scramble
/ˈskræmbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈskræmbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈskram-bəl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈskræm.bəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈskræm.bəl/ (ame, ipa)
scramble — 動詞
- scramblepresent simple I / you / we / they
- scrambleshe / she / it
- scrambledpast simple
- scrambling-ing form
1. to move yourself across rough or steep ground in a hurry, often grabbing the gro
攀爬；爬行
用手腳並用快速爬過崎嶇地形
to move yourself across rough or steep ground in a hurry, often grabbing the ground with your hands as well as your feet because the surface is slippery, loose, or hard to climb.
Yael scrambled up the rocky slope behind the temple to get a better view of the valley.
Yael 爬上廟後面那片岩石坡，想找個好角度俯瞰山谷。
scramble up + slope/hill (climbing path)
The hikers scrambled over fallen logs and wet stones to reach the waterfall before sunset.
登山客攀過倒下的樹幹和濕滑的石頭，趕在日落前抵達瀑布。
scramble over + obstacle (rough terrain)
Pim scrambled down the muddy riverbank, using both hands to keep from sliding into the water.
Pim 攀下泥濘的河岸，雙手撐著地面才沒滑進水裡。
Two small goats scrambled across the ruined wall behind the farmhouse.
兩隻小山羊爬過農舍後方那道頹圮的石牆。
When the alarm sounded, Paloma scrambled out of bed and ran into the hallway.
警報一響，Paloma 連忙從床上爬起來，衝到走廊。
文法句型
scramble + up/down/over/across/through + place
用法筆記
Almost always combined with a directional preposition (up, down, over, across, through, out of). The image is of a body fighting the ground, not a smooth controlled walk.
常見錯誤
2. when several people all want the same limited thing at the same time, to push, r
爭搶；競逐
多人同時搶奪數量有限的東西
when several people all want the same limited thing at the same time, to push, run, or work hard against the others so that you are the one who ends up with it.
Investors scrambled for the few remaining shares in the new electric-bike company.
投資人爭相搶購那家新電動自行車公司僅剩的幾張股票。
scramble for + scarce resource
After the announcement, parents scrambled to enrol their children in the only bilingual class.
消息一公布，家長們便搶著把孩子報進那唯一一班雙語班。
scramble to + infinitive (urgent competing action)
Reporters scrambled to interview the witness before the police took her away.
記者們爭相搶在警方把目擊者帶走前訪問到她。
When the truck driver threw out the spoiled fruit, hungry birds scrambled for whatever fell to the ground.
卡車司機把腐爛的水果丟出去時，飢餓的鳥群爭搶任何掉到地上的東西。
Five start-ups are now scrambling for the same small slice of the office-furniture market.
現在有五家新創公司正在爭奪辦公家具市場上同一塊小小的市佔。
文法句型
scramble for + thing
scramble to + verb
用法筆記
Subject is usually plural — a group competing against each other. Distinguish from sense 1 (CLIMB QUICKLY): here the meaning is about competition, not physical climbing, even though both ideas of urgent effort are present.
常見錯誤
3. to put together the people, money, or supplies you need for something at the las
趕忙湊出
最後關頭湊齊人手或資源
to put together the people, money, or supplies you need for something at the last minute, in a rough and untidy way, because there is not enough time to do it properly.
Quinn scrambled a small team together in two days to cover the flooding in the south.
Quinn 在兩天內趕忙湊出一支小型團隊，去報導南部的水災。
scramble + group + together (last-minute assembly)
The charity scrambled enough donations to keep the soup kitchen open through the winter.
那間慈善機構趕忙湊到足夠的捐款，讓施食處撐過整個冬天。
scramble + funds/donations (last-minute resourcing)
Yuki scrambled a simple birthday cake from whatever was left in the fridge.
Yuki 用冰箱裡剩下的東西，臨時湊出一個簡單的生日蛋糕。
The factory manager scrambled three replacement parts together before the morning shift started.
工廠主管在早班開工前，趕忙拼湊出三個替換零件。
Femi scrambled an apology speech the night before the council meeting.
