scratching
scratching — 名詞
1. the action of using your fingernails to rub an itchy area of your skin in order
抓癢
用指甲摩擦皮膚止癢
the action of using your fingernails to rub an itchy area of your skin in order to stop the uncomfortable feeling.
Putri's constant scratching left red marks on her arms during allergy season.
Putri 因為過敏季節不斷抓癢，手臂上留下了紅色的痕跡。
collocation: constant scratching
Nikos could not stop scratching the mosquito bite on his ankle.
Nikos 忍不住一直抓腳踝上被蚊子叮的地方。
negative pattern: could not stop + -ing
The doctor warned the boy that scratching the rash would spread the irritation.
醫生警告那個男孩，抓疹子會讓皮膚的刺激範圍擴大。
Asher woke up in the middle of the night scratching his sunburned arms.
Asher 半夜醒來，抓著他被太陽曬傷的手臂。
用法筆記
This sense is usually described using the continuous form or as a verbal noun. The object is typically a body part (arm, leg, back) or a skin condition (bite, rash, itch).
常見錯誤
2. the unpleasant sound you hear when something with sharp or hard points, like an
刮擦聲
尖銳物刮過表面的聲音
the unpleasant sound you hear when something with sharp or hard points, like an animal's claws, rubs against a surface.
Rania heard the scratching of mice behind the kitchen wall at midnight.
Rania 半夜聽見廚房牆後傳來老鼠的刮擦聲。
noun pattern: the scratching of [something]
The scratching of tree branches against the window kept Zuri awake all night.
樹枝刮擦窗戶的聲音讓 Zuri 整晚睡不著。
A quiet scratching at the back door told Yara that a cat was waiting outside.
後門傳來的輕微刮擦聲告訴 Yara 有貓在外面等著。
Nora flinched at the loud scratching of the dog's claws on the wooden floor.
狗爪子刮過木地板的巨大聲音把 Nora 嚇了一跳。
- scraping
implies a heavier, less rhythmic sound
- screeching
much louder and higher-pitched
- rustling
softer, made by leaves or paper, not claws
3. a thin mark or area of damage that appears on a surface after a sharp or rough o
刮痕
表面因摩擦造成的細微損傷
a thin mark or area of damage that appears on a surface after a sharp or rough object has been dragged across it.
Lan noticed a deep scratching on her phone screen after dropping her keys on it.
Lan 把鑰匙掉在手機上之後，發現螢幕上有一道深深的刮痕。
collocation: deep scratching
Rodrigo tried to polish out the scratching on the old wooden table with wax.
Rodrigo 試圖用蠟把老木桌上面的刮痕打磨掉。
verb pattern: polish out + scratching
The moving company paid to repair the scratching on Shanti's new bookshelf.
搬家公司賠償了 Shanti 新書櫃上的刮痕修復費用。
Aaron pointed out the scratching around the keyhole of the second-hand car door.
Aaron 指著這輛二手車車門鑰匙孔周圍的刮痕給大家看。
用法筆記
Often uncountable when referring to the general pattern of damage ('there was scratching all over the table'), but countable when referring to individual marks ('there were several scratchings on the surface').
常見錯誤
4. letters, words, or symbols that have been cut into a hard surface such as stone,
刻字
刻在硬物表面的文字
letters, words, or symbols that have been cut into a hard surface such as stone, metal, or wood, usually by a sharp tool.
Putri traced her finger over the ancient scratching carved into the stone monument.
Putri 用手指描摹著刻在石頭紀念碑上的古老刻字。
collocation: ancient scratching
The scratching on the bronze bell was too worn by weather for anyone to read.
青銅鐘上的刻字因風吹日曬而模糊不清，沒有人能讀得出來。
Lan's grandfather showed her the scratching cut into his old wooden desk.
Lan 的祖父讓她看他刻在老舊木桌上面的字跡。
The archaeologist photographed every scratching on the cave wall before the light faded.
考古學家在光線變暗之前拍下了洞穴牆壁上的每一處刻字。
- carving
implies deeper, more artistic work; less about writing specifically
- inscription
more formal; used for official or ceremonial carved text
- etching
uses acid or a pointed tool on metal or glass
5. pieces of writing, such as notes or a shopping list, that were put down very qui
潦草字跡
倉促寫下的雜亂文字
pieces of writing, such as notes or a shopping list, that were put down very quickly without attention to neatness or order.
Shanti wrote some scratching on a napkin during the lunch meeting.
