metamorphosis
metamorphosis — 名詞
- metamorphosissingular
- metamorphosesplural
1. a dramatic and complete shift in the appearance, character, or situation of a pe
蛻變
外表、性格或情形的徹底改變
a dramatic and complete shift in the appearance, character, or situation of a person or thing, so that they become very different from before
Under its new editor, the magazine underwent a complete metamorphosis into a stylish lifestyle publication.
在新主編的帶領下，這本雜誌徹底改頭換面，成了一本時尚生活刊物。
collocation: undergo a metamorphosis
The city's metamorphosis from a small fishing village into a major port happened in just one generation.
這座城市從小漁村蛻變為主要港口，僅僅花了一代人的時間。
pattern: metamorphosis from X into Y
Theo's metamorphosis from a shy new student into class president amazed the teachers.
Theo 從一個害羞的新生蛻變為班長，讓老師們都大感驚訝。
The old train station went through a remarkable metamorphosis and now houses a popular food market.
那座舊火車站經歷了驚人的蛻變，如今變成了熱門的美食市集。
Bilal noticed a complete metamorphosis in his grandmother's attitude once she learned to use social media.
Bilal 發現祖母學會使用社群媒體後，態度有了徹底的轉變。
- transformation
broader, used in everyday contexts; metamorphosis implies a more striking or complete change
- transfiguration
more literary or religious; suggests a change that is almost magical in nature
- rebirth
emphasises the idea of a new beginning after the change; more figurative
- stagnation
a lack of change or growth, the opposite of development into a new form
用法筆記
Often used with the verbs 'undergo' or 'go through' to describe a major shift. More common in formal or written English than in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
2. the biological process in which animals like caterpillars and tadpoles change fr
變態
昆蟲或兩棲類從幼體轉變為成體的過程
the biological process in which animals like caterpillars and tadpoles change from a young body into an adult form that looks completely different
A caterpillar begins its metamorphosis inside a cocoon and emerges weeks later as a beautiful butterfly.
毛蟲在繭內開始變態，幾週後以美麗的蝴蝶之姿破繭而出。
biological sense: insect life cycle
Naoko's biology project followed the metamorphosis of a tadpole as it slowly grew legs and lost its tail.
Naoko 的生物專題追蹤了一隻蝌蚪的變態過程，記錄牠慢慢長出四肢並失去尾巴。
collocation: metamorphosis of [animal]
In complete metamorphosis, an insect passes through four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
完全變態的昆蟲會經歷四個階段：卵、幼蟲、蛹和成蟲。
Unlike butterflies, grasshoppers develop directly from nymph to adult without a pupal stage, so biologists call this incomplete metamorphosis.
蝴蝶不一樣，草蜢直接從若蟲發育為成蟲，沒有蛹期，所以生物學家稱之為不完全變態。
The lab assistant, João, carefully recorded the metamorphosis of each caterpillar inside the glass tanks.
實驗室助理 João 仔細記錄了玻璃缸中每隻毛蟲的變態過程。
- development
broader term; metamorphosis is a specific type of development with distinct stages
- transformation
less technical; can apply to any change, while metamorphosis is the specific biological process
用法筆記
In biology, 'metamorphosis' is a technical term. The uncountable form (e.g., 'undergo metamorphosis') is more common in general scientific descriptions, while the countable form refers to a specific instance (e.g., 'the metamorphosis of this species').