shadow
shadow — 動詞
1. to move along behind someone, often secretly, watching where they go and what th
跟蹤；尾隨
悄悄跟在後面觀察
to move along behind someone, often secretly, watching where they go and what they do.
A private detective shadowed the man for three days.
一名私家偵探跟蹤那名男子整整三天。
collocation: detective shadowed [person]
Zuri felt nervous when she realised a stranger was shadowing her.
Zuri 發現有陌生人在跟蹤她時，感到很緊張。
continuous form: was shadowing
A grey car had been shadowing the delivery van since the warehouse.
一輛灰色轎車從倉庫出發就跟著送貨廂型車了。
The officer ordered Selim to shadow the suspect and report back.
警官命令 Selim 跟蹤嫌疑人並回報情況。
Two reporters shadowed the politician everywhere he went.
兩名記者尾隨那名政治人物，他走到哪就跟到哪。
文法句型
shadow + noun/pronoun
be + shadowing + noun/pronoun
用法筆記
Often describes following without the person's knowledge. Frequently used in crime, investigation, or news contexts.
常見錯誤
2. to join a worker during their normal day so that you can watch and understand wh
見習
跟著工作人員觀摩工作
to join a worker during their normal day so that you can watch and understand what their job involves.
Hannah spent a day shadowing a nurse at the city hospital.
Hannah 花了一天時間跟著名護士觀摩學習。
spend time + shadowing
The programme lets students shadow an engineer for two weeks.
這項計畫讓學生跟著工程師觀摩兩週。
let + object + infinitive: lets [someone] shadow
Jin decided to shadow a chef and see if cooking was right for him.
Jin 決定跟著一名廚師見習，看看烹飪是否適合自己。
During the internship you will shadow a lawyer in court hearings.
實習期間，你將跟著一名律師在法庭旁聽。
Lauren is shadowing a journalist this week to learn about reporting.
Lauren 這週正在跟著一名記者見習，學習如何做報導。
文法句型
shadow + noun/pronoun
spend time + shadowing + noun/pronoun
用法筆記
Common in careers education and training contexts. The person being shadowed is usually aware and has agreed to participate.
常見錯誤
3. to block light from falling onto a surface, so that a dark shape forms there.
遮暗
擋住光線形成陰影
to block light from falling onto a surface, so that a dark shape forms there.
Tall buildings shadow the garden, so it stays cool all day.
高大的建築物遮住了花園的光線，所以那裡整天都很涼爽。
subject = building that blocks light
A large oak tree shadows the front of the old farmhouse.
一棵大橡樹遮暗了老農舍的前方。
The mountains shadow the valley in the late afternoon.
午後，群山在河谷上投下陰影。
Heavy curtains shadowed the room and made it hard to read.
厚重的窗簾讓房間變暗，讓人很難閱讀。
- illuminate
to light up rather than block light
文法句型
noun + shadows + noun
用法筆記
Literally about light and shade. Often describes how a physical object creates shade by standing between the sun and another surface.
4. to make someone feel unhappy or less hopeful, often because of a lasting problem
使陰鬱；籠罩
讓人不開心或失去希望
to make someone feel unhappy or less hopeful, often because of a lasting problem or sad event.
The death of her mother shadowed the rest of her childhood.
母親的去世在她往後的童年歲月籠罩了一層陰影。
subject = sad event
A sense of failure shadowed his final months at the company.
失敗感籠罩了他在公司的最後幾個月。
abstract subject: sense of failure
Money problems shadowed the family's life for several years.
經濟問題陰鬱地籠罩了這個家庭好幾年。
The wedding celebration was shadowed by news of the accident.
那場婚禮因為事故的消息而籠罩了陰影。
- darken
stronger; suggests a sudden or dramatic change in mood
- cloud
more common; suggests a feeling of heaviness or threat
- overshadow
also means to make less happy; slightly stronger and more common in modern English
- brighten
to make happier or more hopeful
文法句型
noun + shadows + noun
be + shadowed + by + noun
用法筆記
Almost always figurative — a problem or bad event is the subject. The passive form (be shadowed by) is especially common in written English.
