consumption
consumption — 名詞
1. The quantity of something such as fuel, water, food, or electricity that people
用量；消耗量
一段時間內使用的數量
The quantity of something such as fuel, water, food, or electricity that people use over a given period.
The city's energy consumption dropped by twelve percent after the new policy.
實施新政策後，該市的能源用量下降了百分之十二。
energy / water / fuel consumption — common premodifier pattern
Aoi checked the water consumption on her bill for signs of a leak.
Aoi 檢查了每月帳單上的用水量，想確認是否有漏水。
The factory reduced its fuel consumption by installing solar panels on the roof.
那間工廠在屋頂安裝太陽能板，減少了燃料用量。
Higher electricity consumption during summer is mostly caused by air conditioning.
夏季用電量增加，主要來自空調的使用。
The report showed that daily meat consumption has doubled in twenty years.
報告顯示，過去二十年間每日肉類食用量增加了一倍。
- production
the creation or supply side that balances consumption
文法句型
consumption + of + noun phrase
premodifier: [noun] + consumption
用法筆記
Often appears as a premodifier in compound-like noun phrases (e.g. energy consumption, water consumption). Refers to a measurable quantity, not the action itself — compare with sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. The process of using something up, especially by eating, drinking, or applying e
消耗；攝取
消耗或使用某物的過程
The process of using something up, especially by eating, drinking, or applying energy to it.
The consumption of alcohol before driving is strictly prohibited by law.
法律嚴格禁止開車前飲酒。
consumption of [noun] — pattern specifying what is consumed
Adina's nutritionist discussed the benefits of mindful consumption during meals.
Adina 的營養師討論了用餐時細心進食的好處。
The government launched a public campaign about responsible alcohol consumption.
政府發起了一項關於負責任飲酒的公開宣導活動。
After the marathon, the runners focused on food and water consumption to recover.
馬拉松結束後，跑者們專注於補充食物和水分來恢復體力。
The process of energy consumption inside the human body is called metabolism.
人體內部消耗能量的過程稱為新陳代謝。
- conservation
the careful preservation or saving of resources instead of using them up
文法句型
consumption + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Focuses on the activity or process rather than the measured amount. Use 'consumption of + noun' to specify what is being used up. Distinguish from sense 1, which highlights quantity rather than action.
常見錯誤
3. The way that books, films, music, news, or other cultural materials are created
受眾
針對特定群體打造的內容
The way that books, films, music, news, or other cultural materials are created or presented for a specific type of audience to enjoy or learn from.
The president's speech was meant for public consumption, not for the diplomats.
總統的演說是為一般大眾準備的，而非針對外交官。
for public / general / mass consumption — fixed phrase
This academic paper is too technical for general consumption by non-experts.
這篇學術論文太過專業，不適合非專家的普通讀者。
The comedian recorded a cleaner version of his show for television consumption.
那位喜劇演員錄製了一個較為潔淨的版本，供電視播出。
The magazine was designed for mass consumption by young adults in the city.
這本雜誌的設計目標是鎖定都市年輕族群的大量閱讀。
Sari wondered if her personal blog was suitable for public consumption by her colleagues.
Sari 懷疑她的個人部落格是否適合讓同事們公開閱讀。
文法句型
for + adjective + consumption
用法筆記
Typically appears in the fixed phrase 'for + adjective + consumption', where the adjective describes the target audience (e.g. public, general, mass, private, internal). The word does not mean 'amount consumed' in this sense.
常見錯誤
4. An older name for a serious lung infection that makes a person grow weaker over
肺癆
肺結核的舊稱
An older name for a serious lung infection that makes a person grow weaker over time, now known as tuberculosis.
In old novels, characters who cough up blood are often dying of consumption.
在舊小說裡，咳血的角色通常死於肺癆。
archaic medical term — only in historical or literary contexts
Tamás found his great-grandmother's death certificate listing consumption as the cause of death.
Tamás 發現他曾祖母的死亡證明書上寫著死因為肺癆。
Before the invention of antibiotics, consumption was a frightening and widespread disease.
在抗生素發明之前，肺癆是一種可怕且廣泛流行的疾病。
Henrik read a historical novel in which the heroine slowly dies of consumption.
Henrik 讀了一本歷史小說，故事裡的女主角因肺癆而慢慢死去。
- tuberculosis
the modern medical term; precise and clinical
- TB
common abbreviation for tuberculosis in modern English
用法筆記
This sense is now only found in historical writing, older literature, or period pieces. The modern medical term is tuberculosis (often shortened to TB). Learners should recognise it when reading classic literature but not use it in modern speech.
5. The economic activity in which people purchase goods and services to meet their
消費
購買商品以滿足需求的經濟活動
The economic activity in which people purchase goods and services to meet their needs and desires.
Consumer spending accounts for the largest share of economic consumption in the country.
消費支出占該國經濟消費的最大比例。
economic / household / private consumption — economics domain collocations
Aarav studies patterns of household consumption closely to predict future market trends.
Aarav 仔細研究家庭消費模式，以預測未來的市場趨勢。
The rise in consumption of luxury goods suggests a period of steady economic growth.
奢侈品消費的增加，顯示經濟處於穩定的成長期。
Economists measure private consumption as a key indicator of a nation's overall wealth.
經濟學家將民間消費視為衡量國家整體財富的重要指標。
- spending
more general and less technical; focuses on money paid rather than goods used
- demand
refers to the desire or need for products rather than the actual purchase
- expenditure
formal term for the amount of money spent; broader than consumption
- production
the creation of goods and services that are then consumed
- saving
the portion of income not spent on consumption
文法句型
consumption + of + noun phrase
adjective + consumption
用法筆記
A technical term in economics. Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'household', 'private', 'domestic', 'consumer', or 'aggregate'. Contrasts with 'production' — the two are the fundamental sides of economic activity.