fiddle
/ˈfɪdl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɪdl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfi-dᵊl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈfɪd.əl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɪd.əl/ (ame, ipa)
fiddle — 動詞
1. to illegally alter or falsify financial records, official documents, or figures
造假；舞弊
為獲取利益而竄改文件或數據
to illegally alter or falsify financial records, official documents, or figures so that you personally gain money or some other benefit.
The accountant was caught fiddling the company's financial records to hide the missing funds.
會計被抓到竄改公司財務紀錄以掩蓋資金短缺的問題。
fiddle + financial records (transitive)
Niran admitted that he had fiddled his travel expenses for years.
Niran 承認他多年來一直虛報差旅費用。
Investigators found proof that someone had fiddled with the safety inspection reports.
調查人員發現有人竄改安檢報告的證據。
Several players were banned from the sport for fiddling their age on registration forms.
多名選手因在報名表上謊報年齡而被禁賽。
The politician resigned after it emerged that he had fiddled his election campaign finances.
該政治人物因被揭露偽造競選經費而辭職。
- falsify
more formal; strongly suggests altering written records
- manipulate
broader; can be neutral or dishonest depending on context
- tamper with
implies meddling, not necessarily for financial gain
文法句型
fiddle + noun (accounts, figures, records)
fiddle with + noun
用法筆記
Object is usually financial records, figures, expenses, tax returns, or official documents. The intransitive form with 'with' often appears in passive constructions: 'the figures had been fiddled with'.
常見錯誤
2. to repeatedly touch or move a small object with your fingers, typically from res
撥弄；把玩
因緊張或無聊而用手反覆撥弄東西
to repeatedly touch or move a small object with your fingers, typically from restlessness, anxiety, or lack of concentration.
Hassan fiddled with his pen during the entire interview, and the interviewer noticed.
Hassan 在整場面試中不斷撥弄他的筆，面試官注意到了。
fiddle with + small object (nervous context)
The little girl sat on the wooden chair and fiddled with the hem of her dress.
小女孩坐在木椅上，不停地撥弄裙子的下擺。
Rohan fiddled nervously with the zipper of his coat while waiting for the test results.
Rohan 一邊等著考試成績出來，一邊緊張地撥弄外套的拉鍊。
Stop fiddling with your phone during dinner — it is rude.
吃飯時別再一直玩手機了——這樣很不禮貌。
João fiddled with the loose button on his shirt throughout the long ceremony.
在漫長的典禮中，João 一直撥弄著襯衫上那顆快掉下來的釦子。
文法句型
fiddle with + noun (object you hold or touch)
用法筆記
Almost always takes 'with' + an object (something small held in the hands). The action is often a sign of nervousness or boredom. Distinguish from sense 4 (tinker/adjust) where the purpose is to fix or improve something — here there is no goal.
常見錯誤
3. to play a violin, especially in folk, country, or traditional music styles.
拉小提琴
演奏小提琴，尤指民謠或傳統風格
to play a violin, especially in folk, country, or traditional music styles.
Ingrid can fiddle and sing at the same time, which always amazes the crowd at the pub.
Ingrid 可以一邊拉小提琴一邊唱歌，總讓酒吧裡的觀眾驚嘆不已。
The old man sat on his front porch and fiddled a cheerful tune for the neighbourhood children.
老先生坐在前廊上，為鄰居的孩子們拉了一首歡快的曲子。
fiddle + a tune (transitive pattern)
Joon has been fiddling in a bluegrass band since he was fifteen years old.
Joon 從十五歲起就一直在一個藍草樂團裡拉小提琴。
Kasia's grandfather taught her to fiddle when she was barely tall enough to hold the instrument.
Kasia 的祖父在她還矮得拿不住樂器時就開始教她拉小提琴。
The musicians fiddled all night at the harvest celebration, and nobody wanted to go home.
樂手們在豐收慶典上拉了一整晚的小提琴，沒有人想回家。
- play the violin
more formal; used for classical music
- play the fiddle
same meaning, 'fiddle' as noun is the informal term for violin
文法句型
fiddle (intransitive)
fiddle + noun (a tune, a song)
用法筆記
Often implies a more informal, traditional, or lively playing style than the neutral 'play the violin'. Commonly used in folk, country, bluegrass, and Celtic music contexts.
常見錯誤
4. to make small changes or adjustments to a machine, device, or system, often in a
調整；修理
為了修復或改善而微調機器或設備
to make small changes or adjustments to a machine, device, or system, often in an attempt to repair or improve it.
Christopher spent the whole afternoon fiddling with an old radio he found in the garage.
