patchiness
patchiness — 名詞
1. the state of being present in some places or situations but absent or rare in ot
分布不均
只存在於部分地方或情況的特性
the state of being present in some places or situations but absent or rare in others, so that coverage is not complete or even
The patchiness of the mobile signal made phone calls difficult in the hills.
手機訊號分布不均，讓人在山區很難進行清晰的通話。
patchiness of + noun phrase (mobile signal)
The museum's patchiness was clear — packed rooms next to empty halls.
這間博物館的分布不均很明顯——擁擠的展廳旁邊就是空蕩蕩的大廳。
concrete example of uneven distribution across locations
Vegetation patchiness in the desert creates small oases where wildlife can survive.
沙漠中的植被分布不均，形成了野生動物得以生存的小片綠洲。
The patchiness of healthcare services forces rural residents to travel far for treatment.
醫療服務的分布不均迫使偏遠地區的居民長途跋涉求醫。
Satellite images showed patchiness in the ice cover across the Arctic region.
衛星影像顯示北極地區的冰層覆蓋存在分布不均的現象。
- unevenness
more general; can refer to any lack of uniformity, not just spatial coverage
- irregularity
emphasises lack of pattern or predictability
- spottiness
less common; specifically suggests isolated areas of presence amid emptiness
- uniformity
the opposite — complete and even coverage everywhere
- consistency
steady presence without gaps
文法句型
patchiness of + noun phrase
patchiness in + noun phrase
用法筆記
Usually describes physical or geographical distribution — the presence or absence of something across space.
常見錯誤
2. the quality of varying between good and bad at different times, so that the over
品質參差
品質時好時壞、不穩定的特性
the quality of varying between good and bad at different times, so that the overall standard is not consistently high or reliable
The patchiness of the actor's performance confused critics — some scenes were brilliant, others flat.
這位演員的表現品質參差，令影評人困惑——有些場面非常出色，其他場面卻平淡無奇。
patchiness of + performance / work / quality
The patchiness of the hotel's service frustrated Charlotte — excellent breakfast and broken Wi‑Fi.
這家飯店的服務品質參差令 Charlotte 感到沮喪——早餐很棒，Wi‑Fi 卻壞了。
The patchiness of student attendance made it hard for the teacher to plan lessons.
學生出席率時好時壞，讓老師很難規劃課程進度。
Ravindra noted the bus schedule's patchiness — punctual mornings, late afternoons.
Ravindra 注意到公車班次品質參差——早上準時，下午誤點。
Critics noted patchiness in the album — a few great tracks amid forgettable filler.
樂評人指出這張專輯品質參差——幾首好歌夾雜在乏善可陳的曲目中。
- inconsistency
more common; stresses unpredictable changes in quality
- unevenness
general term for lack of uniform quality
- variability
more neutral; describes natural variation rather than a flaw
- consistency
steady quality over time
- uniformity
same standard throughout
文法句型
patchiness of + noun phrase
patchiness in + noun phrase
用法筆記
Describes quality or performance that changes over time, not across space. Compare with sense 1 (UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION), which is about presence or absence across locations.