常見錯誤
shadow — 名詞
1. a dark area in the shape of a person or thing that appears on a surface when tha
影子；陰影
光線被擋後形成的暗影
a dark area in the shape of a person or thing that appears on a surface when that person or thing blocks the light
Ignacio saw his long shadow on the pavement as he walked home under the streetlights.
Ignacio 走在路燈下回家時，看到人行道上自己長長的影子。
The tall building cast a shadow over the small park across the street.
那棟高樓在對街的小公園上投下了一片陰影。
collocation: cast a shadow (produce a shadow)
Gita used her hand to make a rabbit shadow on her bedroom wall.
Gita 用手在臥室牆上比出了一個兔子的影子。
As the sun moved lower, the tree's shadow grew longer across the lawn.
隨著太陽西沉，樹影在草地上變得越來越長。
Élise sat in the shadow of the bridge to stay cool on the hot afternoon.
Élise 坐在橋下的陰影裡，在炎熱的午後乘涼。
- silhouette
the dark outline of something seen against a lighter background
- outline
the general shape of something without its inner details
- light
brightness that lets you see clearly
- brightness
the quality of having a lot of light
文法句型
a + shadow
shadow + of + noun
cast + a + shadow
用法筆記
Often paired with verbs like 'cast', 'make', or 'throw' to describe how a shadow appears. Also used with 'in the shadow of' to mean a shaded area next to something.
常見錯誤
2. a place where very little light reaches because something blocks the sun or anot
暗處；陰暗
光線被擋的黑暗區域
a place where very little light reaches because something blocks the sun or another light source, making it hard to see what is there
The cat hid in the shadow under the porch and watched the birds fly by.
貓咪躲在門廊下的陰暗處，看著鳥兒飛過。
preposition: in the shadow under [place]
Obi's flashlight could not reach into the deep shadow at the back of the cave.
Obi 的手電筒照不到洞穴深處那片黑暗。
A figure moved in the shadow near the gate, but Roya could not tell who it was.
大門附近的陰影中有個人在移動，但 Roya 看不清楚是誰。
The children dared each other to step into the dark shadow behind the old shed.
孩子們互相慫恿對方走進老舊棚屋後面的黑暗當中。
文法句型
in shadow
in the shadow
into the shadow
用法筆記
Typically uncountable in this sense and used with a definite article ('the shadow') or without an article ('in shadow'). Refers to the darkness itself rather than the shape of something.
常見錯誤
3. dark or grey areas that appear on the skin below a person's eyes, usually result
黑眼圈
眼睛下方的暗沉皮膚
dark or grey areas that appear on the skin below a person's eyes, usually resulting from lack of sleep, illness, or the natural ageing process
After staying up all night, Talia noticed dark shadows under her eyes in the mirror.
熬夜一整晚後，Talia 在鏡子裡注意到自己眼睛下方有暗沉的黑眼圈。
collocation: dark shadows under + possessive + eyes
Dario applied a cool cloth to his face to help reduce the shadows under his eyes.
Dario 用冷毛巾敷臉，想要消除眼睛下方的暗沉。
The long illness left Jiwoo with deep shadows beneath his eyes.
久病之後，Jiwoo 的眼睛下方出現了深深的黑眼圈。
Reema's mother told her that getting more sleep would help the shadows under her eyes go away.
Reema 的媽媽跟她說，多睡一點可以幫助消除眼睛下方的暗沉。
- dark circles
the most common everyday term for this condition
- bags
refers more to puffiness than just darkness
文法句型
shadows under + possessive + eyes
dark shadows + under + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form ('shadows') when referring to dark circles under the eyes. Singular 'shadow' would sound odd in this sense.
常見錯誤
4. the position of being very near to a much larger building, mountain, or other st
近旁；鄰近
非常靠近較大的建築物或地點
the position of being very near to a much larger building, mountain, or other structure, especially in the phrase 'in the shadow of'
The little café opened in the shadow of the city's tallest office building.
