novel
novel — 名詞
1. A book-length work of fiction that tells a story about made-up people, places, a
小說
長篇虛構敘事作品
A book-length work of fiction that tells a story about made-up people, places, and events, usually divided into chapters.
Ingrid borrowed three novels from the library for her summer holiday.
Ingrid 從圖書館借了三本小說，打算暑假時閱讀。
borrowed [number] + novels from [place]
Reema spent the weekend reading a historical novel set in 18th-century Japan.
Reema 週末讀了一本以 18 世紀日本為背景的歷史小說。
The author's first novel sold over two million copies in six months.
那位作者的第一本小說在六個月內賣出了兩百多萬冊。
Tuan enjoys reading crime novels late at night with a warm cup of tea.
Tuan 喜歡在深夜邊喝熱茶邊讀推理小說。
Min's latest novel explores how three generations of one family deal with grief.
Min 的最新小說探討了同一家庭中三個世代如何面對失去親人的悲傷。
- nonfiction
writing about real events and facts rather than invented ones
文法句型
[genre] + novel
novel + about + topic
read/write/publish + a novel
用法筆記
Countable noun. Frequently preceded by a genre label such as historical, crime, romance, or science-fiction. The person who writes novels is a novelist, not a 'noveler.'
常見錯誤
novel — 形容詞
1. Unusual and interesting because it has not been done, known, or seen before — of
新穎的
前所未見、具有原創性的
Unusual and interesting because it has not been done, known, or seen before — often used to describe ideas, methods, or designs that show fresh thinking.
Selim proposed a novel method for converting sunlight into hydrogen fuel.
Selim 提出了一個將太陽能轉化為氫燃料的新穎方法。
novel method for [purpose]
Trang's novel approach to teaching maths helped her struggling students improve.
Trang 新穎的數學教學方法幫助了她那些學習困難的學生進步。
The architects designed a novel cooling system that uses no electricity at all.
建築師們設計了一套完全不用電的新穎冷卻系統。
Ilan presented a novel solution to the parking shortage using a mobile app.
Ilan 提出了一個利用手機應用程式解決停車位不足問題的新穎方案。
Beatrix received a patent for her novel design of a collapsible water bottle.
Beatrix 因她設計的可折疊水瓶獲得了一項專利。
- original
focuses on being the first of its kind; 'novel' adds the sense of being surprising or unusual
- innovative
emphasises practical improvement or progress; stronger in business contexts
- fresh
less formal than 'novel'; suggests newness with a positive tone
- groundbreaking
stronger; suggests that the new idea changes how people think about the topic
- conventional
following traditional or accepted ways
- traditional
based on long-established customs or methods
- ordinary
not special or different in any way
文法句型
novel + noun
be + novel
find something + novel
用法筆記
More formal than 'new.' Typically appears in academic, technical, or professional writing. You would not describe a new phone or new shoes as 'novel' — save this word for ideas, methods, designs, or inventions that are creatively different from what existed before.
常見錯誤
2. Describes a type of virus that has recently appeared and was not previously know
新型的
先前未曾發現的病毒類型
Describes a type of virus that has recently appeared and was not previously known to scientists or circulating among humans.
In early 2020 a novel coronavirus was identified in patients with severe pneumonia.
2020 年初，在重症肺炎患者身上發現了一種新型冠狀病毒。
novel coronavirus — technical medical label
Scientists are racing to understand how the novel strain of bird flu affects mammals.
科學家正在加緊了解這種新型禽流感病毒株如何影響哺乳動物。
Sade's research focuses on detecting novel viruses before they cause major outbreaks.
Sade 的研究重點是在新型病毒引發大規模疫情之前將其偵測出來。
Christopher explained how the novel strain differs from the seasonal flu virus.
Christopher 說明了這種新型病毒株與季節性流感病毒有何不同。
- newly discovered
broader; used for any newly found organism, not just viruses
- emerging
suggests the virus is spreading or becoming more dangerous
- previously unknown
more descriptive and formal; often used in scientific papers
- known
already identified and studied
- established
has existed and circulated for some time
文法句型
novel + virus/strain/coronavirus
用法筆記
Almost always appears directly before the noun (attributive position). The phrase 'novel coronavirus' gained global use during the COVID-19 pandemic to distinguish the new virus from previously known coronaviruses. Distinguish from adj/1 (NEW & ORIGINAL): in this sense there is no positive connotation of creativity — it simply means 'previously unknown to science.'