in secret
in secret — 慣用語
1. doing something without letting other people see or know about it, usually by go
祕密地；私下
不讓他人知道或看見
doing something without letting other people see or know about it, usually by going to a private or hidden place.
João and his sister met in secret to plan their father's surprise birthday party.
João 和他妹妹祕密見面，籌劃父親的驚喜生日派對。
collocation: meet in secret / plan in secret
The resistance group held their meetings in secret deep inside the old forest.
那個反抗團體在森林深處祕密開會。
Nadia had been learning Mandarin in secret so that she could surprise her colleagues.
Nadia 一直在偷偷學中文，為的就是讓同事們大吃一驚。
The two reporters shared information in secret to avoid attracting the editor's attention.
那兩位記者私下交換資訊，以免引起主編的注意。
pattern: do X in secret to avoid Y
Takeshi signed up for the dance competition in secret and told his wife after he won.
Takeshi 偷偷報名了舞蹈比賽，贏了之後才告訴太太。
- meet in secret
- plan in secret
- get married in secret
- operate in secret
- secretly
adverb form; more versatile in sentence position ('secretly recorded' vs 'recorded in secret').
- privately
emphasises the exclusion of other people rather than the hidden nature of the action.
- behind closed doors
more figurative and typically used for formal or official matters kept from the public.
常見錯誤
2. only inside someone's own mind, without telling or showing other people what the
暗自；在心中
只在內心而不告訴他人
only inside someone's own mind, without telling or showing other people what they are thinking or feeling.
Noa kept her childhood dream of becoming an astronaut in secret for many years.
Noa 多年來一直把當太空人的童年夢想藏在心底。
collocation: keep [something] in secret
Ayana had always admired the old house in secret, never mentioning it to anyone.
Ayana 一直暗自欣賞那棟老房子，從未對任何人提起。
Karim nursed his disappointment in secret, letting no one see how upset he really felt.
Karim 暗自消化他的失望，不讓任何人看出他有多難過。
Dahlia began writing poetry in secret, filling a small notebook that she hid under her mattress.
Dahlia 偷偷開始寫詩，把一本小筆記本藏在床墊下。
pattern: do X in secret (creative/emotional activity kept hidden)
Cyrus hoped in secret that his boss would notice his hard work and promote him.
Cyrus 暗自希望老闆能注意到他的努力，給他升遷的機會。
- hope in secret
- keep in secret
- wish in secret
- admire in secret
- inwardly
more formal; emphasises the contrast between inner feeling and outer behaviour.
- to oneself
less common; suggests keeping a thought or opinion private rather than an ongoing feeling.
- deep down
informal; focuses on a fundamental but hidden feeling or belief.
用法筆記
This sense describes internal, unexpressed states (hopes, dreams, feelings, opinions). Distinguish from sense 1, which describes physical actions done away from others' view.