benevolence
/bəˈnevələns/ (bre, ipa) · /bəˈnevələns/ (ame, ipa) · /bə-ˈne-və-lən(t)s -ˈnev-/ (ame, mw)
benevolence — 名詞
1. A gentle and generous attitude toward others that leads a person to do kind thin
仁慈；善意
對他人友善關懷的品格
A gentle and generous attitude toward others that leads a person to do kind things and offer help.
Kwame's benevolence toward his elderly neighbours was well known throughout the town.
Kwame 對年長鄰居的仁慈在整個小鎮都很有名。
The old doctor showed her quiet benevolence by treating patients who had no insurance.
那位老醫師以安靜的仁慈對待沒有保險的病患，為他們看診。
quiet benevolence
Hiroshi believed that true benevolence means helping strangers without expecting anything in return.
Hiroshi 認為真正的仁慈就是在幫助陌生人時不期待任何回報。
Visitors to the village often spoke of the warmth and benevolence of the people there.
來到村莊的訪客經常提及當地居民的熱情與仁慈。
A spirit of benevolence filled the hall as volunteers packed meals for struggling families.
志工們為經濟困難的家庭打包餐點，大廳裡充滿了仁慈的氣氛。
- kindness
more general and commonly used; benevolence suggests a deeper, principled kindness
- goodwill
focuses on friendly feelings rather than actions
- compassion
emphasises sympathy for suffering more than active help
- cruelty
the deliberate intention to cause pain or suffering
文法句型
benevolence + toward/towards (someone)
用法筆記
Often describes a person's lasting character rather than a single action. Frequently appears with prepositions toward or towards.
常見錯誤
2. The practice of donating money, time, or resources to support people in need or
慈善；捐助
捐款或提供資源的行為
The practice of donating money, time, or resources to support people in need or organisations that do good work.
The tech company's benevolence funded three new schools and a health clinic in rural areas.
這家科技公司的慈善捐助在偏遠地區興建了三所學校和一間健康診所。
Vikram expressed his benevolence by donating fifty thousand dollars to the local food bank.
Vikram 透過向當地食物銀行捐款五萬美元來表達他的慈善之心。
benevolence by donating
The library was built entirely through the benevolence of a single anonymous donor.
這座圖書館完全是由一位匿名捐贈者的慈善捐款所建造的。
Mei's family showed their benevolence through years of sponsoring children to attend school.
Mei 一家人多年來資助兒童上學，展現了他們的慈善精神。
Small businesses often rely on the benevolence of local customers to help during hard times.
小企業在困難時期常常需要仰賴在地顧客的慈善支持。
- charity
more concrete and common; charity can refer to an organisation itself
- generosity
focuses on the willingness to give freely, often of resources
- philanthropy
more formal, implies large-scale or organised giving
- stinginess
unwillingness to share or give resources
文法句型
benevolence + to (a cause / organisation)
用法筆記
Often used to describe the generosity of institutions, wealthy individuals, or organisations. Compare with sense 1, which describes personal character — sense 2 focuses on the concrete act of giving.
常見錯誤
3. A single kind or helpful action done for another person, especially one given fr
善行
不求回報的體貼行為
A single kind or helpful action done for another person, especially one given freely without expecting anything in return.
Letting the exhausted mother go first in the queue was a small but genuine benevolence.
讓疲憊的母親在隊伍中優先通行，是一件微小卻真誠的善行。
a small but genuine benevolence
Samira never forgot the stranger's simple benevolence in paying for her bus fare.
Samira 永遠不會忘記那位陌生人替她付公車錢的單純善行。
Bringing warm soup to a sick colleague is a simple benevolence that means a lot.
為生病的同事送上一碗熱湯，是很簡單卻很有意義的善行。
The driver performed a quiet benevolence by stopping to help change a flat tyre.
那位司機默默地做了一件善行——停車幫忙更換爆掉的輪胎。
Offering a seat on the train was a small benevolence that made the woman smile.
在火車上讓座，是讓那位女士微笑的微小善行。
文法句型
a benevolence + toward (someone)
small benevolence
用法筆記
This countable use (a benevolence) is less common than the uncountable senses 1 and 2. It is fairly formal and often appears in literary or descriptive writing. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 3 refers to a single deed, not an ongoing quality.