distance
/ˈdɪstəns/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdɪstəns/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdi-stən(t)s/ (ame, mw)
distance — 名詞
- distancesingular
- distancesplural
1. the length separating one place or object from another; how far it is from one p
距離；間距
兩地或兩物之間相隔的長度
the length separating one place or object from another; how far it is from one point to another
The distance between Tariq's house and the nearest shop is about two kilometres.
Tariq 家跟最近的商店之間距離大約兩公里。
distance between [place] and [place]
Mei used a ruler to measure the distance from her desk to the window.
Mei 用尺量了從她書桌到窗戶的距離。
measure the distance from [place] to [place]
At this distance the small print on the menu is impossible to read.
在這麼遠的距離，菜單上的小字根本看不清楚。
A safe distance between cars helps prevent accidents on the highway.
車與車之間保持安全距離有助於在高速公路上防止事故。
Yuki checked the online map for the distance to the national park.
Yuki 在網路上查了到國家公園的距離。
- proximity
the state of being near or close rather than far apart
文法句型
distance + between + noun + and + noun
distance + from + noun + to + noun
用法筆記
Often used with 'between' (the gap linking two items) or 'from...to' (the journey measurement). Can be modified by adjectives like 'short', 'long', 'safe', 'great'.
常見錯誤
2. used in the fixed expression 'from a distance' to indicate something happening f
遠方
從遠處觀看的位置
used in the fixed expression 'from a distance' to indicate something happening far away from where you are
Élise admired the waterfall from a distance, not wanting to get wet.
Élise 從遠處欣賞瀑布，不想把自己弄濕。
from a distance
From a distance the old temple looked like a small white box on the hillside.
從遠處看，那座老寺廟就像山坡上的一個白色小盒子。
Stefan could hear the music from a distance as he walked through the park.
Stefan 走過公園時，從遠處就能聽到音樂聲。
Haruto watched the eagles from a distance so as not to disturb them.
Haruto 從遠處觀察老鷹，以免打擾到牠們。
- afar
literary or formal; used in 'from afar' instead of 'from a distance'
- close up
from very near rather than from far away
文法句型
from a distance
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'from a distance'. Unlike sense 1, no specific measurement is given — the focus is on 'not close' rather than 'how far'.
常見錯誤
3. a spot or location far away from the speaker, especially one that remains in vie
遠處
可看到或聽到的遠方地點
a spot or location far away from the speaker, especially one that remains in view or can still be heard; commonly appears in the phrase 'in the distance'
Rafael could see a tiny figure in the distance walking along the beach.
Rafael 看到遠處有一個人影沿著沙灘走來。
in the distance
The sound of church bells came from the distance, soft and warm.
教堂的鐘聲從遠處傳來，輕柔而溫暖。
from the distance
A ship appeared in the distance, moving slowly across the horizon.
一艘船出現在遠處，緩緩地駛過地平線。
Looking into the distance, Asher noticed dark clouds gathering over the mountains.
Asher 望向遠方，注意到烏雲正在山脈上空聚集。
The lights of the town shone in the distance as the bus came closer.
隨著公車駛近，小鎮的燈光在遠處閃爍。
- horizon
the specific line where earth and sky meet, narrower in meaning
- background
the part of a view that is furthest from the viewer, but not necessarily far away
- foreground
the part of a view closest to the viewer
文法句型
in the distance
用法筆記
Unlike sense 2 ('from a distance'), which emphasises the source of perception, sense 3 ('in the distance' / 'the distance') locates the point itself far away. 'The distance' here refers to the far-away location, not the measurement of space.
常見錯誤
4. behaviour or feelings that show a lack of warmth, friendliness, or closeness bet
疏遠；冷淡
人際關係中缺乏溫暖或親密感
behaviour or feelings that show a lack of warmth, friendliness, or closeness between people; deliberate emotional separation
There was a cold distance between Adisa and his brother after the argument.
Adisa 跟弟弟吵完架後，兩人之間出現了一道冰冷的距離。
distance between [people]
Sana kept her distance from the new team until she felt more comfortable with them.
Sana 對新團隊保持距離，直到她覺得和大家相處比較自在了為止。
keep (one's) distance from
The cold distance in her voice showed she did not want to talk further.
她語氣中的冷淡顯示她不想再談下去。
Nadia felt a growing distance between herself and her best friend after the move.
Nadia 搬家後覺得自己和最好的朋友之間距離越來越遠。
The manager's distance towards the staff created an unfriendly atmosphere in the office.
經理對員工保持距離，造成辦公室裡很不友善的氣氛。
- coolness
less intense than 'distance'; suggests polite but unfriendly behaviour
- remoteness
emphasises a detached or unreachable quality in a person's manner
- aloofness
suggests conscious choice to stay apart, often with a sense of superiority
文法句型
distance + between + people
keep + (possessive) + distance + from
用法筆記
Can be modified by adjectives like 'cold', 'growing', 'emotional'. The phrase 'keep one's distance' is a common fixed expression meaning 'avoid getting too close emotionally'.
常見錯誤
5. a period of time that separates two events; the interval between one moment and
間隔；時距
兩個事件之間相隔的一段時間
a period of time that separates two events; the interval between one moment and another, especially when considering how far apart they feel
There is a distance of about three months between the two music festivals.
兩個音樂節之間間隔大約三個月。
distance of [time period] between
With time and distance from the exam results, Christopher saw his worry had been unnecessary.
