punt
punt — 名詞
- puntsingular
- puntsplural
1. a shallow-water vessel shaped like a long, narrow box with a flat floor and blun
平底船
用長篙推動的平底小船
a shallow-water vessel shaped like a long, narrow box with a flat floor and blunt ends, driven forwards by someone standing at the rear and pressing a pole into the riverbed.
Hari carefully stepped into the punt and sat down on one of the cushioned seats.
Hari 小心翼翼地踏進平底船，在其中一個有坐墊的位子上坐下。
collocation: step into / sit in a punt
The guide pushed the punt along the slow-moving river with a long wooden pole.
導遊用一根長木篙推動平底船，讓船沿著緩慢流動的河面前進。
Because a punt has a flat bottom, it can travel in water that is only half a metre deep.
由於平底船的船底是平的，即使水深只有半公尺也能行駛。
Sofia and her friends rented a punt for a sunny afternoon trip across the lake.
Sofia 和她的朋友租了一艘平底船，在湖上度過一個陽光明媚的下午。
The narrow punt moved silently through the reeds as Otis pushed the pole into the mud.
狹長的平底船靜靜地穿過蘆葦叢，Otis 將長篙插入泥中推動船隻前進。
常見錯誤
2. a technique for kicking a ball a long way in rugby and American football, where
凌空踢
將球從手中落下後凌空踢出
a technique for kicking a ball a long way in rugby and American football, where you release the ball and strike it with your foot while it is falling through the air.
The rugby player sent a long punt down the field that travelled almost fifty metres.
這位橄欖球員將球凌空踢出，球足足飛了將近五十公尺遠。
long punt + field + distance
Nadia practiced her punt every day until she could land the ball inside the twenty-yard line.
Nadia 每天練習凌空踢球，直到能將球準確落在二十碼線內。
practice + punt + land inside [area]
A well-timed punt can give your team a big advantage by pushing the other team deep into their own half.
一記時機恰當的凌空踢可以讓你的球隊取得巨大優勢，把對手逼回他們的半場。
Otis watched the kicker's punt soar high above the heads of the players before bouncing into the end zone.
Otis 看著踢球員踢出的凌空球高高飛過球員頭頂，然後彈進達陣區。
用法筆記
In American football, a punt usually happens on fourth down when a team chooses to give the ball to the other team rather than risk losing it closer to their own goal. In rugby, a punt is a general kicking tactic used to gain territory.
常見錯誤
3. an attempt to make money by choosing a high-risk option whose outcome is uncerta
投機；賭注
帶有風險的投資或賭博
an attempt to make money by choosing a high-risk option whose outcome is uncertain and could result in losing the money you put in.
Buying shares in that tiny start-up was a real punt, but it paid off when the company was bought.
買那間小型新創公司的股票確實是一場賭注，但公司被收購後就賺回來了。
take a punt on + start-up / investment
Liang took a punt on the small tech company and doubled his money within two years.
Liang 在那家小型科技公司下了賭注，兩年內就把資金翻了一倍。
For investors who enjoy a punt, the cryptocurrency market offers high risk and the chance of huge rewards.
對於喜歡投機的投資人來說，加密貨幣市場風險高，但也有機會獲得巨大回報。
The fund manager described the investment as a punt, warning that the money could easily be lost.
基金經理人形容這項投資是一場賭注，並警告這筆錢很可能會虧掉。
- gamble
more general, can apply to any risky choice, not just financial
- speculation
more formal, often used in finance for calculated risk-taking
- flyer
American English informal term for a risky investment
- sure thing
an investment or bet that is almost certain to succeed
文法句型
take a punt on something
用法筆記
Usually used in the fixed phrase 'take a punt (on something)'. Most common in British and Australian English. In American English, 'take a flyer' or 'gamble' are more typical alternatives.
常見錯誤
4. the currency that Ireland used before joining the eurozone in 2002.
愛爾蘭鎊
愛爾蘭在改用歐元前的貨幣單位
the currency that Ireland used before joining the eurozone in 2002.
Before the euro arrived, workers in Ireland received their wages in punts.
在歐元出現之前，愛爾蘭的勞工領取的工資是以愛爾蘭鎊計算的。
pre-euro Ireland + wages in punts
Kemi found a few old punt coins in a drawer at her grandmother's Dublin house.
Kemi 在她祖母都柏林家中的抽屜裡找到了幾枚舊的愛爾蘭鎊硬幣。
When Ireland adopted the euro, punt banknotes could be exchanged at the central bank for several years.
愛爾蘭改用歐元後，民眾仍可在中央銀行兌換愛爾蘭鎊紙鈔，為期數年。
The old pub menu still showed prices in punts, even though the currency had changed years before.
那間老酒吧的菜單上仍然標著愛爾蘭鎊的價格，儘管貨幣早已換了好幾年了。
- Irish pound
the full English name for the same currency; 'punt' is the shorter, Irish-language-derived name
用法筆記
The punt was equal to one hundred pence. The symbol for the punt was £, the same as the British pound, but it was a separate currency with a different value. This sense is now mainly historical or used when discussing Ireland's pre-euro economy.
常見錯誤
5. an ancient territory in northeastern Africa whose exact location is unknown but
朋特
非洲東北部古地區，可能在今索馬利蘭
an ancient territory in northeastern Africa whose exact location is unknown but is thought to have been in the area of present-day Somaliland or the Horn of Africa.
Ancient Egyptian records describe trade missions to the land of Punt for gold, incense, and myrrh.
古埃及文獻記載了前往朋特地區的貿易遠征，目的是取得黃金、乳香和沒藥。
trade missions to Punt for [goods]
Historians believe that Punt was located somewhere along the coast of what is now the Horn of Africa.