Femi 在市議會開會前一晚，匆匆趕出一篇道歉聲明。
- throw together
very informal phrasal verb with the same improvised feel
- cobble together
stresses uneven quality of the result more than the speed
文法句型
scramble (together) + noun
scramble + noun + together
用法筆記
Object is typically something the speaker wishes they had had more time to prepare — a plan, a team, a meal, a sum of money. Often co-occurs with 'together' to stress the improvised quality.
4. to take a set of letters, words, sentences, or pieces and put them into a random
打亂順序
把字母、文字或片段隨機排列
to take a set of letters, words, sentences, or pieces and put them into a random order so that the original meaning or picture is lost.
The puzzle game scrambles the letters of a country's name and asks the player to put them back in order.
這款益智遊戲會把一個國家名稱的字母打亂，再請玩家把順序拼回來。
scramble + letters of [name] (word puzzle frame)
Élise's three-year-old had scrambled the photographs in the family album.
Élise 三歲的孩子把家庭相簿裡的照片順序全弄亂了。
scramble + ordered set (lose intended sequence)
The fever scrambled Mert's thoughts so badly that he kept calling his sister by the wrong name.
高燒把 Mert 的思緒攪得亂七八糟，他連姊姊的名字都一直叫錯。
The lines of the poem were scrambled, and students had to rearrange them on the board.
那首詩的句子被打亂順序，學生得在黑板上把它們重新排好。
A child had scrambled the wooden tiles on the kitchen floor, so the word no longer made sense.
一個小孩把廚房地板上的木製字母拼塊弄亂了，原本的單字也就看不出來了。
文法句型
scramble + letters/words/sentences
用法筆記
Frequently passive in instruction texts ('the words have been scrambled'). The result is meaningful pieces in a meaningless order, not destruction of the pieces themselves.
常見錯誤
5. to cook eggs (or a similar food such as tofu) by breaking them into a hot pan an
炒（蛋）
邊煎邊攪拌成一片軟黃的蛋
to cook eggs (or a similar food such as tofu) by breaking them into a hot pan and stirring them as they cook, so that the white and the yellow mix into one soft yellow mixture.
Tanvi scrambled four eggs with a little butter for the family's Sunday breakfast.
Tanvi 用一點奶油炒了四顆蛋，當作全家的星期日早餐。
scramble + eggs + with + ingredient
Christopher scrambled some tofu with onions and turmeric for his vegan housemate.
Christopher 用洋蔥和薑黃，為他吃素的室友炒了一些豆腐。
scramble + tofu (alternative ingredient)
If you scramble the eggs over a low heat, they stay soft and creamy.
用小火炒蛋的話，蛋會保持柔軟綿密的口感。
Théo scrambled the last two eggs and slid them onto a slice of toast.
Théo 把最後兩顆蛋炒了，再倒到一片吐司上。
The school cook scrambled enough eggs to feed sixty children before the morning bell.
學校廚師在早自習鐘響前，炒好了夠六十個孩子吃的蛋。
文法句型
scramble + eggs/tofu
用法筆記
The past participle 'scrambled' often acts as a noun-modifier — 'scrambled eggs', 'scrambled tofu'. The verb itself is everyday cooking vocabulary.
6. to electronically rearrange a phone, radio, or television signal so that anyone
加密訊號
重組訊號使非法收聽者聽不懂
to electronically rearrange a phone, radio, or television signal so that anyone who hears it without the right decoding equipment will get only noise instead of the real message.
Embassies routinely scramble their phone lines so that foreign agents cannot listen in.
大使館慣常會把自家電話線路加密，免得外國情報人員偷聽。
scramble + phone lines (security register)
The radio broadcast was scrambled in regions where the government had banned the station.
在政府禁台的地區，那段廣播被加密處理過。
passive: be scrambled in + region
Jason's research lab uses a small device to scramble its video calls during patent discussions.
Jason 的研究室在討論專利時，會用一個小型設備把視訊通話加密。
Pay-TV companies scramble premium channels so that only paying customers can decode them.
付費電視業者會把高級頻道加密，只有付費的觀眾才解得開。
- decode
to recover the original signal
- unscramble
the direct opposite verb
文法句型
scramble + signal/transmission/message
用法筆記
Subject is usually an organization or a piece of equipment, not a private person. Often appears in security, military, or broadcasting contexts.