那家小咖啡館開在這座城市最高辦公大樓的旁邊。
phrase: in the shadow of [large structure]
Dewi's house stood in the shadow of the old church tower and never got much sunlight.
Dewi 的房子就在古老教堂鐘樓旁邊，所以總是照不到太多陽光。
Layla pitched her tent in the shadow of the mountain, close to the river.
Layla 把帳篷搭在大山旁邊，緊鄰河邊。
The school was built in the shadow of the factory, and the noise was always very loud.
那所學校蓋在工廠旁邊，噪音總是非常大。
- far from
at a great distance away
文法句型
in the shadow of + noun
用法筆記
There is no literal shadow involved — this sense only indicates being very close to something and is almost always used in the fixed phrase 'in the shadow of.'
常見錯誤
5. a difficult situation or unhappy feeling that affects someone for a long time, m
陰影；影響
使人憂慮或沮喪的事物
a difficult situation or unhappy feeling that affects someone for a long time, making them feel worried, sad, or threatened
The shadow of the exam hung over Gita for weeks before the test date.
考試的陰影在考試日期前好幾個星期就一直籠罩著 Gita。
pattern: the shadow of [unpleasant thing] hung over [person]
The family lived under the shadow of debt that had grown over many years.
那家人多年來一直活在不斷增加的債務陰影之下。
Élise felt the shadow of her childhood illness following her into adulthood.
Élise 覺得童年疾病的陰影一直跟著她到了成年。
The threat of job losses cast a shadow over the entire office for months.
裁員的威脅好幾個月來為整個辦公室籠罩上一層陰影。
Ignacio tried to enjoy his holiday, but the shadow of the coming surgery would not leave him.
Ignacio 試著享受假期，但即將到來的手術陰影始終揮之不去。
- relief
the feeling of being freed from worry or pain
文法句型
the shadow of + noun
under the shadow of + noun
cast a shadow over + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used with verbs like 'hang', 'cast', or 'live under'. The shadow is always something negative — fear, debt, illness, or the memory of a bad event.
常見錯誤
6. an extremely small amount or trace of something, often used in fixed phrases suc
微量；些許
極小的數量或痕跡
an extremely small amount or trace of something, often used in fixed phrases such as 'a shadow of a doubt' or 'a shadow of one's former self'
The prosecutor had to prove the case beyond a shadow of a doubt.
檢察官必須毫無疑問地證明這個案子。
idiom: beyond a shadow of a doubt (completely certain)
After the accident, Jason was only a shadow of his former athletic self.
事故之後，Jason 跟以前那個運動健將簡直判若兩人。
idiom: a shadow of one's former self (much weaker than before)
There was not even a shadow of evidence to support the accusation.
沒有任何一絲證據支持這項指控。
The old house retained only a shadow of its former beauty after years of neglect.
經過多年的忽視之後，那棟老房子只剩下昔日風采的一絲殘影。
- lot
a large amount or quantity
文法句型
a shadow of + noun
beyond a shadow of a doubt
用法筆記
Typically appears in negative constructions ('not a shadow of') or fixed idioms. 'Beyond a shadow of a doubt' means completely certain. 'A shadow of one's former self' means much weaker or less impressive than before.
常見錯誤
7. used for saying that you are completely certain about something, with no possibi
毋庸置疑
完全確定，毫無懷疑
used for saying that you are completely certain about something, with no possibility of being mistaken
Theo proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the new engine design saved fuel.
Theo 證明了新引擎設計能節省燃料，這一點毋庸置疑。
idiomatic phrase: beyond a shadow of a doubt
Without a shadow of doubt, the DNA evidence confirmed that the suspect was guilty.
毫無疑問地，DNA 證據確認了該嫌疑犯有罪。
There was not a shadow of doubt that Salma had made the right choice.
Salma 做出了正確的選擇，這一點毫無疑問。
The team ran multiple clinical trials, and the drug was established as safe beyond any shadow of doubt.
