downstream
/ˌdaʊnˈstriːm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdaʊnˈstriːm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdau̇n-ˈstrēm/ (ame, mw)
downstream — 形容詞
- downstreampositive
- more downstreamcomparative
- most downstreamsuperlative
1. located or moving in the same direction that the water of a river or stream flow
下游的
順河流方向
located or moving in the same direction that the water of a river or stream flows — for example, a house built on the downstream side of a bridge, where the current pushes water past it.
The Watanabe family built their home on the downstream side near the fishing area.
渡邊一家把房子蓋在下游側，靠近漁區。
position: downstream + side / bank / village
Dr. Okafor noticed the downstream bank covered with smooth stones washed down by the current.
Okafor 醫生注意到下游的河岸上覆蓋著被水流沖下來的平滑石頭。
Farmers in downstream villages worried that chemicals from the paper mill were affecting their crops.
下游村莊的農民擔心造紙廠的化學物質影響他們的作物。
The heavy rain caused flooding in every downstream village along the river valley.
暴雨導致河谷沿線的每個下游村莊都發生水災。
A fishing net stretched across the stream caught leaves and branches on its downstream side.
一張橫跨溪流的漁網在下游側攔住了落葉和樹枝。
- upstream
opposite direction, against the current — toward the source of the river
文法句型
downstream + noun (downstream village / downstream bank)
用法筆記
Often used with 'from' to indicate position relative to a landmark (e.g., 'downstream from the dam'). The opposite direction is 'upstream'.
常見錯誤
2. relating to a stage that comes after a particular point in a chain of actions, o
後續的
過程後端階段
relating to a stage that comes after a particular point in a chain of actions, operations, or decisions — for example, the packaging and delivery tasks that follow the manufacturing stage of a product.
The logistics team handles all downstream tasks once the products leave the factory.
物流團隊負責處理產品出廠後的所有後續任務。
collocation: downstream tasks
A small mistake in the design phase can cause major downstream problems during assembly.
設計階段的一個小錯誤可能在裝配過程中引起嚴重的後續問題。
downstream problems / effects / delays
Ananya studied how supply chain decisions affect downstream departments like customer service.
Ananya 研究了供應鏈決策如何影響客服等後續部門。
The company reorganized its downstream operations to speed up delivery to shops.
公司重組了後續營運環節，以加快向商店送貨的速度。
Managers must consider the downstream impact of every policy change on their teams.
主管必須考量每項政策變革對團隊的後續影響。
- subsequent
more formal and broader — can refer to any later event, not just in a process chain
- later
simpler and more common in everyday speech; less precise for business processes
文法句型
downstream + noun (downstream effects / downstream tasks / downstream process)
用法筆記
Common in business and project-management writing. Frequently appears with nouns such as 'effects', 'impact', 'process', 'tasks', and 'operations'. The opposite in this sense is 'upstream' (earlier stages).
常見錯誤
3. in the petroleum industry, describing the stages after crude oil or natural gas
下游產業的
石油天然氣後端處理
in the petroleum industry, describing the stages after crude oil or natural gas has been extracted — including refining, transporting fuel, and selling petrol or other products to customers.
Oil refineries are the most important downstream facilities in the fuel supply chain.
煉油廠是燃料供應鏈中最重要的下游產業設施。
downstream facilities / refineries
The energy firm invested heavily in downstream operations such as fuel transport and petrol stations.
這家能源公司大量投資於燃油運輸和加油站等下游業務。
downstream operations
Petrochemical plants turn crude oil into plastics and chemicals at the downstream stage of production.
石化廠在生產的下游階段將原油轉化為塑膠和化學品。
Elena took a job in a downstream division selling lubricants to car repair shops.
Elena 在一個下游部門找到工作，負責向汽車修理廠銷售潤滑油。
New environmental rules now cover downstream natural gas distribution as well as drilling.
新的環保法規現在也涵蓋天然氣的下游配送，而不只是鑽井環節。
- upstream
exploration and extraction of oil or gas from the ground
文法句型
downstream + noun (downstream facilities / downstream operations / downstream division)
用法筆記
A specialised term used mainly in the petroleum and energy industries. Contrasts with 'upstream' (exploration and extraction) and sometimes 'midstream' (storage and transport of crude).
常見錯誤
4. located further along a molecule of DNA or RNA, in the direction away from the s
基因下游的
基因序列後端方向
located further along a molecule of DNA or RNA, in the direction away from the starting point where a gene is read and copied by the cell.
Scientists found the mutation in a downstream region of the DNA strand.
科學家在 DNA 鏈的一個基因下游區域發現了突變。
downstream region / DNA strand
Researchers identified a downstream gene that only becomes active when the first protein is present.
研究人員找到一個下游基因，只有在第一個蛋白質出現時才會活化。
downstream gene
The laboratory mapped the downstream sequence of the chromosome to understand the mutation better.
實驗室繪製了染色體的基因下游序列，以更了解突變情況。
A defect in the downstream portion of the genetic code stopped the protein from forming.
基因編碼下游部分的缺陷導致蛋白質無法形成。
The team compared the upstream and downstream DNA sections to study how the virus changes.
團隊比較了 DNA 的上游和下游區段，以研究病毒如何變異。
- upstream
the region of DNA closer to the start of a gene
文法句型
downstream + noun (downstream region / downstream gene / downstream sequence)
用法筆記
Highly technical term used in molecular biology research papers and textbooks. The opposite direction is 'upstream', which is closer to the start of the gene.
常見錯誤
downstream — 副詞
1. further along in the direction that water in a river or stream is flowing; also
向下游；後續地
順水流或過程後端
further along in the direction that water in a river or stream is flowing; also used figuratively to mean later in a chain of events or business processes.
Theo paddled downstream towards the lake, letting the current do most of the work.
Theo 順流划向湖泊，讓水流做大部分的工作。
paddle / float / drift + downstream
When a senior manager makes a bad decision, the problems ripple downstream to every team.
高層主管做出錯誤決策時，問題會向下擴散到每個團隊。
figurative: ripple downstream to
The kayak drifted downstream past the tall pine trees lining the riverbank.
獨木舟順流漂過河岸邊高大的松樹。
Changes to tax laws pass downstream to local governments that must enforce the new rules.
稅法變更向下傳遞給地方政府，由他們負責執行新規定。
Plastic waste from the city travels downstream and eventually reaches the ocean.
城市產生的塑膠廢棄物順流而下，最終抵達海洋。
- with the current
more descriptive but only works for literal water contexts
- further along
broader meaning; can be used in both literal and figurative contexts without the river metaphor
- upstream
against the current, or toward earlier stages
- against the current
more descriptive phrasing for literal contexts
文法句型
verb + downstream (float downstream / move downstream / pass downstream)
用法筆記
Unlike the adjective form, the adverb modifies verbs of motion ('float downstream', 'drift downstream') and verbs of transfer in figurative contexts ('pass downstream', 'ripple downstream'). The literal and figurative readings are distinguished entirely by context.