assimilation
assimilation — 名詞
1. the process by which a person or group from a different background becomes part
社會融合
融入主流社會的過程
the process by which a person or group from a different background becomes part of a larger community, gradually adopting its customs, language, and daily way of life.
The city offered free language classes to support the assimilation of refugee families.
該城市提供免費語言課程，以幫助難民家庭融入社會。
assimilation of refugee families
Diego's parents valued their traditions but also wanted a smooth assimilation into their new country.
Diego 的父母重視自己的傳統，但也希望順利融入新國家。
assimilation into their new country
For many first-generation children, assimilation at school happens faster than their parents expect.
對許多第一代兒童來說，在學校的社會融合速度往往比父母預期的更快。
Critics argue that forced assimilation can erase the unique identity of minority groups.
批評者認為，強迫同化會抹去少數群體的獨特身分認同。
The community centre ran workshops on assimilation while encouraging families to keep their original languages alive.
社區中心舉辦了關於社會融合的講座，同時鼓勵家庭保留自己的母語。
- integration
softer tone; suggests mutual adjustment rather than one-sided adoption
- absorption
more passive; implies the group loses its separate identity
- acculturation
more academic; focuses on cultural exchange rather than full blending
- segregation
keeping groups separate rather than merging them
- exclusion
preventing a group from becoming part of the community
文法句型
assimilation of [group] into [society]
用法筆記
Commonly used with 'into' to specify the target community, or with 'of' to specify the group being absorbed. Frequently discussed in sociology, immigration policy, and education.
常見錯誤
2. the biological process in which a living body takes up nutrients from digested f
養分吸收
生物體吸收利用養分的過程
the biological process in which a living body takes up nutrients from digested food and converts them into energy, tissue, or stored materials.
The small intestine is where most nutrient assimilation takes place after digestion.
小腸是消化後大多數養分吸收的主要場所。
nutrient assimilation
Doctors told Jamal that his body's assimilation of iron had improved since he started eating more leafy greens.
醫生告訴 Jamal，自從他開始多吃綠葉蔬菜後，身體對鐵的吸收改善了。
assimilation of iron
In plants, the assimilation of carbon dioxide happens during photosynthesis.
在植物中，二氧化碳的養分吸收發生在光合作用期間。
Dr. Yuna Chen told Mateo that his calcium assimilation had dropped sharply, so she prescribed vitamin D supplements.
陳醫師告訴 Mateo，他的鈣質吸收大幅下降，因此為他開了維生素 D 補充劑。
Kwame's doctor diagnosed a digestive disorder that slowed his nutrient assimilation, leaving him weak and underweight.
Kwame 的醫生診斷出他患有消化系統疾病，導致營養吸收變慢，使他虛弱且體重不足。
- absorption
overlapping but narrower; refers only to nutrients entering cells, not their conversion into tissue
- incorporation
formal; emphasises the nutrients becoming part of the body's structure
- excretion
the removal of waste materials the body cannot use
文法句型
assimilation of [nutrient] by [organism]
用法筆記
In biology, 'assimilation' is distinct from 'digestion' (breaking food down) and 'absorption' (taking nutrients into cells). Assimilation refers specifically to the conversion of absorbed nutrients into living tissue.
常見錯誤
3. the process in spoken language where one speech sound becomes more similar to a
語音同化
語音受鄰近音影響的變化
the process in spoken language where one speech sound becomes more similar to a sound that comes before or after it, often making pronunciation smoother and faster.
In rapid speech, the /n/ in 'ten pounds' often changes to /m/ through assimilation.
在快速說話時，'ten pounds' 當中的 /n/ 音常常因為語音同化而變成 /m/ 音。
assimilation — /n/ → /m/
Linguistics students study assimilation to understand why spoken words sometimes sound different from their spelling.
語言學學生研究語音同化，以了解為什麼口語發音有時與拼寫不同。
The word 'handbag' is often pronounced 'hambag' because of assimilation between the /n/ and /b/ sounds.
'handbag' 這個詞常被唸成 'hambag'，因為 /n/ 和 /b/ 兩個音之間發生了語音同化。
Samira noticed that assimilation happens naturally when native speakers talk quickly in everyday conversation.
Samira 注意到，母語者在日常對話中快速說話時，語音同化自然會發生。
In Spanish, the /n/ in 'inferior' changes to /m/ through assimilation, just like the /n/ in the English word 'input.'
在西班牙語中，'inferior' 當中的 /n/ 音因為語音同化變成 /m/ 音，就像英語 'input' 這個詞中的 /n/ 一樣。
- coarticulation
broader term for any influence between neighbouring speech sounds
- sound harmony
used in descriptions of vowel systems where vowels within a word become similar
- dissimilation
the opposite process where sounds become less similar to each other
文法句型
assimilation of [sound] to [neighbouring sound]
用法筆記
Assimilation can be 'regressive' (a later sound affecting an earlier one) or 'progressive' (an earlier sound affecting a later one). The /n/ → /m/ change in 'ten pounds' is regressive because the following /p/ pulls the /n/ backward.
4. the mental process of taking in new information or experiences and fitting them
認知同化
將新知識納入既有認知體系
the mental process of taking in new information or experiences and fitting them into what you already know and understand, without changing your basic mental categories.
In Piaget's theory, assimilation is how a child fits a new experience into an existing mental category.
在皮亞傑的理論中，認知同化是指兒童將新經驗納入既有的心理分類。
Piaget's theory
When a toddler calls every four-legged animal 'doggy,' she is using assimilation to make sense of the world.
當幼兒把所有四條腿的動物都叫做「狗狗」時，她就是在用認知同化來理解這個世界。
Arjun found that assimilation of complex grammar rules was easier when teachers connected them to ideas he already knew.
Arjun 發現，當老師把複雜的文法規則與他已知的觀念連結起來時，認知同化就更容易發生。
In biology class, Ms. Amara helped Noor assimilate the idea of photosynthesis by comparing it to how plants get energy from sunlight.
在生物課上，Amara 老師幫助 Noor 將光合作用的概念與植物如何從陽光獲取能量做比較，從而促進認知同化。
The new data did not fit her existing models, so the scientist revised her theory beyond simple assimilation.
新數據不符合她現有的模型，因此這位科學家超越單純的認知同化，修正了自己的理論。
- incorporation
general term for including new material into a system
- integration
suggests the new and old knowledge combine into a unified whole
- accommodation
the complementary process of changing mental categories to fit new information
文法句型
assimilation of [new knowledge] into [existing framework]
用法筆記
In Piaget's developmental psychology, assimilation is paired with 'accommodation' (modifying existing mental categories). Assimilation alone cannot explain learning when the new information fundamentally conflicts with prior knowledge.