stall
stall — 名詞
1. a small stand or table, open at the front, where goods are sold at a market or p
攤位
市場中販賣商品的小攤
a small stand or table, open at the front, where goods are sold at a market or public event.
Hui bought a woollen scarf from a stall at the weekend market.
Hui 在週末市集的一個攤位上買了一條羊毛圍巾。
collocation: market stall / weekend market
The street fair had food stalls selling dumplings and grilled corn.
那個街頭市集有賣餃子和烤玉米的小吃攤。
collocation: food stall
Valentina set up her jewellery stall near the station entrance every morning.
Valentina 每天早上都在車站入口附近擺設她的首飾攤位。
Farmers brought fresh vegetables to sell at their wooden stalls along the road.
農夫們把新鮮蔬菜帶到路邊的木製攤位上販賣。
Tariq runs a book stall on the university campus every Friday.
Tariq 每週五都在大學校園裡經營一個書攤。
常見錯誤
2. a separate compartment in a farm building where one horse, cow, or other animal
畜欄
馬廄或牛舍中隔開的獨立空間
a separate compartment in a farm building where one horse, cow, or other animal is housed.
Each horse had its own stall in the barn with fresh hay and water.
每匹馬在穀倉裡都有自己的畜欄，裡面有新鮮的乾草和水。
collocation: horse stall
Lakshmi cleaned the cow's stall before putting down new straw bedding.
Lakshmi 清理了牛的畜欄，然後鋪上新稻草。
The pony stuck its head over the stall door and whinnied loudly.
小馬把頭伸出畜欄的門，大聲嘶叫。
Caleb led the mare back to her stall after the long ride through the woods.
Caleb 在樹林裡騎了很久之後，把母馬領回了牠的畜欄。
- pen
a larger outdoor or indoor enclosure for animals, not necessarily for a single animal
- compartment
more general term for any divided section; less specific to animal housing
- stable
refers to the whole building, not an individual compartment
3. a small enclosed area within a room, set apart by partitions or curtains, used f
隔間
房間內用牆或簾子隔出的小空間
a small enclosed area within a room, set apart by partitions or curtains, used for a single purpose such as showering or studying alone.
The gym has individual shower stalls with waterproof curtains.
健身房有獨立的淋浴隔間，配有防水浴簾。
collocation: shower stall
Léa found a quiet study stall on the third floor of the library.
Léa 在圖書館三樓找到了一個安靜的閱讀隔間。
collocation: study stall
The public toilet stall had a broken lock on the door.
公共廁所的隔間門鎖壞了。
Nkechi hung her clothes on the hook inside the changing stall before swimming.
Nkechi 在游泳前把衣服掛在更衣隔間的掛鉤上。
- cubicle
more common in British English for toilet and changing compartments; slightly more formal
- compartment
a general term for any divided space; less specific to rooms
- carrel
specifically a small desk with high sides in a library
用法筆記
In American English, 'stall' commonly refers to toilet cubicles and shower compartments. In British English, 'cubicle' is more frequent for toilet stalls, while 'shower stall' is used in both varieties.
4. a fixed wooden seat inside a church, typically fitted with side panels and a hig
教堂座席
教堂內固定的木製座椅
a fixed wooden seat inside a church, typically fitted with side panels and a high back, used by the choir or clergy.
The choir sat in carved wooden stalls facing each other across the aisle.
唱詩班坐在雕花木製教堂座席上，隔著走道相對而坐。
collocation: choir stalls
Ari's grandmother always sat in the same stall near the front of the church.
Ari 的祖母總是坐在教堂前排的固定座位上。
The cathedral's stalls were decorated with detailed wood carvings of saints and animals.
那座大教堂的座椅上裝飾著精細的聖人和動物木雕。
During the service, the priests took their places in the stalls behind the altar.
儀式進行時，神職人員在祭壇後方的席位就座。
用法筆記
This sense is most commonly found in descriptions of cathedrals, abbeys, and traditional church architecture. 'Pew' is the more general term for church seating; 'stall' specifically refers to the more ornate fixed seats for clergy or choir.
5. a seat in the part of a theatre that is closest to the stage, at ground-floor le
正廳前排
劇院或電影院地面層的座位
a seat in the part of a theatre that is closest to the stage, at ground-floor level; also used for the front seating area of a cinema.
Sana booked two stalls seats for the evening performance of the ballet.
