britain
britain — 名詞
1. the large island off north-western Europe where England, Scotland, and Wales are
大不列顛
包含英格蘭、蘇格蘭、威爾斯的島嶼
the large island off north-western Europe where England, Scotland, and Wales are located; it is the main land mass of the United Kingdom
Lotte took a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead and arrived in Britain the next morning.
Lotte 從都柏林搭渡輪到霍利黑德，第二天早上抵達了大不列顛。
collocation: arrive in Britain
The Romans invaded the island in 43 AD, called it Britannia, and built roads and walls over four hundred years.
羅馬人在西元43年入侵這座島嶼，稱之為不列顛尼亞，並在四百年間修建了道路和城牆。
historical context: Britannia as Latin name
For a school project, Hana used a map to see the island of Britain is about six hundred miles long.
為了學校的專題作業，Hana 用地圖查看大不列顛島長約六百英里。
Every year, millions of visitors to Britain fly into Heathrow Airport and begin their trip in London.
每年有數百萬名旅客飛進希斯洛機場，然後在大不列顛開始他們的旅程。
Ben Nevis in Scotland — over thirteen hundred metres — is Britain's highest peak and draws thousands of hikers each year.
位於蘇格蘭的本尼維斯山——海拔超過一千三百公尺——是大不列顛最高峰，每年吸引成千上萬的登山客。
- Great Britain
the full formal name of the island; 'Britain' is a shortened form
文法句型
used as a proper noun with no article in most contexts
用法筆記
This sense refers strictly to the geographical island. When talking about the country as a political unit, use 'the United Kingdom' or see sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. the country consisting of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, used both in offic
英國
大不列顛與北愛爾蘭組成的國家
the country consisting of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, used both in official documents and in everyday speech as a shorter name for the United Kingdom
Britain signed a new trade agreement with Japan last year, cutting taxes on car exports worth billions.
英國去年與日本簽署了一項新的貿易協定，減免了價值數十億英鎊的汽車出口關稅。
collocation: Britain signs / signs agreement (country as agent)
Britain's Prime Minister gave a speech about plans to improve the National Health Service.
英國首相發表了關於改善國民保健服務計畫的演說。
collocation: Britain's Prime Minister / Britain's [government role]
Britain sent aid workers and medical supplies to the region after the earthquake.
英國在地震後向該地區派遣了救援人員和醫療物資。
The Union Jack is the flag of Britain, combining emblems of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
英國的國旗叫做米字旗，融合了英格蘭、蘇格蘭和北愛爾蘭的象徵符號。
Caleb told his friends he was moving to Britain, but his job was in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Caleb 跟朋友說他要搬到英國，但他的工作地點在北愛爾蘭的貝爾法斯特。
The singer's new song became famous across Britain, reaching number one in Belfast, Cardiff, and Glasgow.
這位歌手的新歌在英國各地爆紅，在貝爾法斯特、卡地夫和格拉斯哥都登上排行榜冠軍。
Hana's family drove from Belfast to Scotland — she says she crossed the water from one part of Britain to another.
Hana 和家人從貝爾法斯特開車到蘇格蘭——她說她跨海從英國一處到另一處。
- the United Kingdom
the longer, officially correct name; preferred in formal contexts
- the UK
common abbreviation, neutral register; less ambiguous than 'Britain' for including Northern Ireland
文法句型
used as a proper noun; often takes singular verb
用法筆記
In formal writing (treaties, official documents), 'the United Kingdom' is the preferred term. However, 'Britain' is extremely common in journalism, everyday formal speech, and casual conversation to refer to the whole UK including Northern Ireland. Some people from Northern Ireland find this inclusive use of 'Britain' factually incorrect, so avoid it in careful writing or when speaking with someone from Northern Ireland.