Shanti 在午餐會議期間匆匆在餐巾紙上寫了一些潦草字跡。
verb pattern: wrote + scratching
Rodrigo found old scratching on a scrap of paper tucked inside the library book.
Rodrigo 在圖書館書裡夾的一張紙片上發現了舊的潦草字跡。
The detective tried to read the scratching on the torn envelope.
偵探試圖解讀撕破信封上的潦草字跡。
Zuri's bag was full of scratching on sticky notes and the backs of receipts.
Zuri 的袋子裡裝滿了寫在便利貼和收據背面的潦草字跡。
scratching — 動詞
- scratchingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- scratchings3rd person singular
- scratchinging-ing form
- scratchingedpast simple
1. to move your fingernails back and forth across an itchy part of your skin to mak
搔癢
用指甲輕刮皮膚止癢
to move your fingernails back and forth across an itchy part of your skin to make the uncomfortable feeling go away.
Aaron scratched his arm where the wool sweater made his skin itch.
Aaron 搔了搔手臂上被羊毛衫弄得發癢的地方。
transitive: scratched + body part
Rania tried not to scratch her legs during the long bus ride to work.
Rania 在搭公車上班的路上努力忍住不去搔自己的腿。
verb pattern: try not to + scratch
The orange cat sat on the sofa scratching its ear with a back paw.
那隻橘色的貓坐在沙發上，用後腳搔著自己的耳朵。
Asher kept scratching the back of his neck while he reviewed for the exam.
Asher 一邊準備考試，一邊不停地搔著後頸。
Putri's little brother was scratching his mosquito bites even in his sleep.
Putri 的弟弟連睡覺的時候都在抓他的蚊子包。
文法句型
scratch + body part
scratch at + body part/spot
用法筆記
The object is typically a body part ('she scratched her arm') or the reflexive pronoun ('he scratched himself'). When used intransitively with 'at', the action is continuous or repetitive: 'the dog scratched at the door.'
常見錯誤
2. to make a thin mark or wound on a surface by pulling something pointed or rough
刮傷
用尖銳物刮擦造成表面損壞
to make a thin mark or wound on a surface by pulling something pointed or rough across it, often by accident.
Nikos scratched the paint on his bicycle when he leaned it against the brick wall.
Nikos 把腳踏車靠到磚牆上時刮傷了車上的烤漆。
transitive: scratched + paint
The neighbour's kitten scratched the leather sofa with its sharp little claws.
鄰居的小貓用尖銳的爪子刮傷了皮沙發。
Rodrigo scratched the surface of the non-stick frying pan by stirring with a metal spoon.
Rodrigo 用金屬湯匙攪拌時刮傷了不沾鍋的表面。
Shanti accidentally scratched her favourite sunglasses when she dropped them on the pavement.
Shanti 不小心把最心愛的太陽眼鏡掉在人行道上，鏡片被刮傷了。
Someone scratched the side of Zuri's new car while parking in the crowded lot.
有人在擁擠的停車場停車時刮傷了 Zuri 新車的車門側面。
- polish
to make a surface smooth and shiny
文法句型
scratch + surface
scratch at + surface
scratch against + surface
用法筆記
When describing the result on the damaging object itself, use the passive form or 'get scratched': 'the table got scratched during the move.' The active form describes the person or thing doing the damage.
常見錯誤
3. to put words or pictures onto a surface in a fast, messy way so that they are di
亂寫
潦草地書寫或塗畫
to put words or pictures onto a surface in a fast, messy way so that they are difficult to read clearly.
Yara scratched directions on a receipt before she forgot the address.
Yara 趁還沒忘記地址之前在收據上亂寫了行車方向。
transitive: scratched + note
The student scratched some calculations in the margin of his notebook during the exam.
那名學生在考試期間在筆記本的頁邊空白處亂寫了一些計算過程。
Aaron scratched his signature on the delivery form without reading the fine print.
Aaron 沒有細看內容就在送貨單上亂寫了自己的簽名。
Nora scratched a rough map of the neighbourhood on a napkin for her visiting friend.
Nora 在餐巾紙上為來訪的朋友亂畫了一張附近的簡易地圖。
文法句型
scratch + writing/note
scratch on + surface
用法筆記
This sense is informal and primarily British in the 'scribble' meaning. In American English, 'scratch' is less common for this meaning; 'scribble' or 'jot down' is preferred.
4. to delete a piece of writing, such as a name on a list, by putting a line across
劃掉
畫線刪除文字或項目
to delete a piece of writing, such as a name on a list, by putting a line across it in order to show it is no longer wanted or valid.
