maceration
maceration — 動詞
1. to make a living creature become extremely thin and weak, especially through a l
使消瘦
因長期飢餓或疾病而極度瘦弱
to make a living creature become extremely thin and weak, especially through a long period without enough food or through a severe illness
The long drought macerated the livestock, leaving the animals too weak to stand.
長期的乾旱使牲畜日漸消瘦，虛弱到無法站立。
causative: drought macerated livestock
Dr. Okonkwo watched his patient grow thinner each week, slowly macerated by the terminal disease.
Dr. Okonkwo 看著他的病人每週愈來愈瘦，被末期疾病慢慢消耗殆盡。
passive: be macerated by + cause
Prolonged isolation and severe malnutrition had macerated the orphaned children beyond recognition.
長期的隔離與嚴重營養不良，使那些孤兒瘦得幾乎認不出來。
Hunger macerated the abandoned horses after supply routes to the village were cut off.
飢餓使那些被遺棄的馬匹日漸消瘦，因為通往村莊的補給路線中斷了。
A regime of harsh fasting macerated the monks until their bodies were only skin and bone.
嚴格的禁食制度使僧侶們日漸消瘦，直到身體只剩皮包骨。
- fatten
to make plump or well-fed, the opposite of causing to waste away
文法句型
macerate + direct object
be macerated by + cause
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice with the cause introduced by by. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes loss of body mass through starvation or illness, not softening through liquid contact.
常見錯誤
2. to break down or soften a solid material by keeping it in a liquid for a period
浸泡軟化
將固體放入液體中使其軟化或分解
to break down or soften a solid material by keeping it in a liquid for a period of time, so that its structure falls apart, flavours are released, or useful substances are extracted
The chef macerated the strawberries in sugar and lemon juice before serving them with cream.
主廚將草莓放入糖和檸檬汁中浸泡軟化，再配上鮮奶油上桌。
macerate + object + in + liquid
Takeshi macerated the medicinal herbs in alcohol to draw out the active compounds for his tincture.
Takeshi 將藥草浸泡在酒精中，以便萃取出有效成分來製作藥酒。
The laboratory technician macerated a small piece of lung tissue in saline solution for microscopic examination.
實驗室技術員將一小片肺組織浸泡在生理鹽水中，以便在顯微鏡下觀察。
Winemakers macerate red grape skins with the juice to absorb colour and tannins.
釀酒師將紅葡萄皮與果汁一起浸泡，以吸收色澤與單寧。
Amara macerated the dried mushrooms in warm water until they softened for the broth.
Amara 將乾香菇浸泡在溫水中，直到它們變軟可以加入湯裡。
- dry
to remove moisture, reversing the wetting process
文法句型
macerate + object + in + liquid
macerate + object + for + duration
用法筆記
Always takes a direct object. Subject is usually a person (chef, scientist, winemaker) or a process. Object is usually plant material, food items, or biological tissue. The liquid is typically water, alcohol, oil, or fruit juice.
常見錯誤
3. to become soft or break apart naturally as a result of being left in a liquid fo
自行浸軟
固體因長時間浸泡而自然變軟或分解
to become soft or break apart naturally as a result of being left in a liquid for a long time, without anyone actively causing it
The old wooden fence posts had macerated after years of rain soaking into the grain.
舊木籬笆樁柱經過多年雨水滲入木紋後，已經腐爛變軟。
intransitive: object + macerate + after + condition
The cotton bandages macerated against the wound, turning into a wet, shapeless mess.
棉質繃帶在傷口上浸濕軟化，成了一團濕軟沒有形狀的東西。
After three days in the pond, the fallen leaves macerated into a dark sludge.
在池塘中浸泡三天後，落葉分解成了深色的淤泥。
Meilin found that the cardboard boxes in the basement had macerated and collapsed.
Meilin 發現地下室的紙箱已經受潮變軟並塌陷了。
- disintegrate
more complete breakdown, not necessarily through liquid
- decompose
implies biological decay, not just physical softening
- harden
to become firm or solid, opposite of softening
文法句型
object + macerate + in + liquid
object + macerate + over + duration
用法筆記
Intransitive — no direct object follows. The subject is something that decomposes or softens on its own through contact with moisture. No agent is named; the focus is on the material's change of state.