rainbow
rainbow — 名詞
1. The multicoloured shape that can be seen crossing the sky on a day when the sun
彩虹
陽光照射雨滴形成在天空的彩色弧形
The multicoloured shape that can be seen crossing the sky on a day when the sun comes out while it is still raining.
After the rain stopped, Selim saw a beautiful rainbow above the hills.
雨停之後，Selim 看到山丘上空出現了一道美麗的彩虹。
used for a sky phenomenon after rain
The little girl pointed at the rainbow and shouted with joy.
小女孩指著彩虹，開心地大叫。
A rainbow has seven colours, from red on the outside to violet in the centre.
彩虹有七種顏色，從外層的紅色到中間的紫色。
On sunny days with light rain, you can sometimes spot a rainbow in the sky.
在有太陽又有小雨的日子裡，有時可以看到天空出現彩虹。
Xiu painted a bright rainbow above a green field in art class.
Xiu 在美術課上畫了一幅畫，圖中有明亮的彩虹和綠色的田野。
文法句型
a/the rainbow
常見錯誤
2. The band of colours produced when white light is separated, for example by a gla
光譜
白光分解成多種顏色的現象
The band of colours produced when white light is separated, for example by a glass prism or by water drops in the air.
In science class, Sirin used a prism to create a rainbow on the wall.
自然課上，Sirin 用三稜鏡在牆上製造出一道彩色光譜。
uncountable: the effect of light separation
A prism splits white light into a rainbow of separate colours.
三稜鏡能將白光分解成一道彩虹般的彩色光帶。
The rainbow produced by the window showed every colour found in sunlight.
窗戶折射出的彩色光帶顯示了陽光中的所有顏色。
Tendai explained how a rainbow forms when light bends inside water drops.
Tendai 解釋了光線穿過水滴時如何彎曲而產生彩虹現象。
- spectrum
the standard scientific term for this effect
- prismatic colours
more technical; refers specifically to colours from a prism
文法句型
a rainbow of colours
create/form a rainbow
用法筆記
This sense describes the scientific effect of light splitting into colours, distinct from sense 1 (the weather phenomenon) and sense 3 (a colourful arrangement of objects).
3. A wide and attractive group of many different colours arranged together in the s
繽紛色彩
多種顏色組成的豐富組合
A wide and attractive group of many different colours arranged together in the same place.
The market sold fabrics in a rainbow of colours, from deep blue to bright red.
市場上賣的布料色彩繽紛，從深藍到亮紅都有。
pattern: a rainbow of colours
Léa arranged her coloured pencils in a rainbow order on the desk.
Léa 把她的彩色鉛筆按照彩虹色順序排在桌上。
The flower garden was a rainbow of pink, yellow, and purple petals.
花園裡開滿了粉紅、黃色和紫色的花瓣，五彩繽紛。
Children's picture books usually use a rainbow of bright colours.
兒童繪本通常使用繽紛鮮豔的色彩。
- array
more formal; an impressive range of colours
- kaleidoscope
suggests constantly changing colours; more poetic
文法句型
a rainbow of + plural noun
用法筆記
Common in the pattern 'a rainbow of + noun' to describe a colourful mix. Unlike sense 2 (light spectrum), this refers to physical objects that happen to be colourful.
4. A large number of different types, kinds, or choices within a particular group.
多樣性
各式各樣不同事物的豐富組合
A large number of different types, kinds, or choices within a particular group.
The shop offers a rainbow of choices for customers who love tea.
這家店提供各式各樣的茶葉供顧客選擇。
pattern: a rainbow of choices/options
A good library has a rainbow of books on many different subjects.
好的圖書館有各種不同主題的書籍，琳瑯滿目。
The street festival offered a rainbow of activities, from music stages to food stalls.
街頭節慶提供了琳瑯滿目的活動，從音樂表演到美食攤位都有。
Imran owns a rainbow of board games from different countries.
Imran 收藏了來自各國的桌遊，種類繁多。
- range
neutral; a set of different items within a category
- assortment
suggests a well-chosen mix of items
- variety
most common; emphasises diversity
文法句型
a rainbow of + plural noun
用法筆記
Unlike sense 3 (about actual colours), this sense is figurative and describes diversity of things. Common in promotional or descriptive writing.
常見錯誤
5. A long river fish that has a pink or red stripe along each side and is caught fo
虹鱒
一種帶有紅色條紋的食用淡水魚
A long river fish that has a pink or red stripe along each side and is caught for food or as a sport.
Caio caught a large rainbow near the riverbank last weekend.
Caio 上週末在河邊釣到一條大虹鱒。
short form for rainbow trout; fishing context
The restaurant serves grilled rainbow with lemon and fresh herbs.
