maze
/meɪz/ (bre, ipa) · /meɪz/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmāz/ (ame, mw)
maze — 名詞
- mazesingular
- mazesplural
1. an outdoor area built with tall walls or fences that form winding paths, where p
迷宮
供人娛樂的複雜路徑
an outdoor area built with tall walls or fences that form winding paths, where people try to find their way from the entrance to the exit as a form of entertainment
The children spent the whole afternoon trying to find their way out of the hedge maze in the park.
孩子們花了整個下午，試著找出公園裡樹籬迷宮的出口。
collocation: hedge maze
A large maze made of tall bushes stood in the middle of the royal garden for visitors to enjoy.
一座由高大灌木砌成的大型迷宮，矗立在皇家花園中央，供訪客遊玩。
Farmers in the countryside create corn mazes every autumn for families to explore together.
鄉下的農夫每年秋天都會建造玉米迷宮，讓全家大小一起探索。
The tour guide handed us a map before we entered the maze, but we still got lost inside for an hour.
導遊在我們進入迷宮前發了一張地圖，但我們還是在裡面迷路了一個小時。
Every summer, the Okafor twins raced each other to the centre of the giant hedge maze on the estate.
每年夏天，Okafor 雙胞胎都會在莊園裡的大型樹籬迷宮中比賽，看誰先跑到中心。
常見錯誤
2. a place, especially a town or building, where the streets, paths, or rooms are a
迷陣
街道或通道錯綜難辨的地區
a place, especially a town or building, where the streets, paths, or rooms are arranged in such a confusing pattern that it is easy to get lost
The old town was a maze of narrow streets that all looked the same to first-time visitors.
這座古城裡的狹窄街道錯綜複雜，對初次到訪的遊客來說全都長得一樣。
pattern: a maze of + noun phrase
Behind the central market, there is a maze of tiny alleys used only by shopkeepers for deliveries.
中央市場後方有一片迷宮般的小巷，只有店家會用來送貨。
The librarian warned us that the basement held a maze of identical storage rooms with no windows.
圖書館員提醒我們，地下一層有一排長得一模一樣的儲藏室，像迷宮一樣。
New residents often get lost in the maze of winding roads inside the large housing complex.
新住戶常常在大型住宅區蜿蜒的道路迷宮中迷路。
The university buildings form a confusing maze that takes most new students weeks to learn.
大學的建築群形成了一座令人困惑的迷宮，多數新生要花好幾週才能熟悉。
用法筆記
Typically used in the construction 'a maze of + [plural noun]' to describe the confusing layout. The subject is often an area or building, not a person.
常見錯誤
3. a large number of rules, pieces of information, or details that are arranged in
繁雜體系
令人困惑的複雜規則或資訊
a large number of rules, pieces of information, or details that are arranged in a confusing way and are difficult to understand or deal with
New immigrants often struggle to find their way through the maze of visa regulations and paperwork.
新移民常常費盡力氣，才能在繁雜的簽證法規與文件中找到方向。
pattern: maze of [abstract noun]
The tax forms presented a maze of confusing questions that took the accountant hours to complete.
報稅表單上充滿了令人困惑的問題，會計師花了好幾個小時才填完。
Students must navigate a maze of requirements and deadlines before they can finally graduate.
學生必須應付一連串複雜的要求與截止期限，才能順利畢業。
Dr. Nakamura helped the family untangle the maze of legal terms written into the insurance contract.
中村醫師協助這家人理清了保險合約中複雜的法律條文。
The hospital's appointment system was such a maze of phone numbers and referral codes that many patients gave up.
醫院的掛號系統充滿了電話號碼與轉診代碼，許多病人都因此放棄了。
用法筆記
Always used with 'of' + a noun phrase describing the complex system. Common collocates include 'bureaucracy', 'regulations', 'rules', 'procedures'.
常見錯誤
maze — 動詞
- mazepresent simple I / you / we / they
- mazes3rd person singular
- mazing-ing form
- mazedpast simple
1. to make someone feel extremely confused or unable to think clearly, especially b
使困惑
讓某人感到混亂或茫然
to make someone feel extremely confused or unable to think clearly, especially by presenting something that is very complex or strange
The trainees found themselves completely mazed by the wiring diagrams for the old radio set.
那些受訓人員被老舊收音機的接線圖搞得暈頭轉向，完全看不懂。
rare verb; formal/literary register
The dinner guests were mazed by the identical corridors inside the medieval castle and kept opening closet doors.
晚宴賓客被中世紀城堡裡一模一樣的走廊搞得暈頭轉向，一直打開儲藏室的門。
Everyone in the design team was mazed by the sudden shift in project requirements from the client.
設計團隊裡的每個人都被客戶突如其來的專案要求變更搞得不知所措。
New riders were completely mazed by the metro system with its eight different coloured lines branching in every direction.
新乘客被八條不同顏色的地鐵路線搞得暈頭轉向，每條線都通往不同方向。
The exchange student found herself mazed by the unfamiliar currency and the rapid speech of the market vendors.
那位交換學生被不熟悉的貨幣和市場攤販的快速說話方式弄得暈頭轉向。
用法筆記
Very rare in modern everyday English. Used mainly in literary or formal writing. The passive form ('be mazed') is more common than the active. Most modern speakers prefer 'bewilder', 'confuse', or 'perplex' instead.