front-line
front-line — 名詞
1. the part of a battlefield where soldiers from two enemy armies stand closest to
前線；戰線
兩軍交火的最前方地帶
the part of a battlefield where soldiers from two enemy armies stand closest to each other and where the actual fighting takes place
Tariro served as a medic on the front-line during the civil war in Mozambique.
Tariro 在莫三比克內戰期間於前線擔任醫護人員。
on the front-line — typical role-based pattern
Soldiers at the front-line had not eaten a hot meal for three weeks.
前線的士兵已經三週沒有吃到熱食了。
at the front-line + plural-subject pattern
The general moved fresh troops to the front-line before sunrise on Tuesday.
將軍在週二日出前將新部隊調往前線。
Letters from the front-line reached Ari's grandmother only months after they were written.
從前線寄出的信，Ari 的祖母往往要好幾個月後才收到。
- battle line
more formal; refers to the same combat boundary
- battlefront
single word; same meaning, slightly older
- rear
the area behind the front-line, where supplies and command sit
文法句型
on the front-line
the front-line in [conflict]
sent to the front-line
用法筆記
Almost always takes the definite article ('the front-line'). Distinguish from sense 2: this is the geographic battle zone, not the soldiers fighting there.
常見錯誤
2. the soldiers and combat units placed furthest forward in a military force, the o
前鋒部隊
部署在最前方迎敵的部隊
the soldiers and combat units placed furthest forward in a military force, the ones who meet the enemy first when fighting begins
Colonel Tamás drilled the front-line every morning before the regiment marched south.
在團部南下行軍前，Tamás 上校每天清晨操練前鋒部隊。
the front-line as the body of soldiers
The division's front-line was made up of young recruits from rural villages.
該師的前鋒部隊是由來自鄉村的年輕新兵組成。
be made up of + composition pattern
Heavy losses forced the army to rebuild its front-line from scratch.
慘重的傷亡迫使軍方從頭重建前鋒部隊。
Sora reviewed the photographs and counted only forty men in the entire front-line.
Sora 檢視照片，數出整個前鋒部隊只有四十人。
- reserves
troops kept back from the front-line to deploy later
文法句型
the front-line of [an army/division]
用法筆記
Refers to the people and units (a body of soldiers), not the place. Distinguish from sense 1, which is the geographic line.
3. a non-military situation where people are actively dealing with a difficult prob
第一線
親身面對危機壓力的崗位
a non-military situation where people are actively dealing with a difficult problem and feel the most pressure from it — for example, doctors during an outbreak or aid workers in a refugee camp
Nurses at the city hospital were on the front-line during the cholera outbreak in 2019.
2019 年霍亂爆發期間，市立醫院的護士站在第一線。
on the front-line of [health crisis]
Talia worked on the front-line of the housing crisis in São Paulo for almost a decade.
Talia 在聖保羅住宅危機的第一線工作了將近十年。
on the front-line of + named social problem
Teachers in rural schools are often on the front-line against child hunger.
鄉村學校的老師常常站在對抗兒童飢餓的第一線。
Aid workers from Geneva flew straight to the front-line of the earthquake response in Türkiye.
來自日內瓦的救援人員直接飛往土耳其地震救災的第一線。
- forefront
more abstract; emphasises being foremost rather than under pressure
- thick of it
informal; suggests being deeply involved in difficult work
文法句型
on the front-line of [a cause/issue]
the front-line against [problem]
用法筆記
Subject is usually people doing demanding work (nurses, social workers, aid teams). Distinguish from sense 1: the danger is metaphorical, not actual combat.
常見錯誤
4. the leading or most visible place in a particular field of work, where the newes
領先地位
某領域中最前沿且最受矚目的位置
the leading or most visible place in a particular field of work, where the newest ideas appear and the people doing the work get the most attention or responsibility
Dr. Tanvi placed her lab at the front-line of cancer immunotherapy research in India.
Dr. Tanvi 讓她的實驗室站上印度癌症免疫療法研究的領先地位。
at the front-line of [field of research]
The Lagos design studio sat at the front-line of African digital fashion for almost a decade.
拉哥斯的那家設計工作室將近十年都站在非洲數位時尚的領先地位。
at the front-line of + named industry trend
Three small companies in Taipei were now at the front-line of green-battery development.
台北有三家小公司如今已站上綠色電池研發的領先地位。
Layla wanted to study in Boston so she could work at the front-line of climate-policy research.
Layla 想到波士頓求學，這樣才能投身氣候政策研究的領先地位。
- cutting edge
informal; emphasises newest technology or methods
- vanguard
formal; the leading group of a movement or field
- backwater
a field or place that has been left behind by progress
文法句型
at the front-line of [a field]
in the front-line of [research/innovation]
用法筆記
The fixed preposition is 'at the front-line of'. Distinguish from sense 3: this is about being leading and visible, not about handling crisis pressure.
front-line — 形容詞
1. describing soldiers, equipment, or jobs that are placed at the part of a battlef
前線的
部署在戰場最前方的
describing soldiers, equipment, or jobs that are placed at the part of a battlefield closest to the enemy, where the actual fighting happens
Front-line troops in eastern Ukraine had not been rotated home for nine months.
烏克蘭東部的前線部隊已經九個月沒有輪調回國了。
front-line + troops — most common attributive pairing
Matthew trained as a front-line medic before joining the marine corps in 2018.
Matthew 在 2018 年加入海軍陸戰隊之前，受訓成為一名前線醫護兵。
front-line medic / nurse / surgeon
The factory near Wrocław supplied front-line vehicles with armour plates and spare parts.
弗羅茨瓦夫附近的工廠為前線車輛供應裝甲板與零件。
Élise's brother volunteered for front-line duty within a week of the invasion.
入侵發生後一週內，Élise 的哥哥就自願執行前線勤務。
- rear
describes troops, jobs, or supplies kept behind the front-line
文法句型
front-line + [troops/soldiers/units/medic]
用法筆記
Only used attributively (before the noun); cannot follow 'be' (you cannot say 'the troops were front-line'). Almost always paired with military people, jobs, or equipment.
常見錯誤
2. of the highest standard or best class in its category, used mainly of equipment,
頂級的
同類產品中品質最高的
of the highest standard or best class in its category, used mainly of equipment, products, or services that a buyer would judge as top of the market
The clinic in Charlotte had spent two million dollars on front-line imaging equipment.
夏洛特的這家診所已斥資兩百萬美元購置頂級的影像設備。
front-line equipment — typical product domain
Amelia upgraded her studio to front-line cameras before her first commercial shoot in Seoul.
Amelia 在首爾接下第一次商業攝影案之前，將工作室升級為頂級的相機。
front-line + camera/laptop/device (consumer products)
Toyota's dealer in Osaka quietly raised the price of every front-line hybrid model.
豐田在大阪的經銷商悄悄調高了每一款頂級的油電車售價。
Only a handful of hospitals in the region carried front-line cancer drugs in 2023.
2023 年該地區僅有少數幾間醫院備有頂級的抗癌藥物。
- top-of-the-line
more common in American English; same meaning
- first-rate
broader; can describe people, performance, or things
- premium
marketing-style; suggests luxury or higher price as well
- low-end
the cheapest or lowest-quality version in a product range
文法句型
front-line + [product/equipment]
用法筆記
Rare in everyday speech; mostly appears in product reviews, sales copy, and trade press. Distinguish from sense 1: nothing military is implied — it just means 'best in class'.