plague
plague — 動詞
1. to keep giving a person, place, or activity pain, worry, or other trouble for a
困擾；折磨
長期帶來痛苦或麻煩
to keep giving a person, place, or activity pain, worry, or other trouble for a long time
For months, sharp knee pain plagued Ken during every bus ride.
好幾個月來，Ken 每次搭公車時都被膝蓋的刺痛困擾。
problem subject + plague + person
The small factory was plagued by power cuts all summer.
那間小工廠整個夏天都一直被停電問題困擾。
passive: be plagued by something
Doubt plagued Sara after she signed the costly gym contract.
Sara 簽下昂貴的健身房合約後，一直被疑慮困擾。
Bad weather has plagued the island ferry service since January.
自一月以來，惡劣天氣一直困擾著那座島上的渡輪服務。
Even now, stomach trouble still plagues the rescue dog.
直到現在，那隻搜救犬仍受胃部不適折磨。
文法句型
plague somebody/something
be plagued by something
用法筆記
Often used in the passive with by, and the cause is usually pain, illness, delay, doubt, or another continuing problem. Distinguish from sense 2: if someone keeps bothering a person with questions or requests, that pattern usually belongs there.
常見錯誤
2. to keep pressing a person for answers, attention, or some action until they feel
糾纏；煩擾
反覆追問或要求而惹人煩
to keep pressing a person for answers, attention, or some action until they feel annoyed
The children plagued their uncle with questions about the old war photo.
孩子們一直拿那張老戰爭照片的事問東問西，糾纏著叔叔。
plague somebody with questions
All morning, reporters plagued the actor for details about the breakup.
整個早上，記者們都在煩擾那位演員，追問分手的細節。
plague somebody for details
My little brother plagued Mum all week for the giant toy robot.
我弟弟整整一星期都纏著媽媽，吵著要那個大玩具機器人。
At dinner, Leo plagued his sister with one question after another.
吃晚飯時，Leo 不停一題接一題地問，糾纏著姊姊。
- leave alone
stop bothering someone
文法句型
plague somebody with something
plague somebody for something
用法筆記
The object is the person being bothered, and the annoying thing often follows with, especially with questions, calls, or requests. Distinguish from sense 1: that sense is about a longer-lasting problem such as pain or delay, often in the passive.
常見錯誤
plague — 名詞
1. a deadly illness that can move quickly through a town or country and kill many p
瘟疫；鼠疫
快速蔓延並奪命的傳染病
a deadly illness that can move quickly through a town or country and kill many people; often the historical disease carried to people by fleas living on rats
In 1665, plague emptied whole streets in parts of London.
1665年時，瘟疫讓倫敦有些地方整條街都空無一人。
bare disease noun as subject
The doctor feared plague after seeing the boy's swollen neck.
醫生看到那個男孩腫起來的脖子後，擔心是鼠疫。
Fleas on sick rats spread plague through the crowded port.
帶病的老鼠身上的跳蚤，把瘟疫傳遍了那座擁擠的港口。
Many families left the town when plague reached the market district.
瘟疫傳到市集區時，許多家庭都離開了那座城鎮。
History lessons often mention plague when students study the Black Death.
學生學黑死病時，歷史課常會提到鼠疫。
- epidemic
neutral medical word for rapid spread, not the name of one specific disease
- pestilence
literary or old-fashioned word for a deadly epidemic
- outbreak
broader and often smaller in scale; can refer to the start of many diseases
文法句型
die of plague
outbreak of plague
用法筆記
Usually uncountable when naming the disease itself, but plural plagues is possible for separate historical outbreaks. Distinguish from sense 2: with a plague of + plural noun, the meaning shifts to a damaging mass of animals, insects, or other unwanted things.
常見錯誤
2. a great mass of harmful animals, insects, or other unwanted things that appear t
成災；氾濫
大量害物集中出現並成害
a great mass of harmful animals, insects, or other unwanted things that appear together and do damage
After the flood, the village faced a plague of mosquitoes.
洪水過後，村裡蚊子成災。
fixed pattern: a plague of + plural noun
The farm battled a plague of rats in the grain shed.
那座農場的穀倉裡鼠患成災。
Two warm weeks brought a plague of flies into the fish market.
連著兩個溫暖的星期，讓魚市場裡蒼蠅氾濫。
By July, the farmers were fighting a plague of locusts.
到了七月，農民們都在對抗成災的蝗蟲。
The city park had a plague of rabbits digging under young trees.
那座城市公園裡兔子氾濫，不斷在幼樹下挖洞。
- infestation
more technical word for harmful insects or animals in a place
- swarm
stresses the moving mass itself, especially of insects
- flood
figurative for too many things, not necessarily living creatures
文法句型
a plague of + plural noun
用法筆記
Most often used in the pattern a plague of + plural noun, especially for animals or insects causing harm. Distinguish from sense 1: here the word names the mass itself, not a deadly disease.