heirs
heirs — 名詞
1. A person who is entitled by law to receive money, property, or a title from a fa
繼承人
依法獲得死者財產者
A person who is entitled by law to receive money, property, or a title from a family member or other person after that person dies.
When Eleanor's grandfather passed away, she was named the sole heir to his estate in the countryside.
Eleanor 的祖父過世後，她被指定為鄉間莊園的唯一繼承人。
sole heir to [estate] — specifying exclusive inheritance
The lawyer read the will aloud while all the potential heirs sat nervously around the table.
律師大聲宣讀遺囑，所有可能的繼承人緊張地圍坐在桌旁。
potential heirs — those who may inherit under a will
Haruto discovered that he was the legal heir to his great-aunt's antique jewellery collection.
Haruto 發現自己是姨婆那批古董珠寶的法定繼承人。
Without a written will, the court decides who the rightful heirs to the deceased person's assets are.
如果沒有書面遺囑，就由法院來判定誰是死者資產的合法繼承人。
- beneficiary
A beneficiary receives benefits from a will or trust but is not necessarily the same as an heir, who inherits by law.
- legatee
A technical legal term referring to someone who receives a specific item under a will.
- inheritor
A more general and neutral term; 'heir' carries stronger legal weight and a sense of entitlement.
- testator
The person who writes the will and leaves the property, not the one who receives it.
- disinherited
A person who has been deliberately removed from the right to inherit.
用法筆記
Often paired with 'to' (heir to the throne, heir to the fortune) or 'of' (heir of a wealthy family). Frequently appears in legal or estate-planning contexts.
常見錯誤
2. A person who must deal with a difficult problem or an ongoing situation created
承接者
承接前人遺留問題者
A person who must deal with a difficult problem or an ongoing situation created by people before them.
Priya felt like the heir to a decade of mismanagement when she took over the failing family business.
Priya 接手虧損的家族企業時，感覺自己成了十年管理不善的承接者。
heir to [abstract burdens like mismanagement]
The new mayor became the unwilling heir to a city budget crisis that had been building for years.
新任市長不情願地成了城市預算危機的承接者，而這個危機已醞釀多年。
unwilling heir to [problem] — inheriting without choice
Kofi and his siblings were the heirs to their father's mounting debts after he fled the country.
Kofi 和兄弟姊妹在父親逃往國外後，被迫承擔他留下的鉅額債務。
Environmental activists argue that we are all heirs to the damage caused by decades of unchecked pollution.
環保人士認為，我們全都是數十年來放任污染的承接者。
- creator
The person who created the problem, as opposed to the one who must deal with it afterwards.
用法筆記
Used figuratively. The 'inheritance' is almost always something negative — debt, conflict, crisis, or neglect. Often followed by 'to' + a problem or situation.
常見錯誤
3. A person who continues the creative work, artistic tradition, or professional ro
接班人
延續前人工作或風格者
A person who continues the creative work, artistic tradition, or professional role of someone who has died or moved on.
Many young jazz musicians from Tokyo and Seoul see themselves as heirs to the bebop tradition.
許多來自東京和首爾的年輕爵士樂手，視自己為咆勃爵士傳統的接班人。
heirs to [tradition] — continuing a cultural or artistic legacy
After the renowned architect retired, Sofia was widely regarded as the heir to his design philosophy.
那位著名建築師退休後，Sofia 被公認為其設計理念的接班人。
Thomas considered himself the heir of a long line of master potters stretching back five generations.
Thomas 自認是傳承五代陶藝大師的接班人。
The literary prize was awarded to a novelist who is often called the heir of Gabriel García Márquez.
這位小說家獲頒文學獎，他被譽為 Gabriel García Márquez 風格的接班人。
- successor
More general and neutral; 'heir' in this sense implies a closer spiritual or creative connection.
- follower
Less committed to the idea of continuation; a follower simply admires, while an heir actively carries on the work.
- descendant
Refers to bloodline; 'heir' here is about work and influence, not family.
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1, this sense does not involve legal rights or property. It focuses on carrying forward a body of work, style, or philosophy. Can use either 'heir to' or 'heir of' when referring to a specific predecessor.
常見錯誤
heirs — 動詞
1. To receive money, property, or a title through inheritance when someone dies. Th
繼承（古語）
古語，指繼承財產
To receive money, property, or a title through inheritance when someone dies. This verb form is very old-fashioned and rarely used in modern English; 'inherit' is the standard choice today.
In old legal documents, one might read that Sir William heired the manor and all its lands upon his father's death.
在古老的法律文件中，人們可能會讀到 William 爵士在父親過世後繼承了莊園與所有土地。
archaic verb form — used in historical or legal writing only
The ancient charter states that only the eldest son may heir the family title without challenge.
這份古代特許狀規定，只有長子才能不受挑戰地繼承家族爵位。
Scholars translating sixteenth-century wills often encounter the word 'heired' instead of 'inherited'.
翻譯十六世紀遺囑的學者常常碰到 heired 這個詞，而不是 inherited。
- inherit
The standard modern synonym; use 'inherit' in all current contexts.
- disinherit
To deliberately prevent someone from inheriting.
文法句型
heir + noun phrase
用法筆記
This verb is extremely rare in contemporary English. Learners should use 'inherit' in all modern contexts. You are most likely to encounter 'heir' as a verb in historical fiction, old legal texts, or poetry.