sacrifice
sacrifice — 名詞
1. the act of choosing to give up something that you value — such as your time, mon
犧牲
為他人或更大目標放棄所珍視的事物
the act of choosing to give up something that you value — such as your time, money, comfort, or career — for another person's benefit or to reach a goal that matters more to you
Tuan made huge sacrifices to send his younger sister to university, including working two jobs for three years.
Tuan 為了供妹妹上大學做出了巨大的犧牲，包括三年期間打兩份工。
collocation: make + sacrifice
Becoming a surgeon required the sacrifice of many weekends and holidays during Ayana's training.
成為外科醫生需要 Ayana 在受訓期間犧牲無數個週末和假期。
the sacrifice of + noun phrase
The firefighters' willingness to put themselves in danger was a sacrifice the whole community recognized.
消防員願意置身險境，這是整個社區都銘記在心的犧牲。
Moving to a new city for a better job often involves a real sacrifice of friendship and community.
為了更好的工作搬到新城市，往往要犧牲友誼和社區歸屬感。
Raising a child with special needs demands daily sacrifices that most people never see.
養育有特殊需求的孩子需要許多日常犧牲，而這些犧牲大多不為人知。
- self-denial
emphasizes refraining from pleasure rather than giving up something you already have
- renunciation
more formal; suggests a deliberate, often principled, decision to give something up forever
- self-indulgence
focus on personal pleasure without concern for others or larger goals
文法句型
make + sacrifice
the sacrifice of + noun
用法筆記
Countable when referring to a specific act (made three sacrifices); uncountable when talking about the concept in general (Sacrifice is never easy).
常見錯誤
2. in baseball, a play where the batter purposely makes contact and gets put out, s
犧牲打
棒球中打者故意出局以推進隊友的戰術
in baseball, a play where the batter purposely makes contact and gets put out, so that a runner already on the base path can move forward or score
With a runner on first base, Ramón laid down a perfect sacrifice to move his teammate into scoring position.
一壘有人時，Ramón 觸擊出一記完美的犧牲打，把隊友送上得分位置。
collocation: lay down + a sacrifice
The coach signaled for a sacrifice, and the batter successfully advanced both runners before being thrown out at first.
教練比出犧牲打的暗號，打者順利推進兩名跑者後才在一壘被刺殺。
Statistically, a well-timed sacrifice increases a team's chance of scoring in a close game.
數據顯示，在比分接近的比賽中，一個時機恰當的犧牲打能提高球隊得分的機率。
Announcers praised the rookie for executing a sacrifice that brought the go-ahead run home.
播報員稱讚那位新人在關鍵時刻執行犧牲打，把超前分送回了本壘。
A sacrifice is not counted as an official at-bat, so it does not hurt the player's batting average.
犧牲打不計入正式打數，因此不會影響打者的打擊率。
- sacrifice bunt
a specific type of sacrifice using a bunt; the more general term is simply 'sacrifice'
- sacrifice fly
a specific type of sacrifice where the ball is caught in the outfield; scored differently
文法句型
hit + a sacrifice
lay down + a sacrifice
用法筆記
Usually appears in baseball commentary or coaching contexts. The two most common forms are the sacrifice bunt (the batter holds the bat out to lightly tap the ball) and the sacrifice fly (a deep hit caught for an out, allowing a runner to score).
3. the religious practice of killing a person or animal and presenting the life to
祭品；獻祭
殺死或供奉給神明的行為或物品
the religious practice of killing a person or animal and presenting the life to a deity; the living being that is killed and presented in this rite
The ancient Maya made human sacrifices at their pyramids during important religious festivals.
古馬雅人在金字塔上舉行活人獻祭，作為重要宗教節慶的一部分。
collocation: make a sacrifice (religious context)
In the old temple, archaeologists found an altar where goats and sheep were offered as sacrifices to the sun god.
考古學家在古老神廟中發現一座祭壇，山羊和綿羊曾被當作祭品獻給太陽神。
offered as a sacrifice
The priest declared that a pure white lamb would be the sacrifice at the harvest ceremony.
