era
era — 名詞
1. a long stretch of history that has its own special character, shaped by the even
時代；時期
以特定事件或人物為標誌的歷史時期
a long stretch of history that has its own special character, shaped by the events, people, or developments happening during it
The Victorian era in Britain was known for strict social rules and rapid industrial growth.
英國的維多利亞時代以嚴格的社會規範和快速的工業發展聞名。
era named after a ruler (Victorian era)
Feng's grandfather often talked about the era before television and the internet existed.
Feng 的祖父常談起電視和網路尚未出現的時代。
This painting comes from an era when most artists focused on religious subjects.
這幅畫來自一個大多數藝術家都專注於宗教題材的時代。
The jazz era of the 1920s brought new music styles to cities around the world.
1920 年代的爵士時代為世界各大城市帶來了新的音樂與舞蹈風格。
- age
slightly narrower in scope — often used for a period defined by a single dominant figure or force, e.g. the age of Shakespeare
- period
more neutral and flexible — can be shorter or less historically weighty than an era
- epoch
more formal or technical; in geology it is a subdivision of a period, but in general use it highlights a striking new beginning
文法句型
era of + noun
era when/in which + clause
用法筆記
Often paired with a proper name or key feature that defines the period, e.g. the Elizabethan era, the Cold War era, the digital era.
常見錯誤
2. a moment in history when major changes begin, so that life or a situation from t
新紀元
重大變化後開啟的全新階段
a moment in history when major changes begin, so that life or a situation from that point on feels very different from before
The peace agreement marked a new era for the war-torn region.
這項和平協議為飽受戰爭摧殘的地區標誌了一個新時代。
new era — collocation for turning points
Hamza believed that space exploration would open a whole new era for humanity.
Hamza 相信太空探索將為人類開創一個全新紀元。
For the Okonkwo family, moving to Canada started an era of fresh opportunities.
對 Okonkwo 一家來說，搬到加拿大開啟了一個充滿新機會的時代。
The invention of the smartphone began an era when people could connect from almost anywhere.
智慧型手機的發明開啟了一個人們幾乎可在任何地方聯繫的時代。
文法句型
a/an + adjective + era
era of + noun
用法筆記
Almost always appears with an adjective like new, whole new, different, or bright. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense emphasises a sharp break with the past, not simply a stretch of years with a given character.
常見錯誤
3. one of the largest divisions of time used in the study of the earth's history, c
地質紀元
地球歷史劃分的大時間單位
one of the largest divisions of time used in the study of the earth's history, covering hundreds of millions of years, and made up of shorter units called periods
The Mesozoic era is known as the age of the dinosaurs.
中生代（Mesozoic era）被稱為恐龍的時代。
proper name + era — standard geological naming
Scientists study rock layers to understand what happened during each geological era.
科學家研究岩層來了解每個地質紀元發生過什麼事。
The Paleozoic era ended with the largest extinction event in the earth's history.
古生代（Paleozoic era）以地球史上最大規模的滅絕事件告終。
Indra learned in her geology class that the current era is called the Cenozoic.
Indra 在地質課上學到，目前所處的年代稱為新生代（Cenozoic era）。
文法句型
the + [name] + era
用法筆記
In geology, the hierarchy from largest to smallest is: eon → era → period → epoch. Common named eras include the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic. Unlike sense 1, this sense is not used with descriptive modifiers (a peaceful era).