congress
/ˈkɒŋ.ɡres/ (bre, ipa) · [kˈɑŋɡrəs] /ˈkɑːŋ.ɡres/ (ame, ipa) · [kˈɑŋɡrəs] /ˈkäŋ-grəs also -rəs British usually ˈkäŋ-ˌgres/ (ame, mw)
congress — 名詞
- congresssingular
- congressesplural
1. a large, organized gathering where people chosen by different countries, profess
大會
各國或各團體代表參加的正式大型集會
a large, organized gathering where people chosen by different countries, professional groups, or organizations come together to talk about shared topics and exchange ideas
The International Congress of Linguists brings together language scholars from over fifty countries.
國際語言學家大會聚集了來自五十多國的語言學者。
congress + of + [field] for a professional gathering
Ryo presented his research findings at the annual medical congress in Seoul last March.
Ryo 去年三月在首爾的年度醫學大會上發表了他的研究成果。
Over four thousand teachers attended the education congress to discuss new classroom methods.
超過四千名教師參加了教育大會，討論新的課堂教學方法。
More than two hundred delegates attended the world climate congress in Geneva this autumn.
兩百多名代表參加了今年秋天在日內瓦舉行的世界氣候大會。
- conference
more general and often shorter than a congress; congress usually implies larger, more formal gatherings with international representatives
- convention
typically used for members of a specific profession or interest group, often with a commercial or social element
- assembly
a broad term for any group of people gathered for a purpose; less structured than a congress
- summit
a high-level meeting of leaders, usually political, not a large gathering of many delegates
文法句型
congress + of + [group/organization]
2. the physical act of two people having sex with each other — a very formal term t
性交
兩性之間發生性行為的正式用語
the physical act of two people having sex with each other — a very formal term that is now rarely used outside old books, legal documents, or technical writing
In 19th-century legal texts, the phrase 'carnal congress' referred to sexual intercourse between married couples.
在十九世紀的法律文獻中，「carnal congress」一詞指已婚伴侶之間的性交行為。
dated formal usage in legal contexts
Kemi found 'congress' used as a clinical term for sex in an old medical journal.
Kemi 在一本舊醫學期刊中發現「congress」被用作性行為的臨床術語。
The biology textbook explained that the word 'congress' sometimes describes mating behaviour in animals.
生物教科書解釋說，「congress」這個詞有時用來描述動物的交配行為。
Nineteenth-century novels sometimes used 'congress' as a polite term for the act of sex.
十九世紀的小說有時用「congress」作為性行為的禮貌說法。
- intercourse
the more common formal term for sex; still used in medical and educational contexts
- coitus
a strictly medical or biological term; more technical and even rarer in general use
用法筆記
This meaning of 'congress' is very formal and sounds old-fashioned to most English speakers today. In everyday conversation and modern writing, people use 'sex' or 'sexual intercourse' instead. Learners should be able to recognize this sense when reading older or technical texts but avoid using it themselves in speech or informal writing.
常見錯誤
3. the US government body that creates national laws, with elected officials in two
美國國會
美國最高立法機構，由參議院和眾議院組成
the US government body that creates national laws, with elected officials in two chambers — the lower chamber (the House) and the upper chamber (the Senate) — whose members draft, debate, and approve federal legislation
The US Congress voted on a new law raising the minimum wage to fifteen dollars.
美國國會投票通過了一項將基本工資提高至十五美元的新法案。
Congress + verb for legislative action
Bilal is studying American politics and learning how Congress works alongside the President.
Bilal 正在研究美國政治，了解國會如何與總統共同運作。
Each year, the President delivers a speech to a joint session of Congress in January.
每年一月，總統都會在國會的聯席會議上發表演說。
The committee is gathering data before reporting its findings to Congress.
該委員會正在收集資料，準備向國會報告調查結果。
文法句型
Congress + verb (passes, votes, approves, rejects, debates)
用法筆記
Always capitalize 'Congress' when it refers to the US government institution. A lowercase 'c' (congress) signals the formal meeting sense instead. Individual members are called 'members of Congress' (MCs), 'congressmen', or 'congresswomen'. The two parts of Congress are the Senate (upper house) and the House of Representatives (lower house).