damages
damages — 名詞
1. money that a court orders someone to pay after another person has been hurt, tre
賠償金
法院判給的金錢補償
money that a court orders someone to pay after another person has been hurt, treated unfairly, or made to lose something through that person's actions.
The judge awarded damages after the landlord ignored the tenant's safety complaints.
房東無視房客的安全投訴後，法官判給了賠償金。
award damages after + wrongdoing
After the bus crash, Marta received damages for her medical bills and lost wages.
公車撞車後，Marta 因為醫療費和少賺的薪資而拿到賠償金。
receive damages for + loss
The company paid damages to two farmers whose fields its waste had polluted.
那家公司付給兩位農夫賠償金，因為自家廢棄物污染了他們的田地。
Because the article was false, the actor sued the magazine for damages.
因為那篇文章內容不實，那位演員對該雜誌提告要求賠償金。
- compensation
broader and not limited to money ordered by a court
- award
often used for the official sum decided in a case
- reparations
more formal and often used for large-scale historical or political payment
- penalty
money paid as punishment rather than as compensation to the injured side
文法句型
award damages
pay damages to + person
sue for damages
用法筆記
Usually follows legal verbs such as award, pay, claim, or sue for. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 1 is the money paid, while sense 2 is the harm that led to it.
常見錯誤
2. the harm, loss, or bad effect that an action causes to a person, property, or a
損害
對人或財物造成的損失
the harm, loss, or bad effect that an action causes to a person, property, or a good name.
The report described damages to the bridge after the night-long fire.
那份報告描述了那場整夜大火後橋梁受到的損害。
damages to + property
Lawyers argued that the leak caused damages to the singer's public image.
律師主張，那次外洩對那位歌手的公眾形象造成了損害。
damages to + reputation
Inspectors photographed the damages before the shop owner cleaned the walls.
店主清理牆面前，檢查員先把那些損害拍了下來。
The court looked at emotional damages as well as the lost income.
法院除了少掉的收入，也一併考量了情緒上的損害。
- protection
keeps people or property safe instead of exposing them to harm
- repair
restores something after damage has been done
文法句型
damages to + property/reputation
emotional damages
describe damages
用法筆記
Often appears in legal or formal discussion of harm to property, health, or reputation. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names the injury itself, not the money paid afterward.
3. the amount of money something costs or the expense involved in doing it.
費用
要支付的費用或成本
the amount of money something costs or the expense involved in doing it.
Before ordering new curtains, Lena asked the shop what the damages would be.
在訂新窗簾前，Lena 先問了店家總費用會是多少。
what the damages would be
Tell me the damages for replacing the screen, and I'll decide today.
先告訴我換螢幕的費用，我今天就決定。
the damages for + thing
The club split the damages for the hall between all twelve families.
那個社團把租用場地的費用分攤給十二個家庭。
Once we knew the damages, we cut two items from the trip.
一知道總費用後，我們就把行程刪掉了兩項。
- saving
money kept back instead of money that must be spent
文法句型
what the damages are
the damages for + thing
know the damages
用法筆記
Often appears when someone asks or talks casually about what something will cost. It sounds less neutral and less exact than price or total.
damages — 動詞
1. to hurt, spoil, or weaken someone or something so that they do not work, grow, o
傷害；損壞
使人或事物受損變差
to hurt, spoil, or weaken someone or something so that they do not work, grow, or look as they should.
Salt water damages the metal lock if you leave it outside.
如果一直把它放在外面，鹽水會損壞那把金屬鎖。
damages + object
Smoking damages the small blood vessels behind the eyes.
吸菸會傷害眼睛後方的細小血管。
damages + body part
Strong sunlight damages the sofa fabric near the south window.
強烈日照會損壞南邊窗旁的沙發布料。
A careless rumor damages trust inside a close family.
一則輕率的謠言也會傷害親密家庭裡的信任。
文法句型
damages + object
[cause] damages + body part/material/reputation
用法筆記
Usually takes a thing, body part, or reputation as its object. It focuses on causing harm, not on the money paid later in noun sense 1.