Sana 訂了兩張芭蕾舞晚場表演的正廳前排座位。
collocation: stalls seats / stalls
The best view of the stage is from the front stalls section of the theatre.
觀賞舞台表演的最佳視野是在劇院的正廳前排區。
Christopher bought cheap tickets in the rear stalls just before the show began.
Christopher 在開演前買到了正廳後排的便宜票。
From their stalls seats, the children could see every expression on the actors' faces.
從正廳的座位，孩子們可以清楚看到演員臉上的每個表情。
- orchestra seats
American English equivalent; seats on the main floor near the stage
- pit
historical term for the area behind the stalls; now less common
用法筆記
Primarily used in British English. In American English, the equivalent area is called the 'orchestra' or 'orchestra seats'. The stalls are typically at street level, below the circle and balcony levels.
常見錯誤
6. an action, excuse, or question used deliberately to delay someone or create more
拖延戰術
為爭取時間而使用的藉口或手段
an action, excuse, or question used deliberately to delay someone or create more time to prepare or decide.
The senator's long speech was just a stall to prevent the vote from happening.
那位參議員的冗長演說只是為了阻止投票進行的拖延戰術。
pattern: a stall to [do something]
Omar knew the phone call was a stall and refused to be fooled by it.
Omar 知道那通電話只是個拖延戰術，並未被騙。
Using budget concerns as a stall, the committee delayed the final decision.
委員會以預算問題作為拖延戰術，推遲了最後決議。
The manager's vague answer was clearly a stall designed to avoid answering the question directly.
經理的含糊回答顯然是一種避免直接回答問題的拖延戰術。
- delaying tactic
more explicit and formal; makes the intention clear
- stalling tactic
emphasises the deliberate nature of the delay
- ruse
a trick or deception; implies dishonesty more strongly than 'stall'
- dodge
informal; focuses on avoiding rather than delaying
用法筆記
This sense is derived from the verb meaning 'to delay'. It is always used in singular form and often appears with an infinitive purpose clause ('a stall to ...').
stall — 動詞
1. when an engine suddenly stops running, or when a driver causes it to stop, usual
熄火
引擎意外停止運轉
when an engine suddenly stops running, or when a driver causes it to stop, usually because the vehicle is moving too slowly or due to a mistake with the gears or clutch.
Theo's car stalled at the traffic lights and would not start again.
Theo 的車在紅綠燈前熄火了，怎麼也發不動。
intransitive: engine + stall
The engine stalled when Hui tried to pull away from the junction too quickly.
Hui 試圖快速駛離路口時，引擎熄火了。
Caleb stalled his motorbike on the steep hill and nearly dropped it.
Caleb 在陡坡上讓摩托車熄火了，差點摔車。
Cold weather can cause an old engine to stall more easily in the morning.
寒冷的天氣會讓老舊引擎在早上更容易熄火。
The delivery truck stalled in the middle of the roundabout, blocking the traffic behind it.
那輛送貨卡車在圓環中央熄火，堵住了後面的車流。
文法句型
engine + stall (intransitive)
stall + engine (transitive)
用法筆記
Can be used both with and without a direct object. 'My car stalled' (intransitive) means the engine stopped by itself. 'I stalled the car' (transitive) means the driver's actions caused it to stop, typically by releasing the clutch too quickly.
常見錯誤
2. to behave evasively or put off responding so that you gain extra time to decide
拖延；拖時間
故意延遲行動或閃避回答
to behave evasively or put off responding so that you gain extra time to decide or prepare.
When asked about the missing money, Mert stalled and changed the subject.
被問到那筆失蹤的錢時，Mert 開始拖延，轉移了話題。
intransitive usage: stall (without object)
The politician stalled for time by asking the reporter to repeat the question.
那位政治人物請記者重複問題，藉此拖延時間。
idiom: stall for time
Instead of signing the agreement, the lawyer stalled and requested more documents.
那位律師沒有簽署協議，而是拖延並要求更多文件。
Valentina could tell that her assistant was stalling to avoid giving bad news.
Valentina 看得出來她的助理正在拖延，試圖避免報告壞消息。
Eitan stalled for a moment, pretending to check his phone while thinking of an excuse.
