avalanche
avalanche — 名詞
1. a powerful rush of snow, ice, and broken rock that slides rapidly down a mountai
雪崩
大量冰雪岩石從山坡崩落的現象
a powerful rush of snow, ice, and broken rock that slides rapidly down a mountain slope, often carrying soil, trees, and debris with it
The avalanche buried three ski huts near Val-d'Isère under twelve metres of snow.
那場雪崩將瓦勒迪澤爾附近的三間滑雪小屋埋在十二公尺深的雪下。
Rescue teams used trained dogs to find skiers buried by the avalanche.
救援隊伍使用受過訓練的犬隻來尋找遭雪崩掩埋的滑雪客。
buried by the avalanche
An avalanche roared down the mountainside, knocking down trees and blocking the hiking trail.
一場雪崩轟隆隆地衝下山坡，撞倒了樹木並堵住了登山步道。
The village at the foot of the mountain was destroyed by a massive avalanche last winter.
山腳下的村莊去年冬天被一場大規模雪崩摧毀。
Skiers were warned to stay off the north-facing slopes because of the high avalanche risk.
滑雪客被警告避開朝北的坡面，因為雪崩風險很高。
文法句型
avalanche + verb
number + of + noun (amount)
用法筆記
This literal sense is countable and often appears in passive constructions describing damage ('buried by an avalanche', 'destroyed by an avalanche'). News reports commonly pair it with 'trigger', 'warning', and 'risk'.
常見錯誤
2. a very large number of things such as letters, messages, orders, or events that
大量湧至
同時大量出現的事物
a very large number of things such as letters, messages, orders, or events that all arrive or happen at the same time, making them hard to manage
The charity received an avalanche of donations after the news report about the earthquake.
這家慈善機構在地震新聞報導後收到了大量湧入的捐款。
an avalanche of donations
An avalanche of applications arrived at the university after they lowered the tuition fees.
大學調降學費後，申請表如雪片般飛來。
The mayor faced an avalanche of complaints from residents about the new parking rules.
市長因新的停車規定而面臨居民如潮水般的投訴。
After the article appeared, the journalist received an avalanche of emails and phone calls.
文章刊登後，那位記者收到大量湧入的電子郵件和電話。
- trickle
a very small, slow amount arriving gradually
文法句型
an avalanche of + noun
用法筆記
This figurative sense is almost always used in the fixed pattern 'an avalanche of + noun', where the noun is plural and countable (e.g., an avalanche of questions, work, letters). Singular abstract nouns (e.g., 'an avalanche of support') are less common but acceptable.
常見錯誤
avalanche — 動詞
1. to slide or fall down a mountainside as a fast-moving mass of snow and ice
崩落
大量冰雪從山坡崩落
to slide or fall down a mountainside as a fast-moving mass of snow and ice
Huge chunks of ice avalanched off the north face of the glacier into the valley below.
巨大的冰塊從冰川北面崩落到下方的山谷中。
avalanched off
The snow on the steep slope avalanched without warning, surprising the climbers below.
陡坡上的積雪毫無預警地崩落，嚇到了下方的登山者。
The guide warned the group that the soft snow could avalanche at any time.
嚮導警告團員，鬆軟的積雪隨時可能崩落。
After days of heavy snowfall, the mountainside finally avalanched, blocking the road.
連日大雪之後，山坡的積雪終於崩落，堵住了道路。
文法句型
subject (snow/ice/mountainside) + avalanche + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
Intransitive only — the verb cannot take a direct object. The subject is always snow, ice, rock, or a mountainside. This sense is much less common than the noun form and appears mostly in descriptive writing about mountain environments.
常見錯誤
2. to overwhelm someone or an organisation with a very large amount of things such
淹沒
被大量事物淹沒壓垮
to overwhelm someone or an organisation with a very large amount of things such as requests, orders, or messages arriving suddenly
The celebrity was avalanched with interview requests after winning the award.
那位名人獲獎後被大量的採訪邀約淹沒。
was avalanched with
The small bakery was avalanched by orders when their cake went viral online.
那家小麵包店的蛋糕在網路上爆紅後，訂單如雪片般湧入。
During the pandemic, the hospital was avalanched with urgent calls from worried patients.
疫情期間，那家醫院被緊急來電淹沒。
The teacher felt avalanched by the pile of homework that arrived on the first day back.
老師在開學第一天就被堆積如山的作業壓得喘不過氣。
文法句型
be avalanched with + noun
be avalanched by + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used in the passive voice ('be avalanched by/with' + plural noun). Active examples are very rare. The verb form here is less common than using the noun in the pattern 'an avalanche of'.