排量

物體排開的流體體積

the volume of a liquid or gas that is pushed aside when an object is placed in it; often used to measure the object's volume or a ship's weight.

例句

Archimedes realised that displacement could measure the volume of an irregular object.

阿基米德發現，排量可以用來測量不規則物體的體積。

Rin measured the displacement of water after dropping the metal ball into the beaker.

Rin 將金屬球丟進燒杯後，測量了水的排量。

displacement of + liquid — core collocation

同義詞
  • volume

    more general; displacement specifies volume pushed aside

  • buoyant volume

    technical term for the displaced fluid volume in flotation

文法句型

displacement + of + liquid/gas

用法筆記

In engineering, 'displacement' also refers to the volume swept by a piston in an engine (engine displacement). In physics, do not confuse this sense with 'displacement' as a vector quantity meaning change in position.

常見錯誤

❌The displacement of the car was 60 miles per hour.
✅The displacement of the engine was 2.0 litres.
💡displacement in mechanics is about volume, not speed or distance.

3. a psychological defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously redirects a st

3.名詞C1
釋義

情感轉移

將情緒轉向較安全的對象

a psychological defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously redirects a strong emotion, such as anger or fear, from the original source to a less threatening person or object.

例句

His anger at his boss turned into displacement, so he shouted at his wife instead.

他對老闆的怒氣轉化為情感轉移，轉而對妻子大吼大叫。

displacement as a way of redirecting anger

Therapists often help patients recognise displacement as an unconscious coping strategy.

治療師常常幫助病人察覺情感轉移是一種無意識的因應機制。

同義詞
  • redirection

    more general term; lacks the clinical specificity

  • sublimation

    a related defense mechanism where emotions are redirected into socially acceptable activities

文法句型

displacement + of + emotion + onto + target

用法筆記

Distinguish from 'projection': in displacement the emotion stays the same but the target changes; in projection the person attributes their own emotion to someone else.

常見錯誤

❌I used displacement to calm down by talking to a friend.
✅In displacement, the person may not realise they are redirecting their feelings.
💡displacement is usually unconscious, not a deliberate strategy.

4. the act of one thing, person, or system being moved from its usual position and

4.名詞B2
釋義

取代；替代

被其他事物取代的過程

the act of one thing, person, or system being moved from its usual position and replaced by another, often in a way that feels disruptive or unwanted.

例句

The displacement of older workers by younger graduates caused tension in the office.

年長員工被年輕畢業生取代，導致辦公室氣氛緊張。

displacement of X by Y — typical passive structure

Harper was unhappy about her displacement as team leader after the company restructuring.

公司改組後，Harper 對自己被取代團隊領袖的位置感到不滿。

同義詞
  • supplanting

    more formal; suggests deliberate overthrow

  • ousting

    informal; implies forceful removal, especially from a position

  • replacement

    neutral; does not carry the negative connotation of displacement

反義詞
  • retention

    keeping something or someone in its original position

文法句型

displacement + of + noun + by + noun

用法筆記

Often carries a negative tone, suggesting the original occupant did not deserve to be removed. Compare 'substitution,' which is more neutral and often technical.

常見錯誤

❌The displacement of the old chair with a new one was quick.
✅The removal of the old chair and the replacement with a new one was quick.
💡'displacement' usually implies an undesired or disruptive change, not a routine swap.