研究團隊進行了多次臨床試驗，該藥物在毫無疑問的情況下被證實是安全的。
- certainty
a more general noun; 'shadow of doubt' is a fixed idiom
- conviction
strong personal belief, not objective proof
- uncertainty
the opposite state of being unsure
文法句型
beyond a shadow of (a) doubt
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'beyond a shadow of (a) doubt', which is a stronger version of 'without a doubt'. The shorter form 'beyond a shadow of doubt' is also common.
常見錯誤
8. a person who stays very close to another person and goes to all the places that
跟班；尾巴
到處跟著別人的人
a person who stays very close to another person and goes to all the places that person goes to
The pop star's shadow followed her everywhere, even to the grocery store.
那位流行歌手的跟班到處跟著她，甚至連去超市也跟著。
possessive + shadow + verb of movement
As a child, Hiro was his older brother's shadow, always tagging along to the park.
Hiro 小時候是哥哥的尾巴，總是跟著哥哥去公園。
The new puppy became Christopher's shadow and followed him from room to room.
那隻新小狗成了 Christopher 的跟班，牠跟著他從一個房間走到另一個房間。
Tanvi's little sister was her constant shadow during the whole summer holiday.
Tanvi 的妹妹在整個暑假都像她的影子一樣跟在她身邊。
- stranger
someone unknown, not following
文法句型
possessive + shadow
用法筆記
Typically used in the possessive structure '[someone]'s shadow', often with 'constant' or 'little'. The image suggests the follower is as inseparable as a person's own shadow.
常見錯誤
9. a person who stays close to an experienced worker to pick up the tasks and skill
見習跟班
跟著資深員工學習的人
a person who stays close to an experienced worker to pick up the tasks and skills of a particular job
Michael spent two weeks as a shadow to the head nurse at the city hospital.
Michael 在市立醫院當了兩週護理長的見習生。
collocation: as a shadow to [experienced worker]
The journalism students worked as shadows for reporters at the local newspaper.
新聞系學生在當地報社當記者的實習跟班。
As a shadow in the engineering firm, Hoa learned how to design bridge supports.
Hoa 在工程公司當見習生時，學會了如何設計橋梁支架。
Nkechi applied for a position as a shadow to the manager of a busy hotel.
Nkechi 應徵了一家繁忙飯店經理的見習跟班職位。
- trainee
broader term; a trainee may take courses, not just follow someone
- apprentice
historical term for learning a skilled trade over years
- expert
someone who already knows the job thoroughly
文法句型
work as a shadow
shadow to + person
用法筆記
This sense is common in work-experience and internship programmes. The person doing the shadowing follows an experienced colleague throughout the workday rather than doing the job independently.
常見錯誤
shadow — 形容詞
1. describing a leading politician of the party out of power who would take a speci
影子
在野黨中可能執政的部會首長
describing a leading politician of the party out of power who would take a specific government post if their side won the next general election — used before titles such as chancellor, minister, or secretary
The shadow chancellor criticised the government's budget plan in Parliament today.
影子財政大臣今天在國會批評政府的預算案。
shadow + [cabinet role] for opposition spokesperson
Christopher was appointed shadow minister for education after the party reshuffle.
Christopher 在黨內改組後獲任命為影子教育大臣。
passive: be appointed shadow [role]
The shadow cabinet meets every Tuesday to prepare policies for the next election.
影子內閣每週二開會，為下次大選準備政策。
Soraya spoke to reporters as the shadow home secretary, criticising the new immigration law.
Soraya 以影子內政大臣的身分向記者發言，批評新的移民法。
Ezra argued that the shadow foreign secretary's proposal was more detailed than the government's.
Ezra 認為影子外交大臣的提案比政府的方案更詳盡。
- opposition
used in some systems (e.g. 'opposition spokesperson') instead of 'shadow', though 'shadow' is the standard UK term
- alternate
suggests a substitute role rather than the UK shadow system
- government
government ministers are the actual office-holders; shadow ministers are their opposition counterparts
- ruling
the ruling party holds power; the shadow party does not
文法句型
shadow + [political title]
用法筆記
Always placed directly before a political title (cabinet, chancellor, minister, secretary). This use is specific to British-style parliamentary systems and rarely appears in other English varieties.