muse
muse — 動詞
1. to spend time in quiet, deep thought about a particular subject, often letting y
沉思；冥想
長時間仔細思考
to spend time in quiet, deep thought about a particular subject, often letting your mind drift or saying your thoughts out loud as you do so.
Lakan sat by the window and mused on changes in his hometown over the years.
Lakan 坐在窗邊，沉思著家鄉多年來的變化。
muse + on + noun phrase
Ayesha often muses about what life would be like on other planets.
Ayesha 常常冥想其他星球上的生活是什麼樣子。
muse + about + wh-clause
"I wonder if we made the right choice," Hugo mused aloud to his sister.
「不知道我們是不是做了正確的選擇，」Hugo 自言自語地對妹妹說道。
Maja mused over the letter, reading each line several times before replying.
Maja 反覆思索著那封信，把每行字都讀了好幾遍才回覆。
During the long train ride, Nia mused on the purpose of her journey.
在漫長的火車旅途中，Nia 沉思著自己這趟旅程的目的。
- ponder
suggests weighing something from various angles, often more deliberate
- reflect
implies turning thoughts back to past experiences, often with a quiet, personal tone
- contemplate
more formal and suggests long, focused thought, sometimes with planning
- ruminate
suggests going over the same thoughts repeatedly, sometimes with worry or doubt
文法句型
muse + on/about/over + noun phrase
muse aloud + direct speech
用法筆記
Frequently occurs with the prepositions 'on', 'about', or 'over' to introduce the topic of thought. Unlike 'ponder' or 'consider', 'muse' often carries a gentle, slightly literary tone and may include the idea of speaking one's thoughts softly.
常見錯誤
muse — 名詞
1. A person, an imagined spirit, or a creative force that sparks ideas and gives an
繆思
啟發藝術家創作的人或事物
A person, an imagined spirit, or a creative force that sparks ideas and gives an artist — such as a painter, writer, or musician — the drive to produce their work.
The dancer became the painter's muse for a whole series of portraits.
那位舞者成了這位畫家整個系列畫作的繆思。
become someone's muse
For many years, Sofia considered the old library her creative muse.
多年來，Sofia 一直把那座老圖書館視為她的創作繆思。
consider [something] one's muse
Astrid often said that nature itself was her only true muse.
Astrid 常說，大自然本身就是她唯一真正的繆思。
The filmmaker credited his grandmother as the muse behind his first movie.
那位電影導演把他的第一部電影歸功於祖母，說她才是真正的幕後繆思。
Adina, a young sculptor, found her muse in the shapes of seashells along the beach.
Adina 是一位年輕的雕塑家，她在海邊的貝殼形狀中找到了自己的繆思。
- inspiration
broader term; can refer to a person, idea, or event that sparks creativity
- catalyst
more neutral and scientific; suggests something that triggers a change without being directly involved
文法句型
someone's muse
muse + for + noun phrase
act as a muse
用法筆記
Unlike the capitalized 'Muse' (sense 2), this sense is written with a lowercase 'm' and refers to a personal or everyday source of creative energy — it does not have to be a supernatural figure.
常見錯誤
2. In classical Greek and Roman mythology, the nine goddess daughters of Zeus and M
繆思女神
希臘神話中九位文藝女神
In classical Greek and Roman mythology, the nine goddess daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, each of whom watched over and inspired a particular branch of art, literature, or science — for example, Calliope for epic poetry or Clio for history.
Daichi's art teacher explained how the ancient Greeks believed the Muses guided all creative work.
Daichi 的美術老師解釋了古希臘人如何相信繆思女神引導著所有的創作活動。
the Muses + guided (mythological context)
A museum exhibit showcased three statues of the Muses from the fifth century BCE.
博物館的展覽中展出了三尊西元前五世紀的繆思女神雕像。
In Homer's poems, the narrator prays to the Muse to help tell the story correctly.
在荷馬的詩作中，敘述者向繆思女神祈禱，請求祂幫助正確地講述故事。
Cyrus wrote his school report on Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry.
Cyrus 的學校報告寫的是 Calliope——史詩的繆思女神。
The temple on the hill was once dedicated to all nine Muses.
山丘上的那座神廟曾經是供奉所有九位繆思女神的。
文法句型
the Muses
one of the Muses
Muse of [art/literature/science]
用法筆記
Typically capitalized — 'the Muses' (plural) refers to the nine goddesses collectively, while 'a Muse' or 'the Muse of…' picks out one. In modern figurative use, it may appear lowercase to mean a source of inspiration (see sense 1).