祭司宣布一頭純白的羔羊將在豐收祭典上作為祭品。
Scholars debate whether the Norse practice of human sacrifice was common or only reserved for crisis moments.
學者們對於北歐人是否普遍實行人祭，或者只在危機時刻才這麼做，仍有爭論。
The farmer offered a young goat as a sacrifice at the shrine to thank the spirits for a good harvest.
農夫在神龕前獻上一隻小山羊作為祭品，感謝神靈賜予好收成。
文法句型
offer + as a sacrifice
make + a sacrifice + to + god
用法筆記
In modern English, this sense appears most often in historical, archaeological, or anthropological writing. The word 'offering' is more common in contemporary religious contexts.
常見錯誤
4. a financial loss that you accept when you sell something for less than its true
虧損；折價
因低於成本出售或失誤而承擔的價值損失
a financial loss that you accept when you sell something for less than its true value, or a penalty you pay because of a mistake or failure to meet an obligation
Wei accepted a loss of nearly thirty percent when he sold his shares before the company collapsed.
Wei 在公司倒閉前出售持股，承受了近三成的虧損。
financial context: accept + loss
The shop was forced to sell its best furniture at a sacrifice when the owner retired.
老闆退休時，那家店被迫以低於成本的價格賣掉最好的家具。
phrase: at a sacrifice
Investors who pulled out early accepted a heavy sacrifice on their initial investment.
提早退場的投資人在初始投資上承受了巨額虧損。
The company recorded the sale as a sacrifice because the assets were worth far more on paper.
公司把這筆交易列為虧損出售，因為這些資產在帳面上的價值遠高於售價。
Selling the land at a sacrifice was the only way to avoid bankruptcy.
以低於成本價格出售那塊土地，是避免破產的唯一辦法。
文法句型
at a sacrifice
suffer + a sacrifice
accept + a sacrifice
用法筆記
Almost always appears in formal financial or legal contexts. The phrase 'at a sacrifice' has a slightly old-fashioned, formal tone in modern business English.
常見錯誤
sacrifice — 動詞
1. to choose to let go of something important to you — such as your free time, care
犧牲；奉獻
為他人或更高目標自願放棄珍視事物
to choose to let go of something important to you — such as your free time, career plans, comfort, or possessions — because helping someone or reaching a larger goal matters more
Ayesha sacrificed her lunch break every day for a month to help her colleague prepare for the certification exam.
Ayesha 一連一個月每天犧牲午餐時間，幫助同事準備認證考試。
sacrifice + noun + for + person
Minho sacrificed a promising career in Seoul to return to Busan and care for his aging parents.
Minho 犧牲了在首爾的大好職涯，回到釜山照顧年邁的父母。
Many nurses sacrificed sleep and time with their own families during the height of the pandemic.
疫情最嚴重的時期，許多護理人員犧牲了睡眠和與家人相處的時間。
Roya sacrificed her dream of traveling abroad to stay close to her younger brother after their parents divorced.
Roya 犧牲了出國旅遊的夢想，留在國內陪年紀較小的弟弟，因為爸媽離婚了。
The athlete sacrificed junk food and late nights for months in order to qualify for the national team.
那位運動員好幾個月不吃垃圾食物也不熬夜，只為了取得國家代表隊的資格。
文法句型
sacrifice + noun
sacrifice + noun + for + noun/person
用法筆記
The object is typically something personal and valuable — free time, career prospects, comfort, relationships. The preposition 'for' introduces the person or purpose.
常見錯誤
2. in baseball, to swing the bat with the deliberate aim of being put out, so that
犧牲擊球
棒球中故意擊球出局以讓隊友推進
in baseball, to swing the bat with the deliberate aim of being put out, so that a runner already on the base path can advance or bring home a run
With nobody out and a runner on second, Eli sacrificed the runner over to third with a well-placed bunt.
無人出局、二壘有人的情況下，Eli 用一記精準的觸擊將跑者送上三壘。
sacrifice + runner + to + base
The batter sacrificed himself to center field, allowing the runner on third to tag up and score the winning run.
