idleness
/ˈaɪdlnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈaɪdlnəs/ (ame, ipa)
idleness — 名詞
1. a situation where a machine, factory, or piece of land is not being used or prod
閒置
機器、廠房或土地停工未使用的狀態
a situation where a machine, factory, or piece of land is not being used or producing anything for a period of time
Months of idleness left the old paper mill rusting beside the river in Brandon's hometown.
好幾個月的閒置，讓 Brandon 家鄉那間老造紙廠生鏽地杵在河邊。
subject is a machine or facility no longer in operation
The crane's long idleness during the strike cost the construction company nearly two million dollars.
罷工期間起重機長時間閒置，讓那家建設公司損失了將近兩百萬美元。
noun + during + event causing the stoppage
Wren blamed the factory's idleness on the sudden drop in customer orders last winter.
Wren 把工廠的閒置歸咎於去年冬天客戶訂單突然下滑。
Years of idleness had turned the family's farmland into a wild meadow full of yellow flowers.
多年的閒置讓那戶人家的農地變成了開滿黃花的野地。
After three months of idleness, the fishing boats finally returned to the harbour at dawn.
經過三個月的閒置，漁船終於在天亮時回到了港口。
- inactivity
broader; covers people and things, less focused on production loss
- disuse
emphasises the state of being abandoned rather than a temporary pause
- operation
the state of a machine or facility actively running
用法筆記
Subject is typically a machine, factory, vehicle, or piece of land — not a person. Distinguish from sense 2 (people without jobs) and sense 3 (lazy character).
2. the situation in which a person has no paid work, often against their own wishes
失業
個人長期沒有工作可做的處境
the situation in which a person has no paid work, often against their own wishes, especially over a long stretch of time
After the mine closed, Min spent two years of unwanted idleness searching for any job nearby.
礦場關閉後，Min 在被迫失業的兩年裡到處找附近的工作機會。
unwanted / forced + idleness for involuntary joblessness
The long idleness following his injury made Emre feel useless and disconnected from his old workmates.
受傷後長時間的失業，讓 Emre 覺得自己沒用，也跟過去的工友脫了節。
Many older workers fear the idleness that often follows being pushed into early retirement.
許多年長的勞工很怕被逼提早退休後常出現的那種長期失業。
Sivan filled the empty hours of idleness with reading, walking by the sea, and writing short stories.
Sivan 用看書、沿海散步和寫短篇小說，填滿失業期間空閒的時間。
Forced idleness during the recession pushed thousands of skilled engineers out of the country.
經濟衰退時的被迫失業，把好幾千名有技術的工程師逼出了國門。
- unemployment
the standard term; more neutral and statistical
- joblessness
everyday equivalent; less formal
- employment
the state of having paid work
用法筆記
Refers to the condition of being without paid work, viewed as an external circumstance rather than a character trait. Distinguish from sense 3, where the lack of work comes from the person's own unwillingness.
3. the habit of avoiding work or effort because a person is lazy, viewed as a fault
懶散
因個性懶惰而不願工作或努力
the habit of avoiding work or effort because a person is lazy, viewed as a fault in their character
Sirin scolded her teenage son for his idleness and told him to find a weekend job soon.
Sirin 罵她那個十幾歲的兒子太懶散，叫他趕快去找份週末打工。
idleness as a personal fault, often criticised by others
Old folk sayings often warn that idleness leads people into bad habits and trouble.
民間古諺常提醒，懶散會把人帶向壞習慣和麻煩。
idleness as the subject of a moral lesson
Meera's grandmother believed that idleness was a worse sickness than any cold or fever.
Meera 的奶奶覺得，懶散比任何感冒或發燒都更難治。
Years of idleness had made Gabriela's cousin unable to keep even a simple part-time job.
多年的懶散讓 Gabriela 的表哥連最簡單的兼差都做不下去。
The teacher told the class that idleness in school often turns into regret in later life.
老師告訴全班，在學校的懶散日後常會變成深深的後悔。
- diligence
the habit of working hard and steadily
- industriousness
the quality of working with energy and focus
用法筆記
Used to describe a moral or character flaw; the person is seen as choosing not to work hard. Distinguish from sense 2, where the person wants a job but cannot find one.