7. to send military planes into the air, or to take off in a military plane, in a g
緊急起飛
軍機因警報倉促升空攔截
to send military planes into the air, or to take off in a military plane, in a great hurry because of an immediate threat or alert.
Two fighter jets scrambled from the coastal base when the unknown aircraft entered the area.
那架不明飛機進入空域時，兩架戰鬥機從沿海基地緊急升空。
intransitive: jets + scramble + from + base
The air force scrambled four planes within minutes of the radar warning.
雷達警報響起後幾分鐘內，空軍就讓四架飛機緊急升空。
transitive: scramble + planes (military command)
Mira watched the pilots scramble across the runway and climb into their cockpits.
Mira 看著飛行員們快步衝過跑道，跳進各自的座艙。
Helicopters were scrambled to rescue the climbers stranded on the north face of the mountain.
直升機被緊急派出，去救援困在那座山北壁的登山客。
文法句型
scramble + jets/fighters
jets scramble
用法筆記
Almost always about military or rescue aircraft. The point is the emergency speed, not the simple act of taking off.
8. in American football, for the quarterback to run with the ball after defenders b
持球突圍
美式足球四分衛持球跑離防守
in American football, for the quarterback to run with the ball after defenders break past the players who were supposed to protect him, instead of throwing a pass as planned.
Brandon scrambled out of the pocket and ran fifteen yards for a first down.
Brandon 從口袋區域持球突圍，往前跑了十五碼推進到首攻。
scramble + out of the pocket (signature pattern)
The young quarterback scrambled to the left and threw the ball just before being tackled.
那位年輕四分衛持球往左突圍，在被擒抱前剛好把球傳了出去。
scramble + to + side + then pass
Whenever the offensive line broke down, Nora's brother scrambled toward the sideline to save the play.
每次進攻線崩潰，Nora 的哥哥就持球往邊線突圍，把這次進攻救回來。
The coach told reporters that his quarterback would scramble less and stay in the pocket more this season.
教練向記者表示，本季他的四分衛會少持球突圍、多留在口袋區裡。
文法句型
quarterback + scramble + adverb of direction
用法筆記
Specialised American-football usage. Subject is almost always 'the quarterback' or his name. Distinguish from sense 1: this is one quarterback breaking out of a planned play, not climbing rough ground.
scramble — 名詞
- scramblesingular
- scramblesplural
1. a journey on foot over rough or steep ground that is hard enough to need your ha
手腳並用攀登
介於健行與攀岩之間的爬升
a journey on foot over rough or steep ground that is hard enough to need your hands as well as your feet, somewhere between an easy walk and a real rock climb.
The last stretch to the summit is a short scramble over loose stones.
通往山頂的最後一段，是一小段踩著鬆石手腳並用的攀登。
a scramble + over + surface
Abigail described the path behind the lighthouse as a steep scramble rather than a hike.
Abigail 形容燈塔後方那條小徑是一段陡峭的手腳並用攀登，而不是健行。
scramble vs. hike (contrast for difficulty)
After lunch the group faced a half-hour scramble up a wet, mossy slope.
午餐過後，這群人要面對一段半小時的攀登，爬上一片濕滑長滿青苔的坡。
Kasia's grandfather still enjoys an easy scramble in the hills behind his village every weekend.
Kasia 的爺爺每個週末，都還喜歡在村後的小山上做一段輕鬆的手腳並用攀登。
- clamber
rarer as a noun; same hands-and-feet image
文法句型
a scramble + up/over/across + place
用法筆記
Counts as a noun for an activity, not a place. British walking culture uses this word frequently to describe a route grade between a hike and a climb.
2. a rushed and rather messy series of actions in which a person or group tries to
倉促一陣忙
時間不夠下手忙腳亂的一陣行動
a rushed and rather messy series of actions in which a person or group tries to do everything they need to do in much less time than they would like.
Mornings at the Benjamin household are a daily scramble to find shoes, lunches, and homework.
Benjamin 一家的早晨總是一陣兵荒馬亂，要找鞋子、便當和作業。
a scramble to + multi-action infinitive
There was a last-minute scramble to print the conference programme before the doors opened.