Eitan 假裝查看手機拖延了一會兒，同時想著藉口。
- delay
neutral term; 'stall' implies the delay is intentional and often evasive
- procrastinate
delaying personal tasks out of laziness or avoidance, not for strategic advantage
- play for time
idiom with the same meaning; slightly more informal
- act
to take decisive action instead of delaying
- answer directly
to give a clear, immediate response
文法句型
stall (intransitive)
stall for time
用法筆記
This sense is intransitive — there is no direct object. The person is simply delaying. The common expression 'stall for time' is a fixed phrase meaning to create a delay deliberately.
常見錯誤
3. to delay a person deliberately by making excuses, giving vague answers, or creat
拖住
用藉口或話術耽誤某人
to delay a person deliberately by making excuses, giving vague answers, or creating small interruptions so that they cannot do what they intend to do.
The receptionist stalled the visitors while the manager prepared for the meeting.
櫃檯人員拖住了訪客，讓經理有時間準備會議。
transitive: stall + person as object
Lakshmi stalled the salesperson with questions until her friend arrived at the shop.
Lakshmi 用問題拖住銷售員，直到她朋友抵達那家店。
The security guard stalled the delivery driver by checking every box very slowly.
警衛慢慢地檢查每個箱子，藉此拖住送貨司機。
Tariq tried to stall the inspector with paperwork and offers of coffee.
Tariq 試圖用文件和咖啡拖住檢查人員。
- delay
neutral; doesn't imply the evasive or intentional quality of 'stall'
- hold up
phrasal verb with the same meaning; slightly more informal
- keep waiting
describes the effect on the person; less strategic in tone
- let through
to allow someone to proceed without delay
- speed up
to help someone move faster
文法句型
stall + person as object
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (STALL FOR TIME): sense 3 takes a person as the direct object — you stall SOMEONE. Sense 2 is intransitive — you simply stall (delay). You can also stall someone for time, combining both patterns.
4. to reach a standstill in progress or growth; to no longer move forward.
停滯
進展或發展停止不前
to reach a standstill in progress or growth; to no longer move forward.
Peace talks stalled after both sides refused to compromise on the border issue.
由於雙方都不願在邊界問題上讓步，和平談判停滯了。
subject: abstract process (talks)
The construction project stalled because the builders ran out of steel and concrete.
建築工程因為鋼筋和水泥用完了而停滯不前。
Nkechi's career stalled when she decided to turn down the promotion at work.
Nkechi 決定拒絕升遷之後，她的事業就停滯了。
Economic growth stalled in the third quarter, worrying investors and analysts alike.
第三季經濟成長停滯，令投資人和分析師感到憂心。
Negotiations stalled when neither side would agree to the proposed terms.
雙方都不願接受所提的條件，協商因此停滯。
- halt
more complete and sudden stop than 'stall', which implies possible resumption
- stop
general term; 'stall' suggests the stop is unintended and temporary
- grind to a halt
idiom; emphasises a slow, gradual stop rather than a sudden one
文法句型
progress / talks / career + stall
用法筆記
This sense is intransitive and the subject is always a process, project, or abstract thing — never a person. The subject is what has lost momentum. 'Talks stalled', 'the economy stalled', 'her career stalled'. Contrast with sense 5 (DELAY EVENT) where a person actively stalls something.
5. to deliberately cause an event, process, or plan to slow down or stop moving for
阻礙
刻意使事件或過程無法推進
to deliberately cause an event, process, or plan to slow down or stop moving forward, often by creating obstacles or objections.
Heavy snow stalled traffic across the entire city during the morning rush hour.
大雪阻礙了整個城市早尖峰時段的交通。
transitive: stall + event as object
The opposition party stalled the new law by demanding weeks of additional debate.
反對黨要求進行數週的額外辯論，藉此阻礙新法案通過。
A broken water pipe stalled production at the factory for two whole days.
水管破裂導致工廠生產中斷了整整兩天。
Léa's sudden illness stalled her plan to move abroad and start a new job.
Léa 突然生病，阻礙了她出國搬遷和展開新工作的計劃。
The manager deliberately stalled the decision until the board could review the report.
經理刻意拖延決策，直到董事會能夠審查那份報告。
- expedite
to make a process happen faster
- accelerate
to speed up progress
- push forward
to actively advance an event or plan
文法句型
stall + event/process as object
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (LOSE MOMENTUM): sense 5 is transitive — an agent deliberately stalls something (an event, process, plan). Sense 4 is intransitive — the process itself stalls. Compare: 'The government stalled the bill' (sense 5, active) vs 'The bill stalled in parliament' (sense 4, passive process).