godfather
godfather — 名詞
1. a man who promises at a Christian baptism ceremony to support a child's religiou
教父
在受洗儀式中承諾引導孩子信仰的男性
a man who promises at a Christian baptism ceremony to support a child's religious and moral development throughout the child's life
Adisa became his niece's godfather at her baptism and promised to guide her spiritual growth.
Adisa 在姪女的受洗儀式中擔任她的教父，並承諾引導她的靈性成長。
godfather + of [child] for baptismal role
At the baptism ceremony, Lukas stood beside the priest as the baby's godfather.
在受洗儀式上，Lukas 作為嬰兒的教父，站在牧師身旁。
Layla asked her brother Matthew to serve as godfather for Renata at their local church.
Layla 請她的弟弟 Matthew 在當地教堂擔任 Renata 的教父。
At the small church ceremony, Mateo held his infant nephew and promised to guide the child's faith.
Mateo 在小型教堂儀式中抱著年幼的姪子，承諾會引導這個孩子的信仰。
When Mayumi's son was baptised, his godfather gave him a small silver cross.
Mayumi 的兒子受洗時，他的教父送給他一枚小銀十字架。
用法筆記
In Christian traditions, the godfather is chosen by the parents and often remains close to the child as a mentor and family friend beyond the baptism ceremony itself.
常見錯誤
2. the most senior leader of an illegal syndicate, particularly within Italian-Amer
黑幫大老
犯罪組織的最高領導人，尤指黑手黨
the most senior leader of an illegal syndicate, particularly within Italian-American or Sicilian organized crime, who directs unlawful operations and maintains authority through fear and personal loyalty
A crime film follows a powerful godfather who controls all illegal gambling in New York.
一部犯罪電影講述一位權力強大的黑幫大老，掌控了紐約所有的非法賭博活動。
godfather + controls crime in [city/area]
A Sicilian godfather gathered his top men to plan the expansion of their drug-smuggling routes.
一位西西里黑幫大老召集了核心手下，計畫擴大他們的毒品走私路線。
In the film, an ageing godfather decides each man's fate while sitting in his study.
電影中，年邁的黑幫大老坐在書房裡，決定每個人的命運。
The police finally arrested the godfather after years of secret investigations into his network.
警方經過多年祕密調查後，終於逮捕了那位黑幫大老及其犯罪網絡。
From his private office, the godfather ordered his men to attack a rival gang's warehouse.
黑幫大老在他的私人辦公室下令屬下攻擊敵對幫派的倉庫。
- don
Italian honorific used specifically for Mafia leaders; strongly tied to the Godfather films
- crime boss
more general, can refer to leaders of any criminal organization, not just the Mafia
- kingpin
emphasizes the central controlling role in illegal operations such as drug trafficking
用法筆記
Frequently used with a capital letter (the Godfather) when referring to the title character of Mario Puzo's novel or the film series. The word carries strong cultural associations with Italian-American organized crime and is sometimes used playfully for anyone who holds great power in a closed group.
常見錯誤
3. a highly respected person who creates, develops, or strongly influences a major
創始人
開創或深刻影響某領域或運動的權威人物
a highly respected person who creates, develops, or strongly influences a major movement, art form, organization, or field of activity, especially during its early stages
Adisa is often called the godfather of hip-hop for his pioneering work in the Bronx.
Adisa 因為早期在布朗克斯的開創性工作，常被稱為嘻哈音樂的創始人。
godfather + of [genre / field]
Many musicians call the Berlin producer the godfather of electronic music for his pioneering 1970s work.
許多音樂人稱那位柏林製作人為電子音樂的創始人，因為他在 1970 年代的開創性作品。
Maeve O'Brien founded the first women's rights organization in her country, earning the title of godfather of the movement.
Maeve O'Brien 在國內創立了第一個女權組織，因而獲得了該運動創始人的稱號。
The biologist became known as the godfather of genetic engineering after splicing the first genes in 1973.
這位生物學家在 1973 年剪接出第一批基因後，被譽為基因工程的奠基者。
Critics call the veteran director the godfather of Taiwanese independent cinema for his 1980s works.
影評人稱這位資深導演為台灣獨立電影的創始人，因為他在 1980 年代的作品。
- father
more reverent and parental in tone; suggests the person nurtured the field over time
- pioneer
emphasizes being first and breaking new ground, without the informal admiration of 'godfather'
- founder
neutral and factual; simply means the person who established something
- originator
focuses on the act of creation rather than ongoing influence
用法筆記
Nearly always appears in the pattern 'godfather of + [field/movement].' Unlike 'founder,' it implies both pioneering status and continued admiration from within the community. The term is informal and admiring — it is not used for disliked or controversial figures even if they were first.