rag
rag — 名詞
1. a torn-off fragment of fabric, often from worn-out clothing or household linen,
破布
用於擦拭灰塵或油污的舊布片
a torn-off fragment of fabric, often from worn-out clothing or household linen, kept for wiping dust, spills, or grease from different surfaces
Manuela grabbed an old rag from the kitchen drawer to wipe the oil off the counter.
Manuela 從廚房抽屜拿出一條破布，把流理檯上的油擦掉。
rag used with wipe + off + surface
The mechanic wiped his greasy hands on a rag before picking up the phone.
那位技師用破布擦掉手上的機油，才拿起電話。
A damp rag left on the wooden table caused the varnish to peel overnight.
一條濕破布在木桌上放了一整夜，結果桌面上的亮光漆都剝落了。
Asher cut the old sheet into small rags for polishing the silver candlesticks.
Asher 把舊床單剪成小塊破布，用來擦拭銀製燭臺。
The kitchen rag smelled of vinegar and floor wax from weeks of daily cleaning.
那條廚房破布沾滿了醋和地板蠟的味道，因為已經連續擦了好幾個禮拜。
文法句型
rag + for + noun
rag + of + material
常見錯誤
2. old, badly torn clothes that are no longer good enough to wear, typically worn b
破爛衣服
破舊不堪的衣物，常暗示極度貧窮
old, badly torn clothes that are no longer good enough to wear, typically worn by someone who is extremely poor
The old man at the station was dressed in rags and held a cardboard sign.
火車站那位老先生衣衫襤褸，手裡舉著一塊紙板。
in rags: describes state of clothing
Black-and-white photos from the drought show whole families wearing nothing but rags.
那場乾旱期間的黑白照片中，許多家庭身上穿的全是破破爛爛的衣服。
Quan donated a bag of clothes, but they were so worn they looked more like rags.
Quan 捐了一袋衣服，但那些衣服太舊了，看起來比較像破布。
The children at the refugee camp wore thin rags that did little against the cold night air.
難民營的孩子們穿著單薄的破衣，擋不住夜晚的寒風。
His only shirt was in rags by the end of the long walk through the mountains.
他那件唯一的上衣在翻山越嶺的長途跋涉之後已經破爛不堪。
文法句型
in rags
dressed in rags
wear rags
用法筆記
Most commonly appears in the phrase 'in rags' describing a person's clothing as a marker of extreme poverty. 'Dressed in rags' is the most frequent collocation.
常見錯誤
3. any publication you consider badly written, full of gossip or lies, or of poor q
八卦刊物
內容低劣、充斥八卦或謊言的報紙雜誌
any publication you consider badly written, full of gossip or lies, or of poor quality — often a tabloid paper you look down on
The local rag printed the story without checking a single fact or asking for a comment.
那家地方小報未經查證事實也未徵求對方說法就直接刊登了那則報導。
local rag: common set phrase
Christopher would never read that gossip rag because its articles are full of lies.
Christopher 絕對不會看那本八卦刊物，因為上面的文章全是謊話。
gossip rag: reinforces the low-quality meaning
Élise picked up a free rag from the newsstand and skimmed it during her train ride home.
Élise 在報攤拿了一份免費小報，在回家的火車上隨手翻了翻。
The editor of the Sunday rag was sued for publishing private photos without permission.
那家週日八卦報的編輯因為未經許可刊登私人照片而被提告。
- tabloid
more neutral; describes format, not necessarily quality
- gossip magazine
specific to celebrity and entertainment news
- scandal sheet
older term emphasising sensational content
文法句型
derogatory: rag + of + place
用法筆記
Always derogatory. Use with caution — calling someone's newspaper 'a rag' is offensive. 'Gossip rag' and 'local rag' are fixed phrases.
常見錯誤
4. a series of lively performances, processions, and events arranged by university
學生慈善週
英國大學學生為募款舉辦的系列娛樂活動
a series of lively performances, processions, and events arranged by university students to collect donations for charitable causes
During rag week, students dress in funny costumes and collect donations for local hospitals.
慈善週期間，學生們穿上搞笑的服裝，為當地醫院募款。
rag week: fixed British phrase
Devika joined the rag committee and helped organise a five-kilometre charity run through the city.
Devika 加入了慈善週籌委會，協助籌辦一場穿過市區的五公里慈善路跑。
The rag parade featured decorated floats that drove slowly through the town centre.
慈善大遊行中，幾輛裝飾花車緩緩駛過市中心。
Karim volunteered to drive one of the floats in the university rag procession last spring.
Karim 去年春天自願在大學慈善遊行中開一輛花車。
- charity week
more general; doesn't carry the student-event connotation
- fundraising drive
formal term for any organised fundraising campaign
文法句型
rag week
rag day
rag parade
用法筆記
Primarily a British university tradition. The word is rarely understood in this sense outside the UK. 'Rag week' is the most common compound form.
