sprawl
sprawl — 動詞
1. of a person: to relax in a sitting or lying position with limbs stretched loosel
攤開手腳
懶散地伸展四肢躺或坐
of a person: to relax in a sitting or lying position with limbs stretched loosely away from the body
After a long hike, Sahil sprawled on the grass beside the trail.
長途健行後，Sahil 攤開手腳躺在步道旁的草地上。
intransitive + location phrase: sprawl on [surface]
The cat sprawled across the sofa, taking up the whole seat.
那隻貓四肢攤開趴在沙發上，佔滿了整個座位。
Jisoo sprawled in the armchair with her legs hanging over one side.
Jisoo 懶洋洋地攤坐在扶手椅上，雙腿跨過一邊。
Nellie was sprawled on the floor surrounded by textbooks and notes.
Nellie 手腳攤開躺在地板上，四周都是課本和筆記。
- loll
less common; implies a more relaxed, drooping posture
- spread out
less specific; can describe any kind of spreading without the lazy/careless feeling
- sit up straight
implies an upright, tidy posture
文法句型
sprawl + preposition/location (on/in/across)
用法筆記
Often used with a phrase that describes where the person is sitting or lying (on the sofa, across the bed, in the armchair).
常見錯誤
2. if a city, town, or built-up area sprawls, it spreads outward across land in a w
蔓延；擴散
城市建築無計畫地向外擴張
if a city, town, or built-up area sprawls, it spreads outward across land in a way that looks messy or unplanned, often covering a very large area
The city has sprawled outward for miles, covering the farmland.
這座城市向外蔓延了好幾英里，覆蓋了農田。
intransitive + direction adverb: sprawl outward
New suburbs sprawl across the valley without any clear plan.
新的郊區毫無計畫地蔓延到山谷各處。
The town sprawled along the coast as more hotels were built each year.
隨著每年都有更多旅館興建，這個城鎮沿著海岸蔓延開來。
Factories and warehouses sprawl over the area east of the highway.
工廠和倉庫蔓延在高速公路以東的區域。
Small villages had sprawled into a single busy suburban region by 2020.
到了 2020 年，小村莊已蔓延成一個繁忙的郊區地帶。
- shrink
to become smaller in area
文法句型
sprawl + adverb/preposition (across/over/along/outward)
用法筆記
This sense carries a mildly negative tone, suggesting uncontrolled or messy growth. The related noun form urban sprawl is very common in discussions about town planning.
常見錯誤
sprawl — 名詞
1. a sitting or lying position in which your arms and legs are spread outward in a
攤開的姿勢
四肢放鬆伸展的坐臥姿態
a sitting or lying position in which your arms and legs are spread outward in a loose, careless way
James lay on his back in a relaxed sprawl, watching the clouds.
James 仰躺著放鬆地攤開手腳，望著天上的雲朵。
countable noun: a [adjective] sprawl
I woke up in a sprawl with one arm hanging off the bed.
我醒來時手腳攤開，一隻手臂垂在床邊。
The toddler fell asleep in a comfortable sprawl on the carpet.
那個學步的小孩舒服地攤開手腳，在地毯上睡著了。
Andrei sat in a lazy sprawl on the park bench, enjoying the afternoon sun.
Andrei 懶散地攤坐在公園長椅上，享受午後的陽光。
- lounging position
more general; does not emphasize the spread limbs or careless quality
文法句型
a [adjective] sprawl
in a sprawl
用法筆記
Usually appears in the phrase 'in a sprawl' or 'in a [adjective] sprawl', describing someone's posture in a relaxed or careless situation.
2. the gradual and often poorly planned spread of buildings and houses across wide
都市蔓延
城市無計畫向外擴張的現象
the gradual and often poorly planned spread of buildings and houses across wide stretches of land, leaving a messy or disorderly result
Urban sprawl has covered most of the farmland around the town.
都市蔓延已經覆蓋了城鎮周圍大部分的農田。
uncountable noun: urban sprawl
The sprawl of cheap housing stretches for miles beyond the city limits.
廉價住宅的蔓延在城外綿延了好幾英里。
collocation: sprawl of [buildings]
Residents complain about the sprawl of shopping centres along the highway.
居民抱怨購物中心沿著高速公路蔓延的現象。
The sprawl makes it hard to walk anywhere in the area without a car.
這種無計畫擴張使得該區沒有車就很難到任何地方。
- urban expansion
more neutral; does not carry the same negative judgment as 'sprawl'
- development
neutral or positive; can refer to planned building projects
- compact city
a city designed to grow densely rather than spread outward
文法句型
urban/suburban sprawl
sprawl of [buildings/developments]
用法筆記
Almost always used negatively, especially in discussions about city planning and the environment. 'Urban sprawl' is a fixed term in this field.