打者犧牲自己把球打向中外野，讓三壘上的跑者高飛犧牲跑回致勝分。
In a tight game, the ninth batter sacrificed the runner to second with a slow bunt down the first-base line.
在比分緊咬的比賽中，第九棒沿一壘線緩慢觸擊，把跑者送上二壘。
Shanti squared around to sacrifice, pushing the ball softly toward third base.
Shanti 擺出短打姿勢，準備犧牲擊球，輕輕地把球推向三壘方向。
The announcer noted that the shortstop would probably sacrifice if the count reached two strikes.
播報員指出，如果球數來到兩好球，游擊手很可能會採用犧牲觸擊。
- bunt
the specific technique used to sacrifice; not all bunts are sacrifices, and not all sacrifices are bunts (e.g. sacrifice fly)
- hit a sacrifice fly
a specific type of sacrifice using a deep fly ball instead of a bunt
文法句型
sacrifice + (runner) + to + base
sacrifice + (object) + to + (person)
用法筆記
Used primarily in baseball play-by-play commentary. When used transitively, the object is the runner being advanced. When used intransitively (he sacrificed to right field), the batter's own out is implied.
3. to kill a person or animal, presenting the life as a gift to a deity, as part of
獻祭
殺死並供奉給神明作為宗教儀式的一部分
to kill a person or animal, presenting the life as a gift to a deity, as part of a religious ceremony
The ancient Greeks sacrificed goats and sheep to Zeus before setting out on long sea voyages.
古希臘人在遠航前會把山羊和綿羊獻祭給宙斯。
sacrifice + animal + to + god
Inca priests sacrificed a young llama at the summit of the mountain to ask the sun god for rain.
印加祭司在山頂獻祭一頭小羊駝，祈求太陽神降雨。
Viking warriors sometimes sacrificed captured prisoners to Odin before major battles.
維京戰士有時會在重大戰役前將俘虜獻祭給奧丁。
The temple carvings show a king sacrificing a bull on the altar during the spring equinox.
神廟浮雕描繪了國王在春分時節於祭壇上獻祭一頭公牛。
Hittite records describe how priests sacrificed birds to purify a house after a death.
西臺文獻記載祭司如何獻祭鳥類，以淨化有人過世的房屋。
文法句型
sacrifice + noun + to + god/deity
sacrifice + noun + on + altar
用法筆記
In modern English this sense appears mainly in historical, anthropological, or mythological writing. The preposition 'to' introduces the deity receiving the offering.
常見錯誤
4. to sell something for less than it is worth or less than the price originally pa
虧本賣
以低於成本的價格出售以應急
to sell something for less than it is worth or less than the price originally paid, usually because you urgently need money or cannot afford to keep holding it
The retailer sacrificed its winter inventory at half price to pay off urgent debts.
這家零售商將冬季庫存以半價虧本賣出，以償還急迫的債務。
sacrifice + inventory + at + price
When the lease expired, Eve sacrificed the restaurant equipment for whatever cash she could get.
租約到期後，Eve 把餐廳設備折價變賣，能換多少現金就換多少。
The developer sacrificed three condos below market price just to cover the bank loan.
建商以低於市場行情的價格虧本賣掉三間公寓，只為了償還銀行貸款。
Unable to find a buyer, the gallery sacrificed the paintings to a dealer who paid cash on the spot.
找不到買家的情況下，畫廊把畫作折價賣給了一位當場付現金的收購商。
Farmers were forced to sacrifice their cattle for a fraction of what the animals were worth.
農民被迫以遠低於實際價值的價格將牛隻虧本賣出。
- sell at a loss
more common in everyday English; neutral about the reason for selling cheaply
- unload
informal; suggests getting rid of something unwanted or burdensome
- profit from
to make money from a sale
文法句型
sacrifice + noun
sacrifice + noun + for + price
用法筆記
Less common in everyday speech; often replaced by 'sell at a loss' or 'unload.' The sense carries a tone of urgency and financial necessity.