dreamer
dreamer — 名詞
1. someone who often fills their mind with fanciful or ambitious ideas and pictures
空想家
常幻想不切實際事物的人
someone who often fills their mind with fanciful or ambitious ideas and pictures that have little connection to real life or practical action.
Iris was such a dreamer that she spent class time sketching imaginary islands.
Iris 就是個空想家，上課時都在畫想像中的島嶼。
such a dreamer + that-clause for result
"You are a dreamer," said the manager when Rodrigo promised to finish in one week.
經理說：「你是個夢想家，Rodrigo，你竟然保證一週內完成。」
dreamer + quoted speech for calling out impracticality
The novel follows a young dreamer who leaves her village to become a dancer.
這本小說描述一位年輕的夢想家離開家鄉去城市當舞者的故事。
Rodrigo's friends called him a dreamer for always talking about starting a space company.
Rodrigo 的朋友都說他是空想家，因為他總在談要創辦太空公司。
Lan's parents worried her dreamer personality would make a steady job hard to keep.
Lan 的父母擔心她那愛幻想的個性很難保住穩定的工作。
- idealist
more positive; focuses on high principles rather than fanciful imagination
- visionary
admiring; suggests original ideas that may later prove valuable
- daydreamer
more informal; emphasises inattention to surroundings
- fantasist
formal and often dismissive; suggests habitually inventing unreal stories
- realist
someone guided by facts and practical considerations
- pragmatist
someone focused on what works rather than what is ideal
文法句型
dreamer + of + noun (dreamer of peace)
such a dreamer + that-clause
用法筆記
Commonly carries a mildly disapproving or teasing tone in everyday conversation, though it can be admiring when applied to artists, inventors, or activists whose visions challenge current limits.
常見錯誤
2. a person who experiences images, sounds, or feelings in their mind while asleep.
做夢者
睡眠中經歷夢境的人
a person who experiences images, sounds, or feelings in their mind while asleep.
Asher woke up with a shout and told his roommate he was a loud dreamer.
Asher 大叫一聲醒來，告訴室友他是個會發出聲音的做夢者。
dreamer modified by adjective describing sleep behaviour
A dreamer's brain is nearly as active during sleep as when the person is awake.
做夢者的大腦在睡眠期間幾乎和清醒時一樣活躍。
Karim is a calm dreamer who never talks or moves much during sleep.
Karim 是安靜的做夢者，睡覺時幾乎不說話也不翻身。
Researchers used special machines to study the dreamers' rapid eye movements.
研究人員用特殊儀器觀察做夢者快速的眼球運動。
- sleeper
broader; does not specify dreaming — just a person who is asleep
- REM sleeper
technical; a person in the stage of sleep associated with vivid dreams
文法句型
adjective + dreamer (vivid dreamer, light dreamer)
dreamer + of + noun (dreamer of flying)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense applies only when the person is literally asleep. Context typically includes words such as sleep, bed, dream, woke, or rapid eye movement.
常見錯誤
3. someone who arrived in the US during childhood without the documents required fo
夢想生
幼年赴美、無合法居留身分之夢想生
someone who arrived in the US during childhood without the documents required for legal residence and who has grown up there without immigration status.
Diya, a DREAMer who arrived in Texas at age four, shared her story publicly.
Diya 四歲時來到德州，她以夢想生的身分公開分享了自己的故事。
appositive: named person + DREAMer + relative clause
The new law could give thousands of DREAMers a path to permanent residency.
這項新法案可能為數十萬名夢想生提供取得永久居留權的途徑。
thousands of DREAMers + path to [status]
Nearly six hundred thousand DREAMers live in the US under temporary protection.
將近六十萬名夢想生在美國暫受保護的狀態下生活。
Hoa applied for DACA status soon after graduating from high school in California.
Hoa 在加州高中畢業後不久就申請了 DACA 身分。
- undocumented youth
broader; includes young people in similar situations outside the US
- DACA recipient
narrower; refers specifically to those protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme
文法句型
DREAMer as proper noun
number + of + DREAMers
用法筆記
Always written with a capital D and often capitalised fully (DREAMer) to reflect the acronym origin. The term carries significant political weight in US immigration debates and is preferred by advocates over terms such as illegal immigrant.