focus
focus — 名詞
1. the person, thing, or topic that receives the most attention in a particular act
核心；焦點
關注或興趣的中心
the person, thing, or topic that receives the most attention in a particular activity, discussion, or situation
The focus of the meeting was the new plan for the school library.
會議的核心是圖書館的新計畫。
the focus of [something] — identifying the main topic
Shanti's report brought the problem of plastic waste into focus for the whole community.
Shanti 的報告讓塑膠垃圾問題成為整個社區關注的焦點。
bring [something] into focus — making something clearer or more noticeable
After the earthquake, the focus of attention shifted to helping the injured families.
地震過後，注意力焦點轉向了幫助受災的家庭。
Rachel shifted the focus of her speech from local issues to global climate change.
Rachel 將演講的核心從地方議題轉向了全球氣候變遷。
The company's main focus this year is improving customer service.
公司今年主要的重點是改善客戶服務。
- periphery
the outer edge, opposite of the central focus
文法句型
the focus of [something]
become/bring into focus
用法筆記
Often appears in the fixed phrase 'the focus of something' to identify the central element in a discussion, event, or activity.
常見錯誤
2. the ability to direct your mental effort towards a particular task, thought, or
專注力
對某事的專注能力
the ability to direct your mental effort towards a particular task, thought, or activity without being distracted
The noise from the street made it hard for Kenji to keep his focus on his homework.
街上的噪音讓 Kenji 難以專心寫功課。
keep/lose your focus — maintaining or losing concentration
Adaeze's focus never wavered during the three-hour final exam.
Adaeze 在三小時的期末考中始終保持專注。
Taking short breaks every hour can actually improve your focus at work.
每隔一小時短暫休息，其實可以提升工作中的專注力。
The company needs to bring its focus back to what customers really want.
公司需要將注意力重新聚焦在客戶真正的需求上。
Sophia lost her focus when she started checking messages on her phone.
Sophia 一開始看手機訊息，就失去了專注力。
- concentration
nearly interchangeable; 'concentration' slightly more formal
- attention
broader — can be brief; 'focus' implies sustained effort
- attentiveness
more formal and less common in everyday speech
- distraction
the thing that breaks focus
- inattention
lack of focus or care
文法句型
keep/lose your focus
focus on [something]
用法筆記
Common with verbs like 'keep', 'lose', 'lack', 'bring back', and 'shift'. Unlike 'attention', 'focus' emphasises sustained, directed mental energy rather than momentary notice.
常見錯誤
3. in physics, the single location where waves such as light, sound, or heat energy
聚焦點
光或聲波匯聚之點
in physics, the single location where waves such as light, sound, or heat energy converge after being directed by a lens or a curved surface
A convex lens brings parallel light rays together at a single point called the focus.
凸透鏡將平行光線匯聚於一個點，這個點稱為聚焦點。
scientific description of the focus point
The focus of a magnifying glass is where the sun's rays meet and can start a fire.
放大鏡的聚焦點就是太陽光匯聚足以點火的位置。
In a concave mirror, the focus lies in front of the reflective surface.
在凹面鏡中，聚焦點位於反射面之前。
Ziad adjusted the telescope so the stars appeared sharp at the focus of the main lens.
Ziad 調整望遠鏡，讓星星在主鏡的聚焦點上清晰呈現。
- focal point
more precise technical term for the exact convergence point
- point of convergence
descriptive, used in scientific explanations
文法句型
bring [something] into focus
at the focus of
用法筆記
Mostly used in physics and optics. In everyday language, the figurative senses (MAIN POINT or ATTENTION) are far more common.
常見錯誤
4. the state of being clear and sharp in a photograph, video, or image — or the opp
清晰度
影像的清晰程度
the state of being clear and sharp in a photograph, video, or image — or the opposite when the image appears blurry
The background is slightly out of focus, but the bride's face is perfectly clear.
背景稍微失焦，但新娘的臉部非常清晰。
in focus / out of focus — describing image clarity
Gabriel turned the ring on the camera lens to adjust the focus before taking the shot.
Gabriel 在拍攝前轉動了相機鏡頭上的環來調整清晰度。
The photo was blurry because the camera's focus was set on the wrong object in the frame.
照片很模糊，因為相機的焦距設定在畫面中錯誤的物體上。
Modern smartphones can keep a moving subject in focus automatically.
現代智慧型手機能夠自動讓移動中的主體保持清晰。
- blur
the lack of sharpness when focus is wrong
文法句型
in focus / out of focus
adjust the focus
用法筆記
Typically used in 'in focus' (clear) and 'out of focus' (blurry). The phrase 'soft focus' describes a deliberately gentle, less sharp image.
常見錯誤
focus — 動詞
1. to move the lens of a camera, microscope, or other optical device so that the re
對焦
調整鏡頭使影像清晰
to move the lens of a camera, microscope, or other optical device so that the resulting image appears clear and sharp
Lien focused the microscope until the individual cells became clearly visible in the lens.
