slate
slate — 名詞
1. a natural building stone, dark grey in colour, that can be divided into thin, fl
石板；板岩
可劈成薄片的深灰色建築用岩石
a natural building stone, dark grey in colour, that can be divided into thin, flat sheets and used mainly for roof coverings
The old cottage on the hill still has its original slate roof.
山丘上那間老舊小屋仍保留著原來的石板屋頂。
collocation: slate roof
Workers carried heavy pieces of slate up the ladder to repair the chapel roof.
工人們將沉重的石板扛上梯子，修理教堂的屋頂。
The quarry near Lakan's village produces high-quality slate for building projects.
Lakan 村莊附近的採石場出產品質優良的建築用石板。
Slate splits easily along its natural layers, making it ideal for roof tiles.
板岩很容易沿著天然紋理裂開，非常適合用來做屋頂瓦片。
用法筆記
Often used as an uncountable noun when referring to the rock material itself: 'a roof made of slate'.
常見錯誤
2. a thin slate slab held inside a wooden border, used in earlier times by schoolch
寫字石板
舊時學生使用的木框書寫石板
a thin slate slab held inside a wooden border, used in earlier times by schoolchildren for writing and drawing with chalk
In the nineteenth century, children wrote their daily lessons on a small slate.
十九世紀時，孩子們在一塊小石板上書寫每日的課業。
historical classroom use: children wrote on a slate
Aoi's grandmother showed her the wooden-framed slate she had used at school.
Aoi 的祖母拿出她當年上學用的木框石板給孫女看。
The museum displayed a slate with faint chalk writing still visible on its surface.
博物館展示了一塊石板，表面還可見到模糊的粉筆字跡。
Teachers would walk around the classroom checking each student's slate for correct answers.
老師會在教室裡走動，檢查每位學生的石板上答案是否正確。
- tablet
a general term for a flat writing surface; can be made of clay, wax, or stone
- writing board
a modern equivalent made of plastic or wood, not slate
用法筆記
This sense is now historical. Before paper became cheap and widely available, slates were reusable writing surfaces — students wiped their work clean with a cloth.
3. a touch-screen device that lets you write, draw, or read digital content, usuall
平板電腦
可觸控書寫的小型電腦裝置
a touch-screen device that lets you write, draw, or read digital content, usually with a stylus
Eitan uses a slate to take notes during lectures instead of a paper notebook.
Eitan 用平板電腦在課堂上做筆記，而不是用紙本筆記本。
purpose: note-taking during lectures
The hospital gave each nurse a slate for quickly recording patient information.
醫院為每位護理師配發一台平板電腦，以便快速記錄病人資料。
Camila downloaded a drawing app on her slate and started sketching portraits.
Camila 在她的平板電腦上下載了一個繪圖應用程式，開始畫人物肖像。
Modern slates are lighter and more powerful than the first tablet computers from 2010.
現在的平板電腦比 2010 年第一批產品更輕巧，效能也更強大。
- tablet
the more common modern term for a touch-screen computer
- tablet computer
the formal term; less common in everyday speech
用法筆記
In modern usage, 'tablet' is more common than 'slate' for this device. 'Slate' was more frequent in the early 2010s when these products first appeared.
4. the names of individuals put forward or evaluated for a particular role, especia
候選人名單
考慮任用或提名參選的人員清單
the names of individuals put forward or evaluated for a particular role, especially political office in an election
The party has not yet announced its full slate of candidates for the coming election.
該政黨尚未公布下屆選舉的完整候選人名單。
pattern: slate of candidates
Christopher's name was on the short slate for the position of school board chair.
Christopher 的名字出現在學校董事會主席的候選短名單上。
Voters received a ballot showing the slate of nominees from all three parties.
選民收到的選票上列出了三個政黨所有被提名人的名單。
The committee prepared a slate of three finalists for the CEO position at the bank.
委員會擬定了一份三人名單，作為銀行執行長職位的最終候選人。
- list of candidates
a more general and neutral term; less specialized than 'slate'
- shortlist
a smaller, final list of the most suitable candidates
- ticket
specifically the list of candidates from one political party in an election
用法筆記
Most common in US political contexts. 'Slate of candidates' can also be extended to non-political groups, such as a board of directors or award nominees.
常見錯誤
5. a complete set of things, such as programmes, products, or events, that have bee
整套；全部
預期應有的完整一組事物
a complete set of things, such as programmes, products, or events, that have been planned or are expected
The streaming service announced its slate of original series for the coming year.
那家串流平台公布了明年度原創影集的完整節目陣容。
pattern: slate of [programmes/products/events]
The publisher agreed to buy Vivek's full slate of mystery novels for the series.
