jams
jams — 名詞
- jamssingular
- jamsesplural
1. a sweet spread for bread, made by boiling fruit with sugar until the mixture bec
果醬
以水果加糖熬煮成的甜麵包抹醬
a sweet spread for bread, made by boiling fruit with sugar until the mixture becomes thick and soft
Lucas spread strawberry jam on his toast every morning before school.
Lucas 每天上學前都會在吐司上抹草莓果醬。
collocation: strawberry jam / spread jam on toast
Amelia baked a sponge cake with a thick layer of raspberry jam in the middle.
Amelia 烤了一個海綿蛋糕，中間夾了厚厚一層覆盆子果醬。
The children made jam sandwiches and packed them for the picnic.
孩子們做了果醬三明治，打包好帶去野餐。
Karim's grandmother sent him a jar of homemade apricot jam from the village.
Karim 的奶奶從村裡寄了一罐自製的杏桃果醬給他。
Eri bought three different flavours of jam at the weekend farmers' market.
Eri 在週末的農夫市集買了三種不同口味的果醬。
2. a long line of vehicles on a road that cannot move or can only crawl forward bec
塞車；堵車
車輛因道路擁擠而無法前進
a long line of vehicles on a road that cannot move or can only crawl forward because there are too many cars
Faisal was stuck in a traffic jam for nearly an hour on the motorway.
Faisal 在高速公路上塞車塞了將近一個小時。
collocation: traffic jam / stuck in a jam
Wren left home before sunrise to avoid the morning jam on the ring road.
Wren 天還沒亮就出門，以避開環城路上的早高峰塞車。
A serious jam on the bridge delayed the bus by forty minutes.
橋上一場嚴重的堵車讓公車延誤了四十分鐘。
Piotr checked his phone for news of the jam before starting the engine.
Piotr 發動引擎前先用手機查了一下塞車情況。
There was a five-kilometre jam after the accident near the tunnel entrance.
隧道入口附近發生事故後，造成了長達五公里的堵車。
- gridlock
a jam so bad that no vehicle can move at all
- congestion
more formal word for heavy traffic, often used in official reports
- tailback
British English; a long line of stationary or slow-moving traffic
- bottleneck
a jam caused by a narrow section of road
常見錯誤
3. a problem where something gets stuck inside a machine and stops the parts from w
卡紙；堵塞
異物卡在機器內導致無法運作
a problem where something gets stuck inside a machine and stops the parts from working properly
Sirin had to clear a paper jam from the office printer three separate times that morning.
Sirin 那天早上不得不清理了辦公室印表機的卡紙，一連三次。
collocation: paper jam / clear a jam
The photocopier stopped midway through the job because of a jam in the feeder tray.
影印機印到一半就停了，因為進紙盤卡住了。
Eri pulled the crumpled sheet out carefully so the jam would not get worse.
Eri 小心翼翼地將皺掉的紙拉出來，以免卡紙更嚴重。
A coin jam in the vending machine meant nobody could buy a cold drink.
自動販賣機裡卡了一枚硬幣，誰都買不到冷飲。
Andrés called a technician when he could not clear the jam inside the shredder.
Andrés 沒辦法清掉碎紙機裡的堵塞，只好叫了維修人員。
- blockage
more general; can refer to pipes, drains, or body passages as well as machines
- obstruction
formal; often used in technical or legal contexts
- clog
more often used for pipes and drains than for machines
用法筆記
Most often used with machines that handle paper, such as printers and photocopiers. The phrase 'paper jam' is the most common collocation.
4. a tricky problem or awkward spot that a person finds hard to get out of, used ma
困境；麻煩
難以脫身的困難處境（口語）
a tricky problem or awkward spot that a person finds hard to get out of, used mainly in casual speech
Nkechi found herself in a jam when she lost her wallet on the last train home.
Nkechi 在末班火車上弄丟了錢包，發現自己陷入了困境。
collocation: in a jam
Esteban asked his cousin for help getting out of a financial jam after the move.
Esteban 搬家後手頭很緊，向表哥求助以擺脫財務困境。
collocation: get out of a jam
I am in a real jam — the report is due tomorrow and my laptop just crashed.
我真的遇上麻煩了——報告明天就要交，筆電卻剛剛當機了。
Lucas turned to his older sister when he got into a jam with his landlord.
Lucas 跟房東起了糾紛，就去找他姊姊幫忙解圍。
The team was in a serious jam when its two best players were injured before the final.
球隊兩名主力在決賽前受傷，陷入了嚴重的困境。
- predicament
formal equivalent; appropriate for writing and serious contexts
- fix
equally informal; often used in 'in a fix'
- pickle
old-fashioned informal British word for the same idea
- bind
informal; especially common in American English
用法筆記
Almost always used in the phrases 'in a jam' or 'get out of a jam.' Never used in formal writing; use 'predicament' or 'difficulty' instead.
