bulwark
/ˈbʊlwək/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈʊlwɚk] /ˈbʊlwɜːrk/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈʊlwɚk] /ˈbu̇l-(ˌ)wərk How to pronounce bulwark (audio) -ˌwȯrk; ˈbəl-(ˌ)wərk; sense 3 also ˈbə-ˌläk/ (ame, mw)
bulwark — 名詞
- bulwarksingular
- bulwarksplural
1. A person, system, or resource that gives strong protection when danger, hardship
屏障
能強力抵禦危險或困境的人事物
A person, system, or resource that gives strong protection when danger, hardship, or attack is likely.
Independent courts are a bulwark against sudden political revenge.
獨立法院是防止突然政治報復的一道屏障。
a bulwark against + threat
Owen called his emergency fund a bulwark against job loss.
Owen 認為自己的緊急儲蓄是失業時的一道屏障。
For many villagers, the clinic is a bulwark against preventable disease.
對許多村民來說，這家診所是抵禦可預防疾病的一道屏障。
Teachers called school lunches a bulwark against child hunger.
老師們說，學校午餐是對抗兒童飢餓的一道屏障。
- safeguard
broader and more practical; it can describe everyday safety measures as well as major protections
- barrier
often more physical and neutral, while bulwark suggests strong defense against a serious threat
- bastion
close in tone, but usually emphasizes a group or place defending an idea or tradition
- threat
what a bulwark is meant to keep back
用法筆記
Most often used in formal writing about public life, law, health, or finance. The common pattern is a bulwark against + threat, especially when the protection is strong and dependable.
常見錯誤
2. A thick wall or raised bank built to keep attackers away from a town, fort, or o
防禦牆
用來阻擋敵人的厚牆或土堤
A thick wall or raised bank built to keep attackers away from a town, fort, or other defended place.
The soldiers repaired the bulwark before dawn as enemy boats approached.
敵船逼近時，士兵們在黎明前修補那道防禦牆。
repair / strengthen a bulwark
Grass grew over the old bulwark that once guarded the harbor town.
曾守護港鎮的舊防禦牆上已長滿青草。
Visitors climbed the stone bulwark and looked across the valley.
遊客爬上石造防禦牆，俯瞰整座山谷。
Engineers strengthened the earthen bulwark after the first attack.
第一次攻擊後，工程人員加固了那道土製防禦牆。
- rampart
especially a defensive bank or wall around a fort or city
- fortification
broader term for any built defense, not just one wall
用法筆記
This sense refers to an actual defensive structure, often in historical writing. It overlaps with rampart, but bulwark can suggest either stonework or a raised earth barrier.
3. A man-made barrier along the coast that stops waves from wearing land away or se
防波堤
沿岸阻擋海浪侵蝕或進水的設施
A man-made barrier along the coast that stops waves from wearing land away or sending water inland.
The concrete bulwark protected the beach during the winter storms.
冬季風暴來襲時，那座混凝土防波堤保住了海灘。
coastal bulwark against waves and storms
Workers inspected the bulwark after high waves struck the coast.
巨浪拍岸後，工人檢查了那道防波堤。
A new bulwark now shields the village road from the sea.
如今一座新的防波堤保護著村裡靠海的道路。
Seaweed gathered beside the bulwark at low tide each morning.
每天早晨退潮時，海藻都會聚在防波堤旁。
- breakwater
usually a structure built to reduce the force of waves, especially near a harbor
- seawall
a wall built directly along the shore to hold back the sea
用法筆記
Used for coastal protection rather than military defense. Unlike sense 2, the danger comes from the sea rather than attacking people.
4. The section of a ship's side that stands above the deck and helps keep people, r
舷牆
船側高出甲板的擋板部分
The section of a ship's side that stands above the deck and helps keep people, ropes, and spray from going overboard.
Spray flew over the bulwark as the ferry crossed rough water.
渡輪穿過洶湧水面時，浪花飛過舷牆。
over the bulwark
João leaned against the bulwark and watched the harbor lights.
João 靠著舷牆，看著港口的燈光。
A coil of rope hung from the bulwark near the stern.
船尾附近的舷牆上掛著一圈繩索。
The deckhand tied the ladder to the bulwark before unloading supplies.
卸貨前，甲板水手先把梯子綁在舷牆上。
用法筆記
This is a nautical term. Unlike sense 2, it is part of a ship rather than a wall around a defended place.
bulwark — 動詞
- bulwarkpresent simple I / you / we / they
- bulwarks3rd person singular
- bulwarking-ing form
- bulwarkedpast simple
1. To make a place, group, or system safer by building strong defenses around it or
加強防護
以工事或制度讓對象更安全
To make a place, group, or system safer by building strong defenses around it or by giving it firm protection.
The town bulwarked its harbor with stone and timber.
那座城鎮用石材和木料加強港口的防護。
bulwark + place + with + material
New rules bulwarked the pension fund against reckless spending.
新規定加強了退休基金對魯莽支出的防護。
bulwark + institution + against + threat
Workers bulwarked the riverbank before the typhoon reached land.
颱風登陸前，工人先加強了河岸的防護。
The treaty bulwarked small states against invasion from larger neighbors.
這項條約加強了小國對大國入侵的防護。
- fortify
closest in literal meaning, especially when walls or barriers are added
- strengthen
broader and less formal; it does not necessarily imply defensive protection
- safeguard
often more abstract and policy-focused, with less emphasis on building defenses
- expose
to leave something without the protection it needs
文法句型
bulwark + noun + against + threat
bulwark + noun + with + material
用法筆記
This verb is highly formal and appears most often in historical, legal, or political writing. The object is usually a place, an institution, or a set of rights rather than a person.