歷史學家認為朋特位於現今非洲之角的沿海某處。
The pharaoh Hatshepsut sent a famous expedition to Punt around 1500 BCE, which was recorded on temple walls.
法老哈特謝普蘇特在西元前1500年左右派遣了一支著名的遠征隊前往朋特，此事記錄在神廟牆壁上。
用法筆記
This is a historical proper noun, not a common noun. It refers only to the ancient African region. Modern place names like 'Somalia' and 'Somaliland' are unrelated to this ancient name, and the two should not be confused despite the phonetic similarity.
punt — 動詞
- puntpresent simple I / you / we / they
- punts3rd person singular
- punting-ing form
- puntedpast simple
1. to strike a dropped ball with your foot while it is still in the air, propelling
踢凌空球
將球從手中落下後在落地前踢出
to strike a dropped ball with your foot while it is still in the air, propelling it a great distance during a rugby match or an American football game.
The quarterback punted the ball high into the air, giving the other team possession deep in their own half.
四分衛將球凌空踢出，使對方球隊在自己的半場深處獲得球權。
transitive: punt + ball + [direction/location]
Nadia watched the rugby player punt the ball straight down the middle of the pitch, well past the defensive line.
Nadia 看著橄欖球員將球凌空踢出，球筆直飛過球場中央，遠遠越過防守線。
In American football, teams often punt on fourth down when they are too far from the goal to score.
在美式足球中，球隊如果在第四檔距離球門太遠而無法射門，通常會選擇棄踢。
Charlotte learned how to punt during her first rugby training session by practising the drop-and-kick motion.
Charlotte 在第一次橄欖球訓練課上，透過練習拋球後踢出的動作學會了如何凌空踢球。
文法句型
punt + ball
punt (no object)
用法筆記
Frequently used without an object in American football contexts ('they decided to punt'). In rugby, the transitive use ('he punted the ball') is more common. The noun form 'punt' is also used for the kick itself.
常見錯誤
2. to decide not to deal with something now, often by passing the responsibility to
擱置；推遲
決定暫時不做或處理某件事
to decide not to deal with something now, often by passing the responsibility to someone else or postponing it until a later time.
The committee decided to punt the difficult decision to the next meeting rather than discuss it now.
委員會決定將這個棘手的決定擱置到下次會議再處理，而不是現在討論。
punt + decision + to [later time]
Hamza punted the question about the budget until the final financial report was ready.
Hamza 把關於預算的問題推遲到最終財務報告準備好後再回答。
When the journalist asked an awkward question, the spokesperson punted and promised to reply in writing later.
記者問了一個尷尬的問題，發言人避而不答，承諾稍後以書面形式回覆。
Rather than resolve the staff complaint immediately, the manager punted it to the human resources team.
經理沒有立即處理員工的投訴，而是把問題推給了人力資源部門。
- address
to deal with a problem or decision directly instead of postponing
文法句型
punt + something
punt + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense comes from the idea of punting the ball away in American football — giving the problem to someone else instead of handling it yourself. It is informal and most common in North American workplace and political contexts. In British English, 'shelve' or 'kick into the long grass' are more typical.
常見錯誤
3. to move across shallow water on a flat-bottomed boat while pushing a long pole a
撐船
用長篙推動平底船行駛
to move across shallow water on a flat-bottomed boat while pushing a long pole against the riverbed to propel the boat forward.
On sunny weekends, tourists love to punt along the River Cam in Cambridge, passing under the old stone bridges.
在晴朗的週末，遊客們喜歡在劍橋的康河上撐船，經過古老的石橋下方。
punt along [river]: typical British leisure activity
Marta watched an experienced boatman who punted across the lake using a long wooden pole.
Marta 看著一位經驗豐富的船夫用長木篙撐船橫越湖面。
The family spent the afternoon punting down the quiet river, enjoying the warm summer breeze and the bird songs.
全家人花了整個午後在寧靜的河上撐船，享受溫暖的夏日微風和鳥鳴。
Eve offered to punt while her friends sat back and took photographs of the countryside.
Eve 自告奮勇撐船，而她的朋友們則坐著拍照，欣賞鄉間的風光。
- pole
can be used as a verb with a similar meaning, e.g. 'they poled the boat along the river'
文法句型
punt along/down/up [river]
go punting
用法筆記
Most commonly encountered in the gerund form 'punting', especially as a tourist or leisure activity in British university cities such as Cambridge and Oxford. The related noun form 'punt' (sense 1 of the noun) refers to the boat itself.
常見錯誤
4. to risk money by placing a bet on the result of a race, game, or other event, ho
下注；賭博
以金錢下注冒險，希望贏得更多
to risk money by placing a bet on the result of a race, game, or other event, hoping to win more money.
Evelyn enjoys punting on horse races, though she never bets more than she can afford to lose.
Evelyn 喜歡在賽馬比賽中下注，但她從不賭超過自己負擔得起的金額。
punt on [event] + caution warning
A group of friends spent the evening punting on card games at the local social club.
一群朋友在當地的社交俱樂部玩牌賭博，度過了一個晚上的時光。
Théo punted a small amount on the underdog and was delighted when the horse won the race.
Théo 在那匹冷門馬身上下了小額賭注，結果那匹馬贏了比賽，令他非常高興。
Some people punt on sports matches just for fun, without expecting to make serious money.
有些人只是為了有趣而對體育比賽下注，並不期望賺大錢。
文法句型
punt on [something]
用法筆記
This sense is most common in British and Australian English. The person who places the bet is called a 'punter'. In American English, 'bet' or 'gamble' are more common for this meaning. This sense overlaps with the noun sense 3 ('risky investment'), but verb sense 4 specifically refers to actual betting on games or races.