5. a crowded situation in which so many people are packed into one place that there
擠滿；擁擠
人群擠在一起、空間不足的狀況
a crowded situation in which so many people are packed into one place that there is hardly any room to move
Karim pushed through the jam of shoppers at the market entrance on Saturday.
Karim 週六在市場入口擠過密密麻麻的購物人群。
collocation: a jam of + [people]
It was such a jam in the lift that Amelia could barely turn around.
電梯裡擠得要命，Amelia 連轉身都很困難。
Faisal took one look at the jam inside the café and decided to come back later.
Faisal 看了一眼咖啡館裡人山人海的樣子，決定晚點再來。
There was a jam of excited fans at the stage door waiting for autographs.
舞台門口擠滿了興奮的歌迷，等著要簽名。
Wren lost sight of her friends in the jam near the ticket counter.
Wren 在售票處附近的人群中跟朋友走散了。
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (TRAFFIC): this sense describes crowds of people, not vehicles. Often used with 'a jam of' followed by a group noun.
6. an informal event where musicians gather to play together freely, trying out ide
即興演奏會
樂手聚在一起自由即興演奏的活動
an informal event where musicians gather to play together freely, trying out ideas without a fixed programme, usually in jazz or rock styles
Piotr brought his saxophone to the weekly jam at a club on the east side.
Piotr 帶著他的薩克斯風去東區一家俱樂部參加每週的即興演奏會。
collocation: weekly jam / jam at a club
Sirin joined a blues jam at a tiny bar and played until two in the morning.
Sirin 在一家小酒吧參加了一場藍調即興演奏，一直玩到凌晨兩點。
The guitarist and the drummer started a late-night jam once the main set ended.
吉他手和鼓手在主要演出結束後，又即興合奏到深夜。
Eri had never played in an open jam before and felt her hands shaking on stage.
Eri 以前從未參加過公開的即興演奏會，站在台上雙手直發抖。
Andrés met his future bandmates at a Sunday afternoon jam three years ago.
Andrés 三年前在一個週日下午的即興演奏會上認識了後來的團員。
- jam session
the full form; clearer for people who are not musicians
- improv session
stresses the unplanned, creative aspect of the gathering
用法筆記
Short for 'jam session.' Common in music circles; the full form 'jam session' is more widely understood by general audiences.
jams — 動詞
- jamspresent simple I / you / we / they
- jamses3rd person singular
- jamsing-ing form
- jamsedpast simple
1. to get caught in a fixed position so that movement becomes impossible, or to cau
卡住；卡死
卡在某個位置無法動彈
to get caught in a fixed position so that movement becomes impossible, or to cause something to lock up in this way
The old window jammed shut and Nkechi could not open it no matter how hard she pulled.
那扇舊窗戶卡死了，Nkechi 無論怎麼用力拉都打不開。
intransitive: jam + adjective (shut)
Esteban jammed the door wide open with a heavy chair while he moved the boxes in.
Esteban 用一把沉重的椅子把門卡住敞開，方便搬箱子進出。
transitive: jam + object + adjective (open)
The key jammed halfway into the lock and Lucas had to call a locksmith.
鑰匙卡在鎖孔裡進退不得，Lucas 只好叫了鎖匠。
Amelia's suitcase zip jammed when it was half closed, leaving her clothes spilling out.
Amelia 的行李箱拉鍊拉到一半卡住了，衣服散落出來。
Karim jammed the coin slot by pushing too many tokens in at once.
Karim 一次塞進太多代幣，把投幣孔給卡住了。
文法句型
jam + adjective
jam + something + adjective
用法筆記
Frequently followed by an adjective (shut, open, stuck) when intransitive. Transitive use often takes an object plus adjective pattern. Subject is typically a mechanical part: door, window, lock, zip, printer.
常見錯誤
2. to force an object into a tight or crowded space using strong pressure, often wh
塞進；硬塞
用力把東西擠進狹小的空間裡
to force an object into a tight or crowded space using strong pressure, often when there is barely enough room for it
Nkechi jammed all her clothes into the small suitcase and sat on it to zip it shut.
Nkechi 把所有衣服硬塞進小行李箱，然後坐在上面才把拉鍊拉上。
pattern: jam + object + into + container
Esteban quickly jammed the untidy papers under his desk before the client walked in.
Esteban 在客戶進來之前，匆匆把凌亂的文件塞到桌子底下。
Lucas jammed his feet into shoes that were at least a size too small for him.