Nikos scratched his name from the list of volunteers after his schedule changed.
Nikos 因為行程有變，把自己的名字從志工名單上劃掉了。
phrasal: scratched + name + from
The manager scratched the defective item from the inventory with a red pen.
經理用紅筆把那件瑕疵品從庫存記錄中劃掉了。
Rodrigo scratched two names off the guest list after they cancelled their flights.
Rodrigo 在兩位賓客取消航班之後把他們的名字從賓客名單上劃掉了。
Shanti scratched the dentist appointment from her calendar when she came down with a fever.
Shanti 發燒之後把牙醫預約從她的行事曆上劃掉了。
- add
to include a name or item on a list
文法句型
scratch + noun + out/off
scratch + noun + from + list/document
用法筆記
Commonly used with the particles 'out' or 'off' as phrasal verbs: 'scratch out a name' means to delete it by drawing through it; 'scratch off' means to remove something from a written list.
常見錯誤
5. to decide not to take part in a race, competition, or other organized event afte
退出
從比賽或競賽中退出
to decide not to take part in a race, competition, or other organized event after having already agreed or signed up to do so.
Asher scratched from the marathon after twisting his ankle during final training.
Asher 在最終訓練中扭傷腳踝後退出了馬拉松比賽。
pattern: scratched from + event
The relay team scratched from the tournament when three runners fell ill.
接力隊伍因為三名選手生病而退出了錦標賽。
Yara scratched from the debate competition because her schoolwork was piling up.
Yara 因為學校作業堆積如山而退出了辯論比賽。
Aaron scratched from the chess match after arriving at the hall thirty minutes late.
Aaron 因為遲到了三十分鐘才到達會場而退出了那場西洋棋比賽。
文法句型
scratch from + competition/race
用法筆記
This sense is mainly used in sports and competitive contexts. The subject is usually a person or team, and 'from' introduces the event being left. In horse racing, a horse is 'scratched' from a race by its owner or trainer.
常見錯誤
6. to manage with difficulty to get enough of something you need, especially money,
湊集
辛苦地收集或湊足所需
to manage with difficulty to get enough of something you need, especially money, by using anything you can find or earn.
Putri scratched together enough cash to pay her share of the month's rent on time.
Putri 好不容易湊集了足夠的現金來按時繳交她這個月的房租分攤額。
phrasal: scratched together + money
Nikos scratched a living by doing odd jobs around the neighbourhood for elderly people.
Nikos 靠著在社區裡幫老年人打零工勉強湊集生活費。
collocation: scratch a living
The Watanabe family scratched together the money for their daughter's study trip to Kyoto.
渡邊家好不容易湊集了錢，讓女兒去京都遊學。
Rania scratched enough ingredients from her nearly empty pantry to make a simple vegetable soup.
Rania 從幾乎空了的儲物櫃裡湊集了足夠的食材，煮了一鍋簡單的蔬菜湯。
- scrape together
very similar meaning; equally common in this usage
- scrounge
informal; implies getting things by asking others
- patch together
to assemble something imperfectly from available parts
- squander
to waste money or resources carelessly
文法句型
scratch + together/up + money/resources
用法筆記
Almost always used with the particle 'together' or 'up'. The object is typically money ('scratch together some cash'), a living ('scratch a living'), or basic resources. It implies difficulty and limited means.
常見錯誤
7. to produce a rough, unpleasant noise when two hard surfaces rub or move against
刮擦作響
發出刺耳的摩擦聲音
to produce a rough, unpleasant noise when two hard surfaces rub or move against each other.
The old wooden chair scratched against the floor tiles every time Rodrigo pushed it back.
每次 Rodrigo 往後推那張舊木椅時，椅子就在磁磚地板上刮擦作響。
pattern: scratched against + surface
Something scratched on the window screen at night, and Shanti was too scared to check.
深夜裡有什麼東西在紗窗上刮擦作響，Shanti 嚇得不敢去看。
Zuri heard the dog's claws scratching at the front door to be let back inside.
Zuri 聽見狗的爪子在刮擦大門，想要進到屋子裡來。
Yara's bicycle chain scratched against the metal guard every time she pedalled uphill.
Yara 的腳踏車鏈每次她用力踩踏上山時就會在金屬護蓋上刮擦作響。
文法句型
scratch against + surface
scratch on + surface
用法筆記
This sense describes the sound produced, with the source of the sound as the subject. It is intransitive; the surface that produces the sound is introduced by 'against', 'on', or 'at'.