badger
/ˈbædʒə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbædʒər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈba-jər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈbædʒ.ər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbædʒ.ɚ/ (ame, ipa)
badger — 名詞
1. a furry mammal about the size of a small dog, with a black-and-white striped fac
獾
穴居夜行性的中型食肉哺乳動物
a furry mammal about the size of a small dog, with a black-and-white striped face, that digs deep tunnels in the ground and feeds mostly after dark.
A badger crossed the country lane just before dawn and disappeared into the hedge.
天快亮時，一隻獾穿過鄉間小路，鑽進樹籬裡不見了。
subject: countable noun in narrative past tense
Mei watched a family of badgers come out of their burrow at sunset.
Mei 看著一家獾在傍晚時分從牠們的洞穴裡走出來。
collocation: family of badgers / badger burrow
The farmer in Wales found badgers digging up his vegetable garden every spring.
那位威爾斯的農夫每年春天都會發現獾在他的菜園裡挖洞。
Badgers have powerful claws that they use to break open old logs and find insects.
獾有強而有力的爪子，會用來扒開老舊的木頭尋找昆蟲。
The children spotted a badger's black-and-white head poking out of a hole near the oak tree.
孩子們看到一隻獾的黑白條紋頭從橡樹旁的洞裡探了出來。
用法筆記
Often used as a generic plural ('Badgers are nocturnal') when describing what the species typically does. In British contexts it usually refers to Meles meles; in American contexts to Taxidea taxus.
常見錯誤
badger — 動詞
1. to keep pressing someone with requests, questions, or complaints over and over a
纏；糾纏
反覆追問或要求直到對方答應
to keep pressing someone with requests, questions, or complaints over and over again until they feel worn down and either answer you or do what you want.
The reporters badgered the mayor for a clear answer about the housing crisis.
記者們不斷纏著市長，要他針對住房危機給出明確的回答。
pattern: badger + somebody + for + noun
Liam badgered his parents for weeks until they finally let him get a puppy.
Liam 纏了爸媽好幾個禮拜，最後他們終於讓他養一隻小狗。
pattern: badger + somebody + until-clause
My little sister keeps badgering me to take her to the new ice-cream shop on Main Street.
我妹妹一直纏著我，要我帶她去 Main Street 上那家新開的冰淇淋店。
The lawyer badgered the witness into changing her story about the night of the accident.
那位律師死纏爛打地逼證人改口，重講事故當晚的經過。
Stop badgering me about my exam results — I'll tell you when I get them.
別再纏著我問考試成績了——成績出來我自然會告訴你。
- pester
very close in meaning, slightly less forceful and more about repeated small annoyances
- nag
usually about repeated reminders to do small daily tasks, often within families
- harass
stronger and more serious; suggests behaviour that may cause real distress
- hound
stronger than 'badger'; suggests relentless chasing, often by media or creditors
- leave alone
stop bothering the person and let them be
文法句型
badger someone to do something
badger someone into doing something
badger someone for something
用法筆記
Object is almost always a person, and the subject sees the asking as legitimate while the object finds it irritating. Common in passive ('I was badgered into signing') when emphasising that the speaker felt pressured.