reef
reef — 名詞
1. A long, narrow band of rock, coral, or sand that sits just beneath the water's s
礁石
海面附近對船隻構成危險的岩石或珊瑚帶
A long, narrow band of rock, coral, or sand that sits just beneath the water's surface, creating a serious danger for ships in the area.
The ship's captain warned the crew to stay clear of the coral reef ahead.
船長警告船員避開前方的珊瑚礁。
coral reef — common collocation
Soraya saw colourful fish swimming near the reef during her first snorkelling trip.
Soraya 第一次浮潛時看見色彩繽紛的魚群在礁石附近游動。
Many ships have been wrecked on the hidden reef off the coast of Australia.
許多船隻在澳洲海岸外的那座暗礁上遇難。
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the largest living structures on Earth.
大堡礁是地球上最大的生物結構之一。
- open sea
deep water without submerged obstacles
文法句型
a/an + reef
the + reef
adjective + reef
用法筆記
Often used in compound names: 'coral reef', 'barrier reef'. The most famous example is the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.
常見錯誤
2. A foldable portion of a ship's sail that sailors roll up or tie down to shrink t
縮帆部
帆上可摺疊以減少受風面的部分
A foldable portion of a ship's sail that sailors roll up or tie down to shrink the area exposed to strong wind.
Joaquín tied the reef in the mainsail before the storm arrived.
Joaquín 在暴風雨來臨前將主帆的縮帆部綁好。
tie the reef — verb + reef collocation (sailing)
The sailors pulled hard on the ropes to take in a reef.
水手們用力拉繩索以收進一層縮帆。
In heavy winds, a good skipper puts in two reefs to keep the boat steady.
在強風中，有經驗的船長會收進兩層縮帆以保持船隻平穩。
Élise showed the new crew how to tie the reef securely.
Élise 向新船員示範如何牢固地綁好縮帆部。
文法句型
a/an + reef
take in + a reef
put in + a reef
tie + the + reef
用法筆記
Common in nautical expressions: 'take in a reef' means to reduce sail area; 'shake out a reef' means to release the folded section and expand the sail again. The number of reefs taken is counted: 'one reef', 'two reefs'.
3. Something that blocks progress or causes unexpected difficulty, used like a hidd
暗礁
比喻阻礙進展的障礙或困難
Something that blocks progress or causes unexpected difficulty, used like a hidden rock reef that threatens a ship.
The project hit a reef of unexpected costs that delayed the construction.
該專案碰上一連串意料之外的費用問題，導致施工延誤。
'a reef of [problems]' — figurative use
Abigail's plan ran into a reef of legal problems she had not predicted.
Abigail 的計畫撞上了她未曾預料的法律問題暗礁。
The negotiations struck a hidden reef when the two sides refused to compromise.
當雙方拒絕妥協時，談判撞上了暗礁。
Without proper advice, young businesses often crash into a reef of debt.
沒有適當的建議，新創企業常常陷入債務的困境。
- smooth sailing
an idiom meaning easy, uninterrupted progress
文法句型
a reef of + noun (problems, difficulties, issues)
用法筆記
Primarily appears in formal writing and journalism rather than everyday speech. Often paired with verbs like 'hit', 'strike', or 'run into' to maintain the nautical metaphor.
reef — 動詞
1. To make a sail smaller by rolling, folding, or tying up a part of it, usually be
縮帆
將帆捲起摺疊以減少受風面積
To make a sail smaller by rolling, folding, or tying up a part of it, usually because the wind has become dangerously strong.
The captain ordered the crew to reef the sails as the wind picked up speed.
船長命令船員在風力增強時將帆縮起。
reef the sails — the main transitive pattern
Hari learned how to reef the mainsail during his first sailing lesson.
Hari 在第一次帆船課上學會了如何縮起主帆。
It is safer to reef too early than to wait until the wind becomes unmanageable.
寧可提早縮帆，也不要等到風大到無法控制才行動。
Maeve showed the beginners how to reef by folding the bottom part of the sail.
Maeve 向初學者示範如何摺疊帆的下半部來縮帆。
- shorten sail
a more general nautical phrase for reducing sail area by any method
- shake out
to release a reef and expand the sail to its full size
文法句型
reef + noun phrase (the sail, the mainsail)
be + reefed (passive)
reef + by + V-ing
用法筆記
Frequently used in imperatives and instructional language on sailboats. The amount of reefing is measured in steps called 'reefs' — e.g. 'reef to the first reef point'. The opposite action is 'shake out a reef' (to expand the sail again).