這家餐廳提供烤虹鱒，配上檸檬和新鮮香草。
Rainbows need clean and cold rivers to stay healthy.
虹鱒需要生活在乾淨冰冷的河流中才能健康成長。
Omar learned how to fish for rainbow in the mountain streams.
Omar 學會了在山間溪流中釣虹鱒。
- trout
broader category; includes brown trout and other types
- rainbow trout
full name; clearer in most contexts
文法句型
a/the rainbow
用法筆記
Shortened form of 'rainbow trout', used mainly by people who fish. The full form 'rainbow trout' is more common in general English.
常見錯誤
6. The youngest branch of the Girl Guides organization in Britain, for girls betwee
小小女童軍
英國四至七歲女童軍組織
The youngest branch of the Girl Guides organization in Britain, for girls between the ages of four and seven.
Rachel's daughter joined the Rainbows when she turned four.
Rachel 的女兒滿四歲時就加入了小小女童軍。
proper noun; always capitalised
The Rainbows meet every Tuesday afternoon at the church hall.
小小女童軍每週二下午在教堂大廳聚會。
Rainbows learn songs, play games, and make crafts with their group leaders.
小小女童軍們跟隨隊輔學唱歌、玩遊戲、做手工。
Jude's little sister loves wearing her Rainbows uniform to the meetings.
Jude 的妹妹很喜歡穿著小小女童軍的制服去參加活動。
文法句型
the Rainbows
a Rainbow
用法筆記
Always capitalised. Refers to the organization (the Rainbows) or an individual (a Rainbow). This is specific to Britain; other countries use different names for similar groups.
7. An organised session held for the Rainbows — the youngest branch of the Girlguid
彩虹聚會
英國幼齡女童軍的例行集會活動
An organised session held for the Rainbows — the youngest branch of the Girlguiding UK organisation, for girls aged four to seven — where they take part in activities, crafts, and badgework together.
Theo's little sister went to her first Rainbow meeting after school on Tuesday.
Theo 的妹妹放學後參加了她的第一次彩虹聚會。
proper noun: Rainbows as UK Guides group
At the Rainbow meeting, the girls made paper crowns and sang songs together.
在彩虹聚會上，女孩們一起做紙皇冠、唱歌曲。
Lisa picked up her daughter from the Rainbow meeting at the community centre.
Lisa 在社區中心接女兒參加彩虹聚會。
The Rainbow meeting this week focused on learning about local wildlife and plants.
這週的彩虹聚會重點是認識當地的野生動植物。
用法筆記
Rainbow (capital R) refers specifically to the youngest section of Girlguiding UK, the national guiding organisation for girls and young women. This sense only appears in UK contexts and is not used in American English.
8. A girl aged between four and seven who has joined the Rainbows, the entry-level
彩虹成員
英國 Rainbow 童軍的四至七歲女孩
A girl aged between four and seven who has joined the Rainbows, the entry-level section of the Girlguiding UK organisation, and takes part in its meetings and activities.
Zuri has been a Rainbow for six months and loves wearing her blue uniform.
Zuri 加入彩虹組織已經六個月了，她很喜歡穿藍色制服。
countable: a Rainbow = one member of the group
The group of Rainbows marched in the town parade behind their leaders.
一群彩虹成員跟隨小隊長參加鎮上的遊行活動。
Every Rainbow learns a simple promise and starts earning badges just like older Guides.
每一位彩虹成員都會學習簡單的承諾，並像資深童軍一樣開始收集徽章。
The Rainbows raised money for a local animal shelter by selling homemade biscuits.
彩虹成員們自製餅乾義賣，為動物收容所募款。
用法筆記
Always capitalised when referring to a member of the UK Guiding organisation. The plural form is Rainbows (e.g. 'two Rainbows walked by'). Distinguish from sense 7 (RAINBOWS GROUP MEETING), which refers to the event rather than the person.
9. Something that seems wonderful and desirable but can never be reached or achieve
幻影；泡影
看似美好卻無法實現的願望
Something that seems wonderful and desirable but can never be reached or achieved in real life — like an imaginary perfect outcome that only exists in a person's dreams.
The promise of easy money was just a rainbow with nothing behind it.
輕鬆賺錢的承諾只是一場幻影，背後什麼都沒有。
metaphorical: a rainbow = an impossible dream
Niran chased the rainbow of fame for years before realising it was making him unhappy.
Niran 追逐名氣的幻影多年，後來才發現這只會讓自己不快樂。
Environmentalists warned that the plan was a rainbow — attractive to read but impossible to build.
環保人士警告說，該計畫只是個泡影——讀起來很動人，但根本無法執行。
Eli knew the perfect job was a rainbow, but he kept searching anyway.
Eli 知道完美的工作只是幻影，但他仍然繼續尋找。
The minister called the new policy 'a rainbow', admitting it would never work.
