ghosts
ghosts — 名詞
- ghostssingular
- ghostsesplural
1. the visible form or presence of a person who has died, which some people believe
鬼魂
人死後顯現的靈魂或形象
the visible form or presence of a person who has died, which some people believe can appear to the living
Yael woke up and saw a ghost standing at the foot of her bed.
Yael 醒來看見一個鬼魂站在她床尾。
collocation: saw a ghost
Local people say a ghost walks through the old castle halls at night.
當地人說晚上有個鬼魂在古城堡的大廳裡走動。
The children swore a friendly ghost lived inside the school library.
孩子們發誓學校圖書館裡住著一個友善的鬼魂。
used in storytelling: a friendly ghost
A ghost appeared on the bridge every year, on the same cold night.
每年同一個寒冷的夜晚，橋上都會出現一個鬼魂。
Some guests left the hotel after claiming a ghost touched their shoulders.
一些客人聲稱有鬼魂碰了他們的肩膀後就離開了旅館。
- ghost story
- ghost town
- see a ghost
- believe in ghosts
- spectre
more literary and almost always frightening
- phantom
suggests something mysterious and hard to see, common in gothic stories
- apparition
formal; emphasises the act of appearing, often in witness reports
- spirit
broader term for any non-physical being, not necessarily a dead person
文法句型
see a ghost
believe in ghosts
ghost of + person
2. a painful memory of a bad event or person that stays in your mind and continues
陰影
痛苦記憶如鬼魂般困擾心靈
a painful memory of a bad event or person that stays in your mind and continues to upset you long afterwards
Joon could not shake the ghost of the terrible year he spent in hospital.
Joon 無法擺脫在醫院度過的那可怕一年的陰影。
collocation: the ghost of [bad experience]
The ghost of that car crash stayed with Gabriela for the rest of her life.
那場車禍的陰影伴隨 Gabriela 度過餘生。
Noor carried the ghost of her mother's final words everywhere she went.
Noor 隨身背負著母親臨終話語的陰影。
pattern: carry the ghost of [something]
Even after ten years, Quan was still troubled by the ghost of his divorce.
即使十年後，離婚的陰影仍然困擾著 Quan。
Imani felt the ghost of that one cruel remark each time she spoke in public.
Imani 每次公開演講時都能感受到那句刻薄話的陰影。
- the ghost of [something]
- be haunted by the ghost of
- carry the ghost of
文法句型
the ghost of + bad experience
carry the ghost of + something
be haunted by the ghost of + something
用法筆記
Almost always used in the pattern 'the ghost of [something bad]'. The noun after 'of' is usually a painful event, memory, or feeling.
3. a writer who produces a book, article, or speech for another person, who then pu
代筆人
為他人寫作但不署名的作者
a writer who produces a book, article, or speech for another person, who then puts their own name on the work as if they had written it
The actor paid a ghost to write his entire life story.
那位演員花錢請了一位代筆人來寫他的整個人生故事。
informal shortening: a ghost = a ghostwriter
Emily worked for years as a ghost, writing speeches for city politicians.
Emily 多年來擔任代筆人，為市政府官員撰寫演講稿。
That popular cookbook was written by a ghost, not the chef on the cover.
那本受歡迎的食譜是代筆人寫的，不是封面上微笑的廚師。
passive: was written by a ghost
A good ghost can copy a client's voice so well that nobody notices.
優秀的代筆人能模仿客戶的語氣，讓人不察覺。
After ten years as a ghost, Gabriela published a novel under her own name.
當了十年代筆人後，Gabriela 終於用自己的名字出版了小說。
- work as a ghost
- hire a ghost
- use a ghost
- ghostwriter
the full, formal form; preferred in serious writing
- co-writer
shares credit publicly with the named author
- scribe
old-fashioned general term for a writer or copyist, not specifically anonymous
文法句型
work as a ghost
hire a ghost
a ghost + writes/produces + work
用法筆記
This is the informal shortening of 'ghostwriter'. In formal writing, use the full word 'ghostwriter' instead.
常見錯誤
4. the smallest possible amount or sign of something, used when there is almost non
一絲
極微量的痕跡或跡象
the smallest possible amount or sign of something, used when there is almost none at all
Not a ghost of a smile appeared on Wren's face during the long ceremony.
整個漫長儀式中，Wren 臉上沒有一絲笑容。
fixed phrase: not a ghost of [something]
Apinya looked through the files but found not a ghost of evidence anywhere.
Apinya 翻遍了檔案，卻找不到一絲證據。
The team showed not a ghost of their old fighting spirit and lost badly.
這支隊伍沒有展現一絲往日的鬥志，慘敗收場。
negative construction: showed not a ghost of
A ghost of doubt passed through Jisoo's mind before she signed the papers.
Jisoo 在簽文件前，心中掠過一絲懷疑。
By midnight there was not a ghost of sound in the whole building.
午夜時分，整棟建築裡沒有一絲聲響。
- not a ghost of
- without a ghost of
文法句型
not a ghost of + noun
without a ghost of + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used in negative constructions: 'not a ghost of', 'without a ghost of'. The rare positive use (as in example 4) is literary.
常見錯誤
ghosts — 動詞
- ghostspresent simple I / you / we / they
- ghostses3rd person singular
- ghostsing-ing form
- ghostsedpast simple
1. to suddenly and completely stop speaking to someone without giving them any reas
斷聯
突然中斷所有聯繫而不解釋
to suddenly and completely stop speaking to someone without giving them any reason, especially after a romantic relationship
Joon went on three dates with her, then ghosted her without a single message.