考完試過了一段時間後，Christopher 覺得自己的擔心是多餘的。
with some distance from [event]
With the distance of ten years, those school days seemed much happier than they did at the time.
經過十年的時間距離，那些上學的日子似乎比當時快樂多了。
A few weeks of distance gave her time to reflect on the decision.
隔了幾週的時間，讓她有機會好好反思這個決定。
- immediacy
the quality of being current or happening without delay
文法句型
distance + of + time period
at a distance of + time
用法筆記
Often used with the idea of 'perspective' — the passage of time allows clearer thinking. Frequently appears in the phrase 'with the distance of time' or 'at a distance of [years]'.
常見錯誤
6. a notable separation or absence of a link between two items that might be expect
差距；分歧
事物之間的顯著差異或缺乏關聯
a notable separation or absence of a link between two items that might be expected to connect
There is a huge distance between what the government promises and what it actually delivers.
政府的承諾跟實際做到的之間存在巨大差距。
distance between [idea] and [idea]
The distance between their political views made friendly conversation nearly impossible.
他們之間政治觀點的差異使得友好交談幾乎不可能。
Yael felt a growing distance between her own values and those of her employer.
Yael 感覺自己的價值觀和僱主之間差距越來越大。
The report showed the distance between rich and poor incomes in the region.
這份報告顯示了該地區富戶與貧戶之間的收入差距。
文法句型
distance + between + noun + and + noun
用法筆記
More abstract than sense 1 (physical space). Common in formal writing about social, political, or conceptual differences. Often interchangeable with 'gap' or 'disparity' in these contexts.
常見錯誤
distance — 動詞
- distancepresent simple I / you / we / they
- distances3rd person singular
- distancing-ing form
- distancedpast simple
1. to deliberately keep yourself apart from someone or something, usually by your o
疏遠；迴避
刻意與某人或某事保持情感或個人距離
to deliberately keep yourself apart from someone or something, usually by your own choice; to show that you do not want to be linked with a person, group, or event
The politician distanced himself from the scandal by publicly condemning the behaviour.
那位政治人物公開譴責這起醜聞，與之劃清界線。
distance oneself from [situation]
Adisa tried to distance himself from the argument before things got worse.
Adisa 試圖在爭執惡化之前抽身而出。
The company quickly distanced itself from the manager's controversial comments.
該公司迅速與經理的爭議言論劃清界線。
Yael distanced herself from the gossip, refusing to comment on the rumour.
Yael 拒絕評論那個謠言，與八卦保持距離。
Parents should distance themselves from small fights and let kids sort it out.
父母應該跟小爭執保持距離，讓孩子自己解決。
- separate oneself from
more general; can be physical or emotional, not as deliberate
- withdraw from
suggests pulling back from an activity or relationship
- detach oneself from
suggests emotional disconnection, often with effort
- associate with
to connect or involve yourself with someone or something
- embrace
to accept or support something willingly and enthusiastically
文法句型
distance + oneself + from + noun/pronoun
用法筆記
Almost always used with a reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself, etc.) followed by 'from'. Never used transitively without the reflexive — 'she distanced him' is incorrect.
常見錯誤
2. to move so far in front of someone or something that they cannot catch up, espec
甩開；遠超
在比賽或競爭中大幅超前對手
to move so far in front of someone or something that they cannot catch up, especially in a race or competition; to overtake by a wide margin
Asher distanced all the other runners in the final lap and won the race easily.
Asher 在最後一圈甩開了所有其他跑者，輕鬆贏得比賽。
distance [competitors] in [event]
The new phone distanced its rivals with a better camera and battery.
這款新手機憑藉更強的相機和電池續航力，甩開了競爭對手。
The home team distanced the visitors by twenty points by the end of the game.
主隊在比賽結束時領先客隊二十分。
The university has distanced other schools in the region with its research in renewable energy.
該大學在再生能源研究方面的成就遙遙領先區域內的其他學校。
- trail
to fall behind or follow at a slower pace
- lag behind
to move or develop more slowly than others
文法句型
distance + noun/pronoun
用法筆記
Less common in everyday speech than 'outstrip' or 'leave behind'. Typically used in sports journalism, business writing, and formal comparisons. Often includes a specific margin ('distanced by ten points').
distance — 形容詞
- distancepositive
- more distancecomparative
- most distancesuperlative
1. describing education or training that takes place with teachers and students in
遠距的
師生不在同一地點進行的教學方式
describing education or training that takes place with teachers and students in different locations, usually through the internet, video calls, or postal materials
Mei signed up for a distance learning course in graphic design from a British university.
Mei 報名了英國一間大學的遠距平面設計課程。
distance learning course
Many schools introduced distance education when students could not attend classes in person.
當學生無法到校上課時，許多學校都推出了遠距教學。
distance education
Distance learning lets students study from anywhere with an internet connection.
遠距學習讓學生只要有網路連線，就可以在任何地方學習。
The quality of distance teaching has improved greatly with better video technology.
隨著視訊技術的進步，遠距教學的品質已大幅提升。
Stefan completed a distance programme in engineering while working full-time at a factory.
Stefan 在工廠全職工作的同時，完成了工程學的遠距課程。
- in-person
happening with people physically present in the same place
- face-to-face
involving direct personal contact rather than remote connection
文法句型
distance + noun (learning, education, course, class)
用法筆記
Only used before a noun. The most common combinations are 'distance learning', 'distance education', and 'distance course'. Not used predicatively — 'this course is distance' is incorrect. This sense is an attributive use of the noun, functioning as an adjective.