Lucas 硬把腳塞進一雙至少小了一號的鞋子裡。
Amelia jammed the last thick book onto the already crowded shelf with both hands.
Amelia 用雙手把最後一本厚書硬塞進已經很擁擠的書架上。
Faisal jammed his woolly hat down over his ears to keep warm in the icy wind.
Faisal 把毛線帽硬往下拉到蓋住耳朵，好在寒風中保暖。
文法句型
jam + something + into/under/behind + something
用法筆記
Always transitive with a directional phrase (into, under, behind, onto, down). The object is something being forced into place, and the prepositional phrase tells you where it ends up.
3. to deliberately send out interference that blocks radio, phone, or other electro
干擾訊號
發射干擾波阻斷無線電或通訊訊號
to deliberately send out interference that blocks radio, phone, or other electronic signals so that they cannot be received clearly
The military jammed enemy radio communications throughout the night operation.
軍方在整個夜間行動中干擾了敵方的無線電通訊。
transitive: jam + [communication type]
Faisal's phone call was jammed by interference from a nearby transmission tower.
Faisal 的電話受到附近發射塔的干擾，通話中斷了。
passive: be jammed by + [source]
Authorities tried to jam the pirate broadcasts coming from the unlicensed station.
當局試圖干擾那座無照電臺的非法廣播。
Someone used a small device to jam the Wi-Fi signal inside the busy coffee shop.
有人在繁忙的咖啡店裡用小型裝置干擾了 Wi-Fi 訊號。
Wren could not get a clear GPS reading because the satellite signal was being jammed.
Wren 的 GPS 收不到清楚的定位，因為衛星訊號被干擾了。
- block
more general; does not imply the use of electronic interference
- scramble
specifically means making a signal unintelligible by mixing it with noise
- interfere with
broader phrasal verb; can apply to non-electronic disruption as well
文法句型
jam + [signal type]
jam + [communication method]
用法筆記
Object is always a type of signal, broadcast, or communication. Frequently used in passive voice ('the signal was jammed'). Common in military and security contexts.
4. to make music together with other people in a relaxed and unplanned way, trying
即興合奏
不排練、放鬆地一起玩音樂
to make music together with other people in a relaxed and unplanned way, trying out riffs and melodies without a set score or rehearsal
Piotr and his friends jammed in the garage every Saturday afternoon for hours.
Piotr 和他朋友每個星期六下午都在車庫裡即興合奏好幾個小時。
intransitive: jam + [place]
Sirin jammed with a jazz trio at the summer festival and loved every minute.
Sirin 在夏季音樂節上和一個爵士三重奏即興合奏，玩得非常盡興。
pattern: jam with + [musicians]
The two guitarists jammed until sunrise, completely losing track of the time.
兩位吉他手即興合奏到天亮，完全忘了時間。
Eri built up her confidence by jamming with older, more experienced players at the club.
Eri 在俱樂部跟經驗更豐富的樂手即興合奏，逐漸建立了信心。
After the formal rehearsal ended, Andrés stayed behind to jam with the drummer.
正式排練結束後，Andrés 留下來跟鼓手即興合奏。
文法句型
jam + with + [musician]
jam + [preposition of place]
用法筆記
Always intransitive. Typical pattern is 'jam with [someone]' or 'jam [somewhere].' Originated in jazz culture and still carries an informal, creative feel.
常見錯誤
5. to pack a place so completely full of people or things that there is no empty sp
擠滿；塞滿
人或物把空間完全佔滿
to pack a place so completely full of people or things that there is no empty space left at all
The stadium was jammed with excited fans waiting hours for the concert to begin.
體育館擠滿了興奮的歌迷，他們已經等了好幾個小時等著演唱會開始。
passive: be jammed with + [noun]
Karim could barely move his arms — the rush-hour train was jammed with tired commuters.
Karim 幾乎動彈不得——尖峰時間的列車擠滿了疲憊的通勤族。
The tiny pub was jammed full on quiz night and nobody could find a seat.
問答之夜那晚，狹小的酒吧塞得滿滿的，誰都找不到位子坐。
Piotr's email inbox was jammed with hundreds of unread messages after his holiday.
Piotr 度假回來後，電子郵件信箱被數百封未讀郵件給塞爆了。
The narrow streets were jammed with market stalls and holiday shoppers on Sunday morning.
星期天早上，狹窄的街道擠滿了市場攤位和購物人潮。
文法句型
be jammed with + [people/things]
jam + place + full
用法筆記
Most often used in the passive form 'be jammed with.' The subject is the space being filled (a room, street, stadium), and the object of 'with' is what fills it. Note the fixed phrase 'jammed solid' for traffic.