recitation
recitation — 名詞
1. An oral performance in which a person repeats a poem, speech, or other written t
朗誦
背誦並朗讀詩文給聽眾
An oral performance in which a person repeats a poem, speech, or other written text from memory, typically in front of an audience.
For the school competition, Vikram gave a moving recitation of a poem by Emily Dickinson.
為了學校比賽，Vikram 朗誦了一首 Emily Dickinson 的詩，令人感動。
recitation + of + [text] for a performance context
The teacher asked each student to prepare a short recitation for class next Monday.
老師要求每位學生準備一段短篇朗誦，下週一在班上發表。
collocation: prepare a recitation / give a recitation
At the drama festival, Harper's recitation of the soliloquy earned loud applause from the audience.
在戲劇節上，Harper 朗誦了那段獨白，贏得觀眾熱烈的掌聲。
Zayd practised his recitation until he could say the speech without looking at the page.
Zayd 練習朗誦，直到他能不看稿說出整篇演講詞。
At assembly, the first-year students gave a group recitation of a traditional folk poem.
在集會上，一年級學生集體朗誦了一首傳統民間詩歌。
- performance
Broader term — includes acting, singing, and instrument playing, not just spoken word from memory.
- reading
Unlike recitation, a reading usually involves looking at the text rather than speaking from memory.
- improvisation
Spontaneous speech created on the spot, as opposed to reproducing a memorised text.
文法句型
recitation + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
The key feature of a recitation in this sense is that the text is delivered from memory, not read from a page or screen. A 'reading' may involve looking at the text, but a 'recitation' does not.
常見錯誤
2. A detailed spoken or written account that lists a series of events, facts, or it
列舉；詳述
逐一列出事項或細節
A detailed spoken or written account that lists a series of events, facts, or items one after another, often in a lengthy or tiresome way.
The witness offered a long recitation of everything she had seen that morning.
證人詳盡列舉了她當天早上所見的一切。
long recitation + of + [what was seen]
During the meeting, the manager gave a dry recitation of the monthly sales figures.
會議上，經理枯燥地列舉了每月的銷售數字。
dry recitation — implies the listing was boring
The article began with a recitation of the many problems facing the city's transport system.
文章開頭詳述了該市交通系統面臨的諸多問題。
Kenji's recitation of why the plan would fail convinced the rest of the team.
Kenji 逐一說明該計畫為何失敗，說服了團隊其他人。
Dewi listened patiently to her grandmother's long recitation of the family history.
Dewi 耐心聽著祖母逐一述說家族歷史。
- enumeration
More technical and neutral in tone; lacks the mildly negative overtone that recitation can carry.
- listing
Less formal; can refer to a simple written or spoken series without the idea of lengthiness.
- catalogue
Suggests a more organised or systematic arrangement of items.
文法句型
recitation + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense often carries a mildly negative or weary tone — it suggests the speaker is listing things methodically, sometimes at tedious length. It is most common in formal writing and journalism.
常見錯誤
3. A teaching session in an educational course, typically held after a lecture, whe
討論課
跟隨講座的討論或練習時段
A teaching session in an educational course, typically held after a lecture, where students discuss material, solve problems, or practise what they have learned in a smaller group.
Professor Okafor holds a recitation session every Thursday to discuss the week's lectures.
Okafor 教授每週四都有討論課，討論當週的講課內容。
recitation session — noun-noun compound
The chemistry recitation meets in room 302 right after the main lecture ends.
化學討論課在主講課結束後直接於 302 教室上課。
Lisa found the recitation more helpful than the lecture because she could ask questions directly.
Lisa 覺得討論課比講課更有幫助，因為她可以直接提問。
Attendance at the Friday recitation is required for all students taking the physics course.
修讀物理課程的所有學生都必須參加週五的討論課。
During recitation the teaching assistant went over the homework problems with small groups.
在討論課上，助教與小組一起複習作業題目。
- tutorial
Common in British English; typically involves one-on-one or very small group teaching with a tutor.
- seminar
A discussion-based class, often longer and more independent than a recitation.
- discussion section
The full phrase used in many US universities; 'recitation' is a shorter, synonymous label.
- lecture
A large, one-way delivery of content by a professor, as opposed to the interactive small-group format of a recitation.
文法句型
recitation + in + subject
recitation + session
用法筆記
This sense is primarily used in US higher education, where large lecture courses are accompanied by smaller weekly recitation groups led by a teaching assistant. In the UK and other Commonwealth countries, the equivalent is often called a 'tutorial' or 'seminar'.