gnome
gnome — 名詞
1. In traditional stories and folklore, a tiny bearded man who lives underground an
地精
傳說中守護寶藏的小矮人
In traditional stories and folklore, a tiny bearded man who lives underground and watches over hidden gold, jewels, or treasure, usually shown wearing a tall pointed hat.
Talia's grandmother told her a bedtime story about a gnome who guarded a chest of gold.
Talia 的祖母說了一個床邊故事，關於一隻守護一箱黃金的地精。
folklore narrative: gnome + guard + treasure
According to the old legend, the gnome only came out at night to check on his treasure.
根據古老的傳說，那隻地精只有在夜裡才會出來查看他的寶藏。
temporal pattern: only came out at night
Sora's picture book showed a tiny gnome with a long white beard and a red pointed hat.
Sora 的繪本裡畫了一隻小地精，有著長長的白鬍子和一頂紅色尖帽。
The children whispered that a friendly gnome lived beneath the roots of the giant oak tree.
孩子們悄悄傳說，一棵大橡樹的樹根下住著一隻友善的地精。
- dwarf
a broader term for any short human-like being in folklore, not always with a pointed hat or treasure-guarding role
- leprechaun
specifically Irish folklore, known for hiding treasure; more tied to a single national tradition
- goblin
usually more mischievous or malicious; does not typically guard treasure
文法句型
a + gnome + [verb: lives/guards/appears]
[possessive] + gnome + [story/tale]
常見錯誤
2. A small statue of a bearded man with a pointed hat, placed in gardens or yards a
庭園裝飾
放在花園中的小矮人雕像
A small statue of a bearded man with a pointed hat, placed in gardens or yards as a decoration.
Hamza bought a small stone gnome to place next to the rose bushes in his yard.
Hamza 買了一尊小石頭地精，放在後院玫瑰花叢旁。
placement collocation: gnome + next to + garden feature
The red-hatted gnome stood quietly among the flowers at the edge of the path.
那尊戴紅帽的地精靜靜地站在小徑旁的花叢中。
Someone had stolen the garden gnome from Mrs. Chen's front yard during the night.
有人趁夜偷走了陳太太前院的庭園地精雕像。
Beatriz painted her wooden gnome bright green so it would stand out among the plants.
Beatriz 把她的木頭地精漆成亮綠色，讓它在花草中更顯眼。
文法句型
[colour/material] + gnome
garden + gnome
a + gnome + [preposition: in/among/next to]
用法筆記
Frequently used in the compound 'garden gnome' (花園小矮人雕像). Garden gnomes are often the subject of humorous news stories about theft or travel pranks.
常見錯誤
3. An expert who does important intellectual work from out of the public eye, witho
幕後智囊
隱身幕後的知識工作者
An expert who does important intellectual work from out of the public eye, without giving interviews or appearing in the media.
The company's research team included several gnomes who never appeared in news interviews.
該公司的研究團隊裡有幾位從未受訪的幕後智囊。
never + appeared: behind-the-scenes invisibility
Élise worked as a gnome for the ministry, drafting reports that were published under her boss's name.
Élise 在部會裡擔任幕後智囊，撰寫的報告以主管名義發布。
Journalists struggled to identify the gnomes behind the think tank's most influential reports.
記者們難以找出那個智庫最具影響力報告背後的幕後智囊。
The minister relied on a team of policy gnomes to prepare his speeches and briefing papers.
部長倚賴一群政策幕後智囊幫他準備講稿和簡報文件。
- analyst
neutral and common; does not imply the worker is hidden from the public
- strategist
focuses on planning and long-term thinking; not specifically about public invisibility
- backroom expert
similar in meaning to gnome but much rarer
文法句型
[field/domain] + gnome[s]
policy + gnome[s]
the + gnomes + behind + [institution/organization]
用法筆記
Used in journalism and political commentary, often with a modifier indicating the area of work (policy gnomes, research gnomes). The tone ranges from neutral description to slightly critical, suggesting that these experts wield hidden influence.
4. An informal term for powerful Swiss financiers who manage large amounts of money
瑞士銀行家
掌控巨資的瑞士金融業者
An informal term for powerful Swiss financiers who manage large amounts of money for wealthy clients and foreign governments, often with great secrecy.
The newspaper accused the gnomes of Zurich of hiding money for dishonest foreign leaders.
該報指控瑞士銀行家為不誠實的外國領袖藏匿資金。
fixed phrase: the gnomes of Zurich
Politicians complained that the gnomes controlled too much of the world's private wealth.
政治人物抱怨瑞士銀行家控制了全球太多私人財富。
A documentary revealed how the gnomes managed billions for wealthy clients and foreign governments.
一部紀錄片揭露瑞士銀行家如何為富豪客戶和外國政府管理數十億資金。
During the financial crisis, the gnomes refused to lend money to the struggling southern banks.
金融危機期間，瑞士銀行家拒絕貸款給陷入困境的南歐銀行。
文法句型
the + gnomes + of + Zurich
the + gnomes + [verb: control/manage/refuse]
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'the gnomes of Zurich' (瑞士蘇黎世銀行家集團). The term has a pejorative or suspicious tone, suggesting secretive control over global finance. First used in British political commentary in the 1960s.
5. A short, memorable statement that captures a common observation about life or hu
格言；箴言
簡短而深刻的道理
A short, memorable statement that captures a common observation about life or human nature, similar to a proverb or maxim.
The farmer's favourite gnome was 'Make hay while the sun shines.'
那位農夫最喜歡的格言是：「要趁有陽光的時候曬乾草。」
used as a synonym for 'proverb' in a concrete example
Gita wrote down every gnome her grandfather recited during the long car journey.
Gita 在漫長的車程中，記下了祖父隨口說出的每一句格言。
The book of ancient gnomes offered wisdom that still felt true after hundreds of years.
那本古代格言集所蘊含的智慧，歷經數百年依然發人深省。
Christopher opened his speech with a Greek gnome about patience and hard work.
Christopher 以一句關於耐心與努力的希臘格言揭開演講的序幕。
文法句型
[possessive/demonstrative] + gnome + [verb: expresses/teaches/says]
ancient + gnome[s]
用法筆記
This sense is rare in modern English and belongs mainly to literary or scholarly writing. Most speakers would use 'proverb', 'maxim', or 'aphorism' instead. The word shares a Greek root (gnōmē) with 'gnomic', a term for concise, wisdom-style writing.