Joon 和她約會三次後，連一條訊息都沒發就斷聯了。
collocation: ghost someone = cut off contact without explanation
After months of daily messages, Wren suddenly ghosted me and blocked my number.
聊了幾個月後，Wren 突然斷聯並封鎖了我的號碼。
Noor felt heartbroken when her best friend ghosted her before the wedding.
閨蜜在婚禮前夕斷聯，Noor 感到傷心欲絕。
emotional context: ghosting between close friends
Dimitri stared at his silent phone all evening, knowing Keiko had ghosted him for good.
Dimitri 整晚盯著無聲的手機，知道 Keiko 已經永遠斷聯了他。
past perfect: had ghosted [someone] = had cut off contact
Imani ghosted the company after they offered her half the expected salary.
公司開出的薪資只有她要求的一半，Imani 便斷聯了。
professional context: ghosting an employer
- ghost someone
- get ghosted
- be ghosted by
文法句型
ghost + someone
be ghosted (passive)
用法筆記
Always takes a direct object (the person). Most common in dating and friendship contexts, but now also used for professional situations. Distinguish from verb sense 3 (MOVE SILENTLY), which takes a direction word rather than a person as object.
常見錯誤
2. to produce a book, article, or speech that will be published under someone else'
代筆
為他人撰寫並由他人署名
to produce a book, article, or speech that will be published under someone else's name, with you receiving no public credit
Yael ghosted the footballer's autobiography and received a large cheque for it.
Yael 為那位足球明星代筆自傳，拿到了豐厚的報酬。
ghost + [work produced] = write it for another person
Alessia ghosted dozens of magazine articles for a well-known fashion editor.
Alessia 為一位知名時尚編輯代筆了數十篇雜誌文章。
A team of writers ghosted the politician's speeches during the election campaign.
一個寫手團隊在整場選戰期間為那位政治人物代筆演講稿。
Quan ghosted three bestselling novels before anyone in the industry learned his name.
Quan 代筆了三本暢銷小說，業界才得知他的名字。
The senator paid a young reporter to ghost her weekly column in the national paper.
那位參議員花錢請了一位年輕記者為她在全國性報紙上代筆每週專欄。
infinitive pattern: paid [someone] to ghost [something]
- ghost an autobiography
- ghost a memoir
- ghost a column
- ghostwrite
the full verb form; preferred in formal contexts
- draft
more general; drafting can be done openly with shared credit
- pen
informal verb for writing, especially a speech or letter, without the secrecy implied by 'ghost'
文法句型
ghost + book/article/speech
ghost + autobiography/memoir
用法筆記
Takes a direct object (the thing written): 'She ghosted the novel' not 'She ghosted for the novel.'
常見錯誤
3. to move through a place so smoothly and quietly that other people hardly notice
悄然移動
安靜無聲地穿行
to move through a place so smoothly and quietly that other people hardly notice you are there
The cat ghosted through the open window without making the smallest sound.
那隻貓悄然穿過敞開的窗戶，沒發出一點聲音。
ghost + through + place = move silently
Gabriela ghosted past the sleeping guard and slipped into the dark hallway.
Gabriela 悄然繞過熟睡的警衛，溜進後面昏暗的走廊。
The yacht ghosted across the still bay as the evening light began to fade.
遊艇在暮色中悄然滑過平靜的海灣。
Apinya ghosted down the stairs, hoping nobody in the house would hear her leave.
Apinya 悄然走下樓梯，希望屋裡沒人聽見她離開。
The owl ghosted over the field, its wings silent in the cold night air.
貓頭鷹悄然掠過田野，翅膀在寒冷的夜空中無聲無息。
animal subject: an owl ghosted over [landscape]
- ghost through
- ghost past
- ghost down
- ghost along
文法句型
ghost + through/past/down/along + place
用法筆記
Always intransitive and followed by a word showing direction — 'through', 'past', 'down', 'along', 'across', or 'over'. The subject can be a person, animal, or even a boat or vehicle moving silently.
常見錯誤
4. to follow or trouble someone like a restless spirit, so that a memory, fear, or
糾纏
如鬼魂般縈繞不去
to follow or trouble someone like a restless spirit, so that a memory, fear, or feeling never truly leaves them
The memory of that battle ghosted Joon for the rest of his life.
那場戰役的記憶在 Joon 的餘生中不斷糾纏著他。
literary: [memory] + ghosted + [person] = haunted persistently
An old feeling of guilt ghosted Quan through every happy moment that followed.
一股舊日的罪惡感在 Quan 後來每個快樂時刻中糾纏著他。
The same nightmare ghosted Imani's sleep, night after night, for almost a year.
同一個噩夢夜復一夜糾纏著 Imani 的睡眠，持續將近一年。
pattern: nightmare + ghosted + someone's sleep
Alessia felt the fear of failure ghosting her every step of the long climb.
Alessia 感到對失敗的恐懼在漫長攀登的每一步中糾纏著她。
An old promise ghosted Apinya through each quiet moment of the long winter.
一個舊日承諾在漫長冬季的每個寂靜時刻糾纏著 Apinya。
文法句型
memory/feeling + ghosts + person
nightmare + ghosts + someone's sleep
用法筆記
Literary and rare. Most common in fiction or poetry. The subject is typically a memory, feeling, or fear — not a person. Do not confuse with verb sense 1 (CUT OFF CONTACT), where the subject is a person ghosting another person.
同根字
- ghostly形容詞B2
- ghostliness名詞C2
- ghostwriter名詞C1
- ghostwritten形容詞C1
- ghosting名詞B2