gam
gam — 名詞
1. a person's leg, used in old-fashioned or joking language; one of the two limbs t
腿
腿的通俗或過時說法
a person's leg, used in old-fashioned or joking language; one of the two limbs that people stand and walk on, referred to in a playful or dated way
The old fisherman rubbed his sore gam after standing all day.
老漁夫站了一整天後，揉了揉他痠痛的腿。
possessive adjective + gam (sore)
'Watch where you swing your gams,' the dance teacher called out.
「注意你甩腿的位置，」舞蹈老師喊道。
plural form: gams
Grandpa complained that his gam was too weak for the long walk.
爺爺抱怨他的腿已經撐不了長途走路了。
The children giggled when their uncle called his leg a gam.
孩子們聽到舅舅把腿叫作 gam 時咯咯笑了起來。
文法句型
gam + [possessive adjective]
often humorous or old-fashioned
用法筆記
This sense is now very old-fashioned or used for humorous effect. A modern speaker would almost always say 'leg' instead.
常見錯誤
2. a friendly social visit or long conversation, especially between the crews of di
敘談；聚會
捕鯨船員間的海上交談或拜訪
a friendly social visit or long conversation, especially between the crews of different ships when they meet at sea, and particularly among whaling vessels in the 19th century
The two whaling ships pulled alongside each other for a gam.
兩艘捕鯨船並排停下，進行了一場敘談。
gam + for (purpose)
During the gam, the sailors exchanged maps and stories about storms.
在敘談中，船員們交換了地圖和關於暴風雨的故事。
during the gam
Captain Larsen held a gam with the crew of the passing brig.
拉森船長與經過的雙桅帆船船員舉行了一場敘談。
After weeks alone at sea, a gam was a welcome break for all hands.
在海上孤獨數週後，一場敘談對所有船員來說都是受歡迎的休息。
The lookout announced a ship on the horizon, and the men prepared for a gam.
瞭望員通報地平線上有船，船員們便準備進行敘談。
- chat
general modern term for informal talk
- visit
focuses on the social call rather than the conversation itself
- conversation
more neutral and formal
文法句型
gam + between [ships/crews]
gam + with [person/crew]
hold/have a gam
用法筆記
This sense is historically tied to the 19th-century whaling industry and was famously used in Herman Melville's 'Moby-Dick'. You will rarely encounter it in modern speech except in historical novels or discussions of whaling.
常見錯誤
3. a group of whales that swim together; a herd or school of whales, especially as
鯨群
一群在一起游泳的鯨魚
a group of whales that swim together; a herd or school of whales, especially as seen from a ship
The lookout spotted a large gam of humpbacks near the coast.
瞭望員在海岸附近發現了一大群座頭鯨。
gam of + species + location
The whalers chased a gam of sperm whales for three days.
捕鯨人追趕一群抹香鯨追了三天。
Scientists counted forty-two animals in that single gam.
科學家在那個鯨群中數到了四十二隻動物。
The fishing boat sailed right through a gam of feeding right whales.
漁船直接駛過了一群正在進食的露脊鯨。
A gam usually stays together while migrating or feeding.
鯨群通常在遷徙或進食時會聚在一起。
文法句型
gam + of + [number] + whales
a gam of [type of whale]
用法筆記
Although this term belongs to whaling history, it is still used in some marine-biology writing alongside the more common 'pod'. 'Pod' is the standard modern word for a group of whales or dolphins.
常見錯誤
gam — 動詞
- gampresent simple I / you / we / they
- gams3rd person singular
- gamming-ing form
- gammedpast simple
1. to have a friendly talk or social visit with someone, especially between sailors
閒談；敘舊
船員間進行友好的聊天或社交拜訪
to have a friendly talk or social visit with someone, especially between sailors from different ships when they meet at sea — a practice common among 19th-century whalers
The two captains gammed for hours about currents and whale sightings.
兩位船長聊了幾個小時洋流和鯨魚的蹤跡。
gam + about + topic
Whenever ships met, the crews would gam and trade news from home.
每當船隻相遇，船員們就會閒談並交換家鄉的消息。
would gam (habitual past)
The sailors gammed with the crew of a passing schooner until dusk.
水手們與一艘經過的縱帆船船員敘舊直到黃昏。
After the storm, the fishermen gammed to share what they had seen.
暴風雨過後，漁民們閒談著分享各自所見。
The two ships gammed briefly before going their separate ways.
兩艘船短暫敘談後便各自繼續航行了。
文法句型
gam + with [person]
gam + about [topic]
用法筆記
This verb is used without an object. You cannot 'gam someone' — you 'gam with' someone. It appears almost exclusively in historical writing about the whaling era.
常見錯誤
2. to spend a period of time in friendly conversation or chatting; to pass or fill
聊天度過
以交談打發時間
to spend a period of time in friendly conversation or chatting; to pass or fill time by talking
The old friends gammed away the afternoon on the porch.
老朋友們在門廊上聊了一整個下午。
gam away + [time period]
Aiko and Lin gammed the whole evening, not noticing how dark it had become.
Aiko 和 Lin 聊了整個晚上，完全沒注意到天色已暗。
gam + [time period] (no 'away')
The neighbors gammed the morning over coffee and fresh bread.
鄰居們喝著咖啡吃著新鮮麵包，聊天度過了上午。
We gammed away several hours while waiting for the train.
我們邊等火車邊聊天打發了幾個小時。
The sisters gammed a quiet Sunday on the garden bench.
姊妹倆在花園長椅上聊天度過了一個寧靜的星期日。
- chat away
modern equivalent; also takes a time period
- spend time talking
more formal and descriptive
- while away
similar meaning, but does not specify the activity
文法句型
gam + away + [time period]
gam + [time period]
用法筆記
This transitive sense takes a time period as its object ('gam the evening away'). The particle 'away' is common but optional. Distinguish from verb sense 1: here the focus is on using up time, not on meeting another ship.