出版社同意收購 Vivek 整套推理小說系列。
Salma's team is working through a heavy slate of software updates this quarter.
Salma 的團隊本季有一長串軟體更新的工作要做。
The university's slate of new courses next semester includes twenty fresh options.
大學下學期新開的課程中包含了二十門全新的選修課。
用法筆記
Typically followed by 'of' + noun phrase describing the type of items (films, products, courses, etc.). Often paired with 'full' or 'entire'.
slate — 動詞
1. of an event, to be set for a specific time that lies ahead; or of a person, to b
預定；安排
事先安排好即將發生或執行
of an event, to be set for a specific time that lies ahead; or of a person, to be picked for a particular duty or role
The new hospital is slated to open in March next year.
那家新醫院預定在明年三月啟用。
passive: be slated to + infinitive
Niran is slated to give the opening speech at the graduation ceremony.
Niran 預定在畢業典禮上致開幕詞。
The meeting was slated for Tuesday, but it has been postponed until Thursday.
會議原定在星期二舉行，但已延後到星期四。
Three new bridges in the region are slated for construction starting this summer.
該地區的三座新橋樑預定今年夏天動工興建。
The film is slated to begin production in early 2026 with a modest budget.
這部電影預定在 2026 年初以適中的預算開始製作。
文法句型
be slated to + infinitive
be slated for + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always used in the passive voice: 'be slated to + verb' or 'be slated for + noun'. The active form ('The company slates the meeting for Tuesday') is very rare and sounds unnatural.
常見錯誤
2. to criticize someone or something very harshly in a public statement, article, o
嚴厲抨擊
公開且嚴厲地指責
to criticize someone or something very harshly in a public statement, article, or review — for example, a critic slating a film for being badly acted
Critics slated the director's latest film for its weak script and poor acting.
影評人嚴厲抨擊那位導演的最新電影，批評劇本薄弱、演技拙劣。
pattern: slate + [something] + for + [reason]
The newspaper article slated the government's handling of the housing crisis.
報紙上的文章嚴厲批評政府處理住房危機的方式。
Léa's proposal was slated by the board for being far too expensive to implement.
Léa 的提案被董事會批評為執行成本過高。
Food reviewers slated the new restaurant for its slow service and cold dishes.
美食評論家嚴厲批評那家新餐廳，說它服務慢、菜餚冰冷。
文法句型
slate + noun/pronoun + for + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Much stronger than 'criticize' and closer in force to 'condemn'. Common in British journalism and review writing. The subject is typically a critic, reviewer, or journalist.
常見錯誤
3. the trade activity of putting slate tiles onto a building's roof to make it weat
鋪設石板
用石板覆蓋屋頂表面
the trade activity of putting slate tiles onto a building's roof to make it weatherproof
The builder learnt how to slate a roof during his three-year apprenticeship.
那位建築師傅在三年學徒期間學會了如何鋪設石板屋頂。
trade skill: learning to slate a roof
The old farmhouse on the hill needs to be slated again before the winter rains.
山丘上的老農舍需要在冬季雨季來臨前重新鋪上石板。
It took two weeks for Ishaan's team to completely slate the new chapel roof.
Ishaan 的團隊花了兩週時間，才完全鋪好新教堂的石板屋頂。
The church hired a specialist to slate the tower, which had been leaking for years.
教堂聘請了一位專家來鋪設高塔的石板瓦，那座塔已經漏水好幾年了。
- roof
a general verb for covering a roof with any material; less specific than 'slate'
文法句型
slate + noun (roof / building)
用法筆記
A specialized trade term used mostly by builders, roofers, and architects. The more common expression is 'roof with slate' or 'cover with slate tiles'.
slate — 形容詞
1. having a dark grey colour with a slight blue tone, similar to the colour of slat
石板色的
深灰帶藍色的
having a dark grey colour with a slight blue tone, similar to the colour of slate rock
Min wore a smart slate suit to the job interview at the law firm.
Min 穿著一套筆挺的石板色西裝去律師事務所面試。
collocation: slate suit (clothing)
The living room walls were painted a calming shade of slate grey.
客廳的牆壁漆上了一種讓人心平氣和的石板灰色。
collocation: slate grey (paint colour)
The winter sky turned a deep slate colour just before the snow began to fall.
冬日的天空在開始飄雪之前，變成了深沉的石板色。
Hannah adopted a cat with beautiful slate fur and bright green eyes from the shelter.
Hannah 從收容所領養了一隻貓，長著漂亮的石板色毛髮和翠綠的眼睛。
用法筆記
Often used in compound colour names: 'slate grey', 'slate blue', 'slate black'. The colour is considered neutral and is popular in interior design and fashion.