Lien 調整顯微鏡的焦距，直到細胞在鏡頭中清晰可見。
focus + [optical device] — transitive, adjusting a tool
Takeshi focused his camera on the bird sitting on the fence across the garden.
Takeshi 把相機對焦在花園對面籬笆上停著的那隻鳥。
focus + [device] + on + [object] — directing the focus
The camera focused automatically as soon as Camila pressed the button halfway down.
Camila 將快門按到一半時，相機就自動對焦了。
It took the photographer a few seconds to focus the large professional lens.
攝影師花了幾秒鐘來對焦那顆大型專業鏡頭。
- blur
to make an image unclear; the opposite of focusing
文法句型
focus + [device]
focus + [device] + on + [object]
[device] + focuses (intransitive)
用法筆記
Often used with 'on' + the target object. Can be transitive (focus the camera) or intransitive (the camera focuses). The intransitive form commonly appears in technical or product descriptions.
常見錯誤
2. to make your eyes work in a way that brings an object or text into clear view, o
凝視
使眼睛注視某物以看清
to make your eyes work in a way that brings an object or text into clear view, or for your eyes to do this naturally on their own
Aylin focused her eyes on the small print at the bottom of the medicine bottle.
Aylin 將視線聚焦在藥瓶底部的小字上。
focus + eyes + on + [object] — transitive, deliberate
The baby tried to focus his eyes on the colourful toy hanging above his bed.
寶寶努力把視線聚焦在嬰兒床上方那個彩色玩具上。
After stepping into the dark cinema from the bright street, Aylin's eyes took a moment to focus.
她從明亮的陽光下走進漆黑的電影院後，眼睛花了幾秒鐘才適應。
Tamar's eyes focused slowly on the clock on the wall as she woke up from her nap.
Tamar 從午睡醒來時，雙眼慢慢地對焦在牆上的時鐘。
文法句型
focus + eyes + on + [object]
focus + on + [object]
eyes + focus
用法筆記
Intransitive use (one's eyes focus) describes an automatic biological process. Transitive use (focus one's eyes) implies deliberate effort. This sense differs from ADJUST LENS in that the subject is a person or a person's eyes, not a device.
常見錯誤
3. to direct rays of light, sound, heat, or other energy towards a single point, or
匯聚
使光或聲波集中於一點
to direct rays of light, sound, heat, or other energy towards a single point, or for these rays to meet at that point
The parabolic dish focuses radio waves from space onto a single receiver the size of a coin.
拋物面天線將來自太空的無線電波匯聚到一枚硬幣大小的接收器上。
focus + [energy/waves] + onto + [point] — directing energy
A magnifying glass focuses the sun's rays onto a small area, creating enough heat to burn a leaf.
放大鏡將太陽光匯聚到一個小區域，產生的熱度足以燒焦一片葉子。
The curved ceiling of the concert hall focuses the sound towards the centre of the stage.
音樂廳的弧形天花板將聲音匯聚到舞台中央。
The large satellite dish focuses the television signal onto a small receiver at its centre.
大型衛星天線將電視訊號匯聚到中心的小型接收器上。
- converge
intransitive only — 'the light converges', not 'converge the light'
- concentrate
similar meaning but less precise for physical wave behaviour
- diverge
to spread apart, opposite of coming together at a point
文法句型
focus + [waves/light/energy] + on/onto + [point]
[rays/waves] + focus + at + [point]
用法筆記
Primarily a technical/scientific sense. The object is an energy form (light, sound, heat) and the complement is 'on' or 'onto' a location. Intransitive use (the rays focus) is much less common in everyday language.
4. to give all your mental effort and attention to a particular task, idea, or pers
專注；集中
將注意力完全放在某事上
to give all your mental effort and attention to a particular task, idea, or person, ignoring other things
Christopher focused on his breathing to stay calm before the important interview.
Christopher 專注於自己的呼吸，以便在重要面試前保持冷靜。
focus on + [noun/-ing] — directing attention to a specific activity
Salma found it hard to focus in the noisy café with so many people talking around her.
Salma 覺得在那間喧鬧的咖啡廳裡很難集中注意力，因為周圍太多人在聊天。
The report focuses on the causes of flooding in low-lying coastal areas of Taiwan.
這份報告聚焦於台灣低窪沿海地區發生洪災的原因。
The team agreed to focus their energy on finishing the project by Friday afternoon.
團隊一致同意將心力集中在週五下午前完成專案上。
Devika focused on her science assignment while her brother played drums in the next room.
Devika 專心在自然科作業上，而她弟弟在隔壁房間打鼓。
- concentrate
nearly interchangeable; 'concentrate' may suggest more effort, 'focus' more direction
- zero in on
more informal, suggests narrowing down from a wider area
- home in on
similar to 'zero in on'; suggests moving towards a target
文法句型
focus on + [noun/-ing]
focus + attention/energy + on + [noun]
focus + to-infinitive (rare)
用法筆記
The most common verb sense. The object of concentration follows 'on' (focus on something). With a direct object, common nouns are 'attention', 'energy', or 'efforts'. The verb is rarely used transitively with a personal object (*focus me is incorrect).