midwife
midwife — 名詞
1. A person trained to care for and support a woman during pregnancy, labour, and t
助產士
受訓協助產婦分娩及產後照護的專業人員
A person trained to care for and support a woman during pregnancy, labour, and the period after childbirth, often in a home or birth-centre setting as well as in hospitals.
Théo's older sister trained for three years to become a licensed midwife.
Théo 的姐姐花了三年時間受訓，成為一名合格的助產士。
becoming a licensed midwife — training and qualification pattern
The midwife checked the mother's pulse and temperature every hour during labour.
助產士在產婦分娩期間，每小時檢查她的脈搏和體溫。
midwife's duties during labour — checking vital signs
After the birth, Nkechi's midwife showed her how to hold the baby for feeding.
孩子出生後，Nkechi 的助產士教她如何抱著寶寶餵奶。
Many young families choose a midwife for home births instead of hospital delivery.
我們鎮上許多年輕家庭現在選擇助產士在家生產，而不是到醫院生產。
- doula
A doula offers emotional and physical support during labour but does not perform medical checks or deliveries, unlike a midwife.
- obstetrician
A medical doctor who handles high-risk pregnancies and surgical deliveries; more advanced training than a midwife.
- birth attendant
A broader, less formal term covering midwives, doulas, nurses, and doctors who assist at a birth.
用法筆記
Common in contexts mentioning home births, birth centres, and natural childbirth. In many countries, midwives are licensed medical professionals distinct from doulas, who provide emotional support but not clinical care.
常見錯誤
midwife — 動詞
1. To help something new to come into existence or to be brought about, in a way th
促成；催生
比喻像助產士一樣，協助某事的產生或實現
To help something new to come into existence or to be brought about, in a way that resembles the role of a midwife helping a baby to be born — for example, midwifing a political reform or a cultural revival.
The organisation hoped to midwife a new era of cooperation between the two countries.
該組織希望能促成兩國之間合作的新時代。
formal register: midwife a new era of cooperation
Lara's community programme helped midwife a revival of traditional music among local youth.
Lara 的社區計畫協助催生了當地年輕人之間的傳統音樂復興。
The peace talks midwifed a historic agreement that ended decades of conflict.
那場和平會談促成了一項歷史性協議，結束了數十年的衝突。
Haruto believed the scholarship fund would midwife a new generation of researchers.
Haruto 相信這項獎學金基金將催生新一代的研究人員。
- facilitate
A more general, neutral verb for making something easier; midwife is more vivid and implies actively helping something come into being.
- usher in
Emphasises the beginning of a new period; similar register to midwife, often used in political or cultural contexts.
- engender
Means to cause or give rise to; more about direct causation than the nurturing facilitation implied by midwife.
- suppress
To prevent something from developing or being known, opposite of helping it come into being.
文法句型
midwife + noun phrase (abstract goal)
用法筆記
Used only in formal, literary, or journalistic contexts, often with abstract subjects (reform, era, revival, agreement) as the object. Avoid in everyday casual speech — it may sound overly poetic or pretentious.