部長稱新政策是「泡影」，等於承認它根本行不通。
- pipe dream
Informal; emphasises that the plan is unrealistic and will never happen
- fantasy
Broader; can refer to any imagined scenario, not necessarily a goal
- mirage
Emphasises the deceptive appearance of something real that is actually an illusion
- reality
What actually exists rather than what is wished for
文法句型
a rainbow
chase a/the rainbow
用法筆記
Commonly used in the fixed phrase 'chase a rainbow' (pursue an impossible dream). This is a literary or figurative sense; do not use it in literal contexts about weather or colours.
rainbow — 形容詞
1. showing many bright colours, especially in a striped or layered pattern that cal
繽紛的
色彩明亮豐富的
showing many bright colours, especially in a striped or layered pattern that calls to mind a rainbow
Tamar painted a rainbow design across her bedroom wall last weekend.
Tamar 上週末在她房間的牆上畫了一個繽紛的圖案。
attributive: rainbow design
The parade float was covered in rainbow ribbons and colourful balloons.
那輛遊行花車上裝飾著繽紛的彩帶和彩色氣球。
Rainbow banners lined both sides of the main shopping street.
主要的購物街道兩旁掛滿了彩虹色的旗幟。
The rainbow stripes on Élise's towel faded after many washes in the machine.
Élise 毛巾上的彩虹條紋經過多次機洗後褪色了。
There was a rainbow pattern on each of the birthday party plates.
每個生日派對的盤子上都有彩虹圖案。
- colourful
more general; does not imply striped or layered arrangement
- multicoloured
more formal; emphasises multiple colours without the rainbow metaphor
- bright
focuses on intensity rather than colour variety
- colourless
opposite in having no colour at all
- monochrome
opposite in having only one colour or shades of one colour
文法句型
rainbow + noun
2. made up of people from a range of different racial or ethnic backgrounds
多元種族的
包含不同種族背景的
made up of people from a range of different racial or ethnic backgrounds
The festival celebrated the city's rainbow communities with music and dance.
這場節慶以音樂和舞蹈來慶祝這座城市的多元族群社區。
collocation: rainbow community / rainbow nation
Tanvi's school had a rainbow student body from over twenty different countries.
Tanvi 的學校有來自超過二十個不同國家的多元族裔學生。
Growing up in a rainbow neighbourhood taught Ada to appreciate many different cultures.
在多元族裔的社區長大，讓 Ada 學會欣賞許多不同的文化。
The organisation works to create rainbow workplaces where everyone feels welcome.
該組織致力於建立多元族裔的工作環境，讓每個人都感到受歡迎。
Rainbow families from across the region attended the annual cultural gathering.
來自該地區各地的多元族裔家庭參加了這場年度文化聚會。
- multiracial
more direct and formal; 'rainbow' adds a poetic or positive tone
- diverse
broader; can refer to other kinds of variety beyond race
- multicultural
focuses on cultural rather than racial diversity
- monocultural
opposite in having only one cultural or racial group
- segregated
opposite in being divided by race
文法句型
rainbow + noun (community, nation, population)
用法筆記
Often used with nouns like 'community', 'nation', 'population', or 'workplace'. The phrase 'rainbow nation' is a well-known term for South Africa's post-apartheid multiracial society.
常見錯誤
3. involving people or groups from different political parties, especially when the
跨黨派的
涵蓋不同政治立場的
involving people or groups from different political parties, especially when they form a temporary alliance to achieve a shared goal
The two parties formed a rainbow coalition to govern the country after the election.
選舉後，這兩個政黨組成了跨黨派聯盟來治理國家。
fixed phrase: rainbow coalition
Rainbow alliances between opposing parties are common during times of national crisis.
在國家危機時期，對立政黨之間的跨黨派聯盟很常見。
collocation: rainbow alliance
Greta supported a rainbow government made up of members from all sides of the debate.
Greta 支持一個由各方辯論代表組成的跨黨派政府。
The prime minister proposed a rainbow approach to the new education reform bill.
總理針對新的教育改革法案提出了跨黨派的合作方案。
A rainbow committee of politicians from five different parties wrote the report together.
一個由五個不同政黨的政治人物組成的跨黨派委員會共同撰寫了這份報告。
- cross-party
more neutral and descriptive; 'rainbow' carries a more hopeful or positive tone
- bipartisan
specifically two parties; 'rainbow' can involve three or more
- coalition
noun form; 'rainbow coalition' emphasises broad and unusual cooperation
- partisan
opposite in being loyal to a single party
- single-party
opposite in involving only one political party
文法句型
rainbow + noun (coalition, alliance, government, group)
用法筆記
Typically found in political journalism and commentary about coalition governments or cross-party initiatives. The word implies bringing together groups that normally disagree.