hobble
/ˈhɒbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɑːbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhä-bəl/ (ame, mw)
hobble — 動詞
- hobblepresent simple I / you / we / they
- hobbleshe / she / it
- hobbledpast simple
- hobbling-ing form
1. to take short, jerky steps when walking, typically because one leg or foot is pa
跛行；蹣跚
因腿腳受傷而走路不穩的樣子
to take short, jerky steps when walking, typically because one leg or foot is painful or damaged
Andre hobbled to the bench after hurting his ankle at football training.
Andre 在足球訓練中弄傷腳踝後，一拐一拐地走到長椅旁。
hobbled + to/toward [place]
The old dog hobbled across the kitchen floor to reach its water bowl.
那隻老狗一拐一拐地穿過廚房地板，去喝水盆裡的水。
hobbled + across [surface]
Grandma Chen hobbled up the front steps, using her walking stick for support.
陳奶奶用拐杖撐著，一拐一拐地走上門前台階。
Yuki hobbled into the clinic with a swollen knee from the skiing accident.
Yuki 因滑雪意外膝蓋腫脹，一拐一拐地走進診所。
After the long mountain hike, several walkers were hobbling back to the car park.
長途登山後，好幾位健行者一拐一拐地走回停車場。
文法句型
hobble + adverb or preposition of direction
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person or animal with an injured leg or foot. The word emphasises the short, uneven quality of the steps.
常見錯誤
2. to restrict what a person or organisation can do, slowing down their progress or
阻礙；限制
使某人或某事難以順利進行或自由行動
to restrict what a person or organisation can do, slowing down their progress or limiting their freedom to act
Strict new visa rules have hobbled the company's plans to hire skilled engineers from abroad.
嚴格的新簽證規定阻礙了公司從海外聘請技術工程師的計畫。
hobbled + [plans/efforts] — object is abstract
A severe shortage of medical supplies hobbled the rescue effort after the earthquake.
醫療物資嚴重短缺，阻礙了地震後的救援工作。
The sudden change in regulations has seriously hobbled small businesses trying to expand overseas.
法規的突然改變嚴重限制了小型企業向海外擴張。
Years of underfunding have severely hobbled the public health system in rural areas.
多年來資金不足，嚴重阻礙了偏遠地區公共衛生體系的發展。
Constant interruptions from phone calls hobbled Wei's attempts to finish the report on time.
不斷的電話干擾阻礙了 Wei 準時完成報告的嘗試。
- facilitate
make a process or action easier
- enable
give someone the means or freedom to do something
文法句型
hobble + noun phrase
be hobbled by + noun phrase
用法筆記
Object is typically an abstract concept (plans, efforts, growth, progress) rather than a physical thing. Common in news and formal writing.
常見錯誤
3. to bind an animal's front and back legs with a strap so it stays nearby and cann
綁腿；絆足
用繩帶綁住動物的腿以防走遠
to bind an animal's front and back legs with a strap so it stays nearby and cannot wander off
The farmer hobbled his horse before letting it graze near the riverbank.
農夫把馬的腿綁住，然後讓牠在河岸附近吃草。
hobbled + [horse] — animal as direct object
Boris hobbled the donkey each evening so it would not wander into the neighbour's field.
Boris 每晚都把驢子的腿綁起來，免得牠跑到鄰居的田裡。
The ranch hands quickly hobbled all the horses before setting up camp for the night.
牧場工人迅速把所有馬匹的腿綁好，然後搭建過夜的營地。
Deepa learned how to hobble a goat during her stay at the mountain farm.
Deepa 在山間農場停留期間學會了如何綁住山羊的腿。
The guides hobbled the mules and sat down to rest in the shade of a large tree.
嚮導們把騾子的腿綁好後，坐在大樹蔭下休息。
文法句型
hobble + animal
用法筆記
Object must be an animal, typically a horse, donkey, or mule. Rare in everyday English; found mostly in farming, ranching, or historical contexts.
常見錯誤
hobble — 名詞
1. a way of walking that is unsteady and awkward, with short jerky steps, usually c
跛行
因腿傷而走路不穩的姿態
a way of walking that is unsteady and awkward, with short jerky steps, usually caused by pain in the leg
Lucia walked with a noticeable hobble after the long race on the beach.
Lucia 在海灘長跑後走起路來明顯一拐一拐的。
walked with a hobble — common pattern
The old man's hobble became worse as the weather turned cold and damp.
天氣變得又冷又濕之後，老人走起路來跛得更厲害了。
Tariq tried to hide his hobble when the coach walked past the changing room.
教練走過更衣室時，Tariq 試著掩飾自己一拐一拐的走法。
A stone in her shoe gave Guo an odd hobble for the rest of the walk home.
鞋子裡的一顆小石子讓 Guo 回家路上走起路來怪怪的。
The horse had a slight hobble, so the vet checked its front left hoof.
那匹馬走路有點跛，所以獸醫檢查了牠的左前蹄。
2. a tricky or problematic position that is hard to get out of smoothly
困境；窘境
令人為難或難以擺脫的處境
a tricky or problematic position that is hard to get out of smoothly
Emeka found himself in a hobble when both clients arrived at the same time.
兩位客戶同時到達，讓 Emeka 陷入了困境。
in a hobble — fixed prepositional phrase
The mayor's careless remark landed the council in a political hobble.
市長的一句失言讓市議會陷入了政治困境。
Missing the last train put Pablo in a real hobble on the edge of town.
錯過末班火車讓 Pablo 在城鎮邊緣陷入了窘境。
A sudden funding cut left the school in a serious financial hobble.
突如其來的資金削減讓學校陷入了嚴重的財務困境。
Forgetting his passport at the hotel put Guo in a hobble at the airport.
Guo 把護照忘在飯店，在機場陷入了窘境。
- predicament
more formal and widely used; suitable for writing and speech
- fix
very common informal word for a difficult situation
- jam
informal; implies being trapped or stuck
- pickle
very informal and old-fashioned; lighthearted in tone
用法筆記
Rare in modern English; mostly found in older British informal usage. The phrase 'in a hobble' is the most common pattern.
3. a band or strap placed around an animal's legs to stop it from moving far away
絆繩；腳枷
綁在動物腿上限制其行動的繩具
a band or strap placed around an animal's legs to stop it from moving far away
The cowboy loosened the hobble on the mare before leading her to the stream.
牛仔鬆開母馬腿上的絆繩，然後牽著牠走到河邊。
loosened the hobble — verb + hobble collocation
Umi made a simple hobble from old rope to keep the goat near the vegetable patch.
Umi 用舊繩子做了一條簡單的絆繩，把山羊留在菜園附近。
The leather hobble had worn thin and needed to be replaced before the next trek.
那條皮製絆繩已經磨薄了，必須在下次長途旅行前更換。
Pablo checked each hobble to make sure the horses could graze but not wander off.
Pablo 檢查每一條絆繩，確保馬可以吃草但不會走遠。
A broken hobble let one of the donkeys stray into the cornfield overnight.
一條斷掉的絆繩讓其中一頭驢子夜裡跑進了玉米田。