observation
/ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · [ˌɑbzɚvˈeʃən] /ˌɑːbzərˈveɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · [ˌɑbzɚvˈeʃən] /ˌäb-sər-ˈvā-shən -zər-/ (ame, mw)
observation — 名詞
- observationsingular
- observationsplural
1. the activity of watching a person, place, or process closely over time, often to
觀察；監測
為了解或追蹤而仔細注視的行為
the activity of watching a person, place, or process closely over time, often to gather information, monitor a medical condition, or learn how something behaves.
The nurses kept Grandma under observation for two nights after her fall.
奶奶跌倒之後，護理師讓她留院觀察了兩晚。
collocation: keep [someone] under observation
Dr. Patel learned a lot about elephants through patient observation in Kenya.
Patel 醫師在肯亞透過耐心的觀察，學到了許多關於大象的事。
collocation: through observation
Police set up a small van across the street for observation of the warehouse.
警方在街對面停了一輛小貨車，用來監視那座倉庫。
Careful observation of the night sky helped early sailors find their way home.
仔細觀察夜空，曾幫助早期的水手找到回家的路。
Marco wrote down each plant change during his ten-week observation of the garden.
Marco 在他為期十週的花園觀察中，把每一處植物的變化都記了下來。
- monitoring
stresses ongoing checking, often technical or medical
- surveillance
stronger; suggests secret or security-related watching
- study
broader; can include experiments, not just watching
文法句型
under observation
observation of + noun
用法筆記
Usually uncountable in this sense. Common with prepositions: 'under observation' (being watched, often medically), 'through observation' (by means of watching), and 'observation of [thing]'.
常見錯誤
2. the personal ability to spot small details that other people miss, treated as a
觀察力
察覺細節的個人能力
the personal ability to spot small details that other people miss, treated as a quality or skill rather than a single act.
Sherlock Holmes is famous for his powers of observation and quick thinking.
福爾摩斯以敏銳的觀察力與快速的思考聞名。
fixed phrase: powers of observation
Dr. Yamada tells her interns that strong observation matters as much as textbook knowledge.
Yamada 醫師告訴她的實習醫師，敏銳的觀察力和書本知識一樣重要。
The art teacher praised Mei for her sharp observation of light and shadow.
美術老師稱讚 Mei 對光影的觀察力非常敏銳。
Years of bird-watching in the park trained Lina's observation better than any classroom could.
在公園裡賞鳥多年，訓練了 Lina 的觀察力，比任何課堂都更有效。
- perception
wider; covers all senses, not just sight
- attention to detail
everyday phrase; same idea in plainer words
- awareness
broader; being conscious of surroundings in general
- inattention
failure to notice
文法句型
powers of observation
skill of observation
用法筆記
Refers to a personal skill, not a single watching event. Typical adjectives: 'sharp', 'keen', 'good', 'poor'. Distinguish from sense 1, which names the action itself.
3. a spoken or written comment in which you share what you have noticed, thought, o
評論；見解
把所注意到的事說出或寫下的意見
a spoken or written comment in which you share what you have noticed, thought, or worked out about something.
Aunt Lin made a sharp observation about how the children only fight before dinner.
林阿姨對孩子們提出了一個敏銳的觀察：他們總是只在晚餐前吵架。
collocation: make an observation about
After the match, Coach Diaz's final observation was that the team plays better in the rain.
比賽結束後，Diaz 教練最後的見解是，這支球隊在雨中表現比較好。
pattern: observation that + clause
Carlos thanked the editor for the helpful observations on his short story.
Carlos 感謝編輯對他短篇小說提出的寶貴意見。
May I make one quick observation before we end the meeting?
在散會前，我可以提一點小評論嗎？
The professor opened her lecture with a witty observation about Monday mornings.
教授以一句關於週一早晨的風趣評論為這堂課揭開序幕。
文法句型
make an observation
observation that + clause
observation about/on + noun
用法筆記
Countable in this sense; often pluralized ('her observations on the report'). Frequently introduced with 'make an observation' or 'the observation that…'. Slightly more formal than 'comment' or 'remark'.