Christopher 花了整個下午修理他在車庫裡找到的一台舊收音機。
fiddle with + electronic device (trying to fix)
The mechanic fiddled with the car engine for an hour before it finally started.
技師調整了汽車引擎一個小時，引擎才終於發動起來。
Shirin enjoys fiddling with computer code to make the website load faster.
Shirin 喜歡調整程式碼，讓網站跑得更快。
Eitan fiddled with the camera settings until the light looked perfect in the photograph.
Eitan 不斷調整相機設定，直到照片中的光線看起來恰到好處。
Please do not fiddle with the thermostat — the temperature is fine as it is.
請不要亂動恆溫器——現在的溫度剛剛好。
- tinker with
very similar, often interchangeable
- adjust
more neutral and purposeful; less informal
- twiddle
less common; suggests turning knobs or controls aimlessly
- leave alone
to not touch or interfere with something
- ignore
to pay no attention to a problem
文法句型
fiddle with + noun (equipment, settings, machinery)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (fidget): sense 4 implies a purpose — you are trying to get something to work or to improve it, whereas sense 2 is aimless. The object is typically a piece of equipment, a machine, or settings, not a small personal object like a pen or ring.
常見錯誤
❌ 'She fiddled with her necklace during the meeting.' (if meaning to adjust it) — This could be sense 2 (fidget) or sense 4 (adjust); context decides. For sense 4, the object should be something functional, not a personal accessory worn on the body.
fiddle — 名詞
1. a violin, especially when used in folk, country, or traditional music.
小提琴
一種弦樂器，常用於民謠音樂
a violin, especially when used in folk, country, or traditional music.
Liam plays the fiddle at the local pub every Friday night, and the regulars love his music.
Liam 每週五晚上都在當地的酒吧拉小提琴，老顧客都很喜歡他的音樂。
play the fiddle (instrument name)
The woman rested her fiddle on her knee and tuned the strings carefully.
那名女子把小提琴擱在膝蓋上，仔細地調音。
Kasia's father made her first fiddle by hand when she was seven years old.
Kasia 的父親在她七歲時親手為她做了第一把小提琴。
The band's fiddle player is known for her fast, lively style that gets everyone dancing.
樂團的小提琴手以快速活潑的風格聞名，總能讓大家跟著跳起舞來。
- violin
the same instrument; more formal, used in classical music
用法筆記
In informal and folk-music contexts, 'fiddle' and 'violin' refer to the same instrument. 'Fiddle' is the more casual term and implies a particular style of playing.
常見錯誤
2. a task or activity that is frustrating because it requires small, precise hand m
麻煩事
因細小或複雜而難以處理的事情
a task or activity that is frustrating because it requires small, precise hand movements or involves complicated little parts.
Threading this needle is a real fiddle — the eye is so tiny that I can barely see it.
穿這根針真是件麻煩事——針孔小得幾乎看不見。
a real fiddle (idiomatic expression)
Replacing the tiny watch battery was a fiddle that took Hassan nearly thirty minutes.
換那顆小小的手錶電池是件麻煩事，Hassan 花了將近三十分鐘。
This zip on my jacket is such a fiddle that I prefer to wear buttons instead.
我外套的這條拉鍊超難弄，我寧願穿有釦子的外套。
Assembling the toy was a bit of a fiddle because the screws were incredibly small.
組裝那個玩具有點麻煩，因為螺絲非常小。
用法筆記
Primarily British English. This sense is always used with an article ('a fiddle', 'a bit of a fiddle') and describes a task that is frustrating because of its physical fiddliness, not its intellectual difficulty.
常見錯誤
3. a dishonest plan or activity, especially one designed to get money illegally fro
詐騙；騙局
為非法獲利而設計的欺騙計畫
a dishonest plan or activity, especially one designed to get money illegally from a person or organization.
The insurance fiddle involved fake car accidents and false claims worth thousands of dollars.
這場保險詐騙涉及假車禍和數千美元的虛假理賠。
insurance fiddle (common collocation)
Niran was arrested for his part in a massive tax fiddle that lasted over five years.
Niran 因參與一起持續超過五年的大規模逃稅騙局而被捕。
tax fiddle (common collocation)
The police uncovered a large fiddle at the city planning office involving bribes and fake permits.
警方在市府規劃辦公室破獲一起涉及賄賂和假許可證的大型詐騙案。
The old man lost his life savings in an investment fiddle run by a fake financial advisor.
那位老先生在一名假理財專員操作的投資騙局中失去了畢生積蓄。
- honesty
the quality of being truthful and fair
用法筆記
Used informally. In more formal or legal contexts, prefer 'fraud', 'scam', or 'swindle'. Often appears in compound phrases like 'tax fiddle', 'insurance fiddle'.