5. a short piano composition written in the ragtime style, characterised by a livel
繁音拍子樂曲
以切分節奏為特色的早期爵士鋼琴曲
a short piano composition written in the ragtime style, characterised by a lively syncopated melody and a steady marching bass line
The pianist ended the concert with a cheerful rag that made the audience clap along.
鋼琴家在音樂會尾聲彈了一首輕快的繁音拍子樂曲，聽眾紛紛跟著打拍子。
Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag is one of the most famous piano rags in American music.
Scott Joplin 的〈楓葉繁音拍子〉是美國音樂史上最有名的鋼琴繁音拍子樂曲之一。
famous + rag: title of piece
Dahlia practised the same rag for weeks before her recital at the music academy.
Dahlia 為了音樂學院的獨奏會，同一首繁音拍子樂曲練了好幾個禮拜。
The old record store had a collection of piano rags from the early nineteen hundreds.
那家老唱片行收藏了一批二十世紀初的鋼琴繁音拍子樂曲。
- ragtime
the genre itself, not a single piece
- syncopated tune
describes the musical style without referencing ragtime
文法句型
rag + by + composer
play a rag
piano rag
用法筆記
Typically used with a title or name of the piece ('Maple Leaf Rag', 'The Entertainer'). The word 'rag' in this sense is a shortening of 'ragtime piece'.
6. RAG is an acronym for 'retrieval-augmented generation'. It refers to a technique
檢索增強生成
AI模型先從外部資料庫查詢再回答的方法
RAG is an acronym for 'retrieval-augmented generation'. It refers to a technique where an AI language model searches external data sources for relevant information before generating a response, leading to more accurate answers
The search engine uses RAG to find relevant documents before answering each user question.
該搜尋引擎在回答每位使用者的問題之前，會先透過 RAG 尋找相關文件。
Developers adopted RAG to reduce errors in the chatbot's responses about medical topics.
開發人員採用 RAG 技術來減少聊天機器人在醫學問題上的答覆錯誤。
adopted RAG to reduce errors
Unlike a standard model, a RAG system can look up the latest news before replying.
有別於標準模型，RAG 系統可以在回覆之前先查閱最新新聞。
Ife explained how RAG works by showing how the AI retrieves facts from a database.
Ife 用一個例子來說明「檢索增強生成」（RAG）的運作方式：AI 會先從資料庫擷取事實再回答問題。
文法句型
RAG system
RAG model
use RAG
用法筆記
Always capitalised as RAG. Used in technical and technology-journalism contexts. The abbreviation is much more common in writing than the full form 'retrieval-augmented generation'.
7. the short form of 'Red Amber Green': a colour-based system in project management
紅黃綠燈號
以紅黃綠三色標示專案進度的管理標記
the short form of 'Red Amber Green': a colour-based system in project management where green means a task is on schedule, amber means some risks have appeared, and red means serious issues need attention
The project manager changed the RAG status from green to amber after the team missed a delivery date.
專案經理在團隊錯過一次交期之後，把 RAG 狀態從綠燈調成黃燈。
RAG status changed from + colour
Each department submits a RAG report every Friday to show how their tasks are progressing.
每個部門每週五都要提交一份紅黃綠燈號（RAG）報告，說明各項任務的進展狀況。
RAG report: weekly status document
The board reviewed the RAG ratings and decided to send extra resources to the red-rated projects.
董事會檢視了 RAG 評級後，決定對亮紅燈的專案投入更多資源。
A RAG score of red means senior management needs to investigate the problem immediately.
如果 RAG 分數顯示紅燈，就表示高層管理人員需要立即介入處理。
文法句型
RAG status
RAG rating
RAG report
用法筆記
Used primarily in British and Commonwealth business environments. Often appears in project status reports and meeting minutes. The traffic-light metaphor is transparent: green = good, amber = caution, red = trouble.
rag — 動詞
1. to tease or make gentle fun of someone in a friendly, light-hearted way that is
戲弄；逗弄
以輕鬆幽默的方式取笑某人
to tease or make gentle fun of someone in a friendly, light-hearted way that is not meant to hurt their feelings
Hyun's colleagues always rag him about his terrible cooking, but he laughs along with them.
Hyun 的同事總是拿他的爛廚藝來開玩笑，但他也跟著大家一起笑。
rag someone about + noun/gerund
The rugby team ragged their new captain for a week after he tripped during the match.
橄欖球隊的新隊長在比賽中跌倒之後，隊友們整整取笑了他一個禮拜。
Joaquín enjoys ragging his sister about her messy desk, but she gives back as good as she gets.
Joaquín 很喜歡拿妹妹凌亂的書桌來逗她，但妹妹也會毫不客氣地回嘴。
Stop ragging the intern — she has only been here for a week and is still learning the job.
別再戲弄實習生了——她才來一個禮拜，還在熟悉工作。
The old friends spent the whole evening ragging each other about mistakes from their school days.
老朋友們整個晚上都在互揭學生時代的糗事，彼此取笑。
文法句型
rag + someone + about + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Primarily British and informal. The teasing is always affectionate or light-hearted — if the intent is cruel, use 'mock' or 'ridicule' instead. Very common in continuous form ('ragging').