為了在開門前把研討會手冊印好，現場一陣手忙腳亂。
last-minute scramble + to + infinitive
The flood warning set off a scramble to move livestock to higher ground.
洪水警報觸發了一陣倉促行動，大家忙著把牲口趕到高處。
After the singer cancelled, there was a frantic scramble to find a replacement for the gala.
歌手取消演出後，主辦方為了替晚會找代打而陷入一陣慌亂奔忙。
文法句型
a scramble to + verb
用法筆記
Typically modified by an adjective that emphasises the rushed feeling — 'mad', 'frantic', 'last-minute', 'daily'.
3. a situation in which a lot of people are all trying at once to get some limited
搶奪潮
眾人爭搶稀缺資源的混亂局面
a situation in which a lot of people are all trying at once to get some limited thing, by pushing, competing, or moving as fast as they can.
The new housing project triggered a scramble for cheap apartments near the train station.
新建案引發了一波搶奪潮，大家都想搶火車站附近的便宜公寓。
a scramble for + scarce resource
Rodrigo's photo captured the scramble for seats on the last train out of the city.
Rodrigo 的照片捕捉了大家搶奪最後一班出城列車座位的場面。
the scramble for + seats (concrete crowd scene)
The court ruling set off a scramble for new lawyers across three different states.
法院的判決在三個州都引發了一波搶律師的熱潮。
Falling oil prices led to a sudden scramble for safer investments among small banks.
油價下跌使小型銀行間突然出現一波搶安全投資標的的熱潮。
文法句型
a scramble for + thing
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'for' + the thing being competed for. Distinguish from sense 2 (RUSH): there the rush is about getting tasks done; here the rush is about beating others to a limited supply.
4. a motorcycle race held on rough country ground full of hills, mud, and sharp tur
越野摩托車賽
在崎嶇地形舉辦的摩托車比賽
a motorcycle race held on rough country ground full of hills, mud, and sharp turns, where riders compete on lightweight off-road bikes.
Anya entered her first scramble at the age of sixteen, riding her older cousin's bike.
Anya 十六歲就騎著表哥的車，參加了她的第一場越野摩托車賽。
enter + a scramble (race event)
The Sunday scramble at the old quarry drew riders from three neighbouring counties.
在舊採石場舉辦的週日越野摩托車賽，吸引了鄰近三個郡的車手。
the + day + scramble + at + venue
Heavy rain turned the weekend scramble into a slow battle through deep mud.
大雨把這場週末越野摩托車賽變成一場在深泥裡的慢動作苦戰。
Local clubs still hold a small scramble every spring, mostly for young teenage riders.
在地車隊每年春天仍會辦一場小型越野摩托車賽，參賽者大多是青少年車手。
- motocross
the standard international term; preferred in most modern writing
文法句型
a scramble
scramble + event
用法筆記
Mainly British English. Largely replaced by the international term 'motocross' in most modern sports writing.
5. a hot dish made by stirring eggs (or tofu) in a pan with other ingredients such
炒蛋料理
鍋中翻炒成軟黃一片的蛋類料理
a hot dish made by stirring eggs (or tofu) in a pan with other ingredients such as vegetables, cheese, or herbs, served as one soft yellow mixture rather than as a flat omelette.
The café serves a goat-cheese scramble with thick brown toast for weekend brunch.
這家咖啡店週末早午餐供應一份山羊起司炒蛋，配上厚厚的全麥吐司。
ingredient + scramble + with + side
Yuki ordered a vegetable scramble with mushrooms and spinach.
Yuki 點了一份蔬菜炒蛋，加蘑菇和菠菜。
vegetable scramble + with + ingredients
Femi's tofu scramble has become a small favourite at the neighbourhood food market.
Femi 做的炒豆腐料理，已經成為街區市集裡一道小有名氣的菜。
Sunday lunch at Paloma's mother's house always starts with a chorizo scramble.
在 Paloma 媽媽家吃星期日午餐，總是先上一道西班牙臘腸炒蛋。
文法句型
a + ingredient + scramble
用法筆記
Most common in restaurant menus and cookbooks; in everyday speech people are more likely to say 'scrambled eggs' (sense 5 of the verb).