spur
spur — 名詞
- spursingular
- spursplural
1. a small metal wheel with sharp points, worn on the heel of a riding boot and pre
馬刺
裝在馬靴後跟催促馬匹的金屬器具
a small metal wheel with sharp points, worn on the heel of a riding boot and pressed into a horse's side to tell it to go faster.
Jisoo fastened the silver spur onto her boot before the morning trail ride.
Jisoo 在清晨騎馬出發前，把銀色的馬刺扣到靴子上。
collocation: fasten a spur
The museum display case held a rusty spur from the nineteenth century.
博物館展示櫃裡放著一枚十九世紀的鏽蝕馬刺。
Hamza pressed his spur gently into the mare's side, and she moved forward at once.
Hamza 輕輕把馬刺抵進母馬的身側，牠立刻往前邁步。
Putri bought a pair of spurs at the equestrian shop for her first horse show.
Putri 在馬具店買了一副馬刺，準備參加她的第一次馬術比賽。
2. a narrow ridge of rock or soil that runs outward from the main body of a mountai
山脊
從山脈延伸出去的狹長高地
a narrow ridge of rock or soil that runs outward from the main body of a mountain.
The hiking trail followed a rocky spur that offered views of the valley below.
那條登山步道沿著一道岩石山脊蜿蜒而行，下方的河谷景色盡收眼底。
geographical feature: spur of a mountain
From the cabin, the family could see a wooded spur running to the river.
從小屋望去，一家人可以看見一道長滿樹木的山脊延伸到河邊。
Élise took a photo of the narrow spur jutting from the eastern hillside.
Élise 拍了一張照片，拍的是那道從東側山坡突出的狹長山脊。
The old village sat on a spur, with rice fields sloping down on three sides.
那座老村落坐落在一片山脊上，稻田向三面傾斜而下。
- ridge
a ridge is a long, narrow top of connected high ground; a spur is specifically a side projection from a larger mountain or hill
用法筆記
Common in geographical descriptions and hiking trail guides. Often preceded by a descriptive adjective (rocky, wooded, narrow, broad).
3. something that gives you a reason or motivation to act with more energy, speed,
激勵；動力
促使人更努力的事物
something that gives you a reason or motivation to act with more energy, speed, or determination.
A promised bonus was a spur for the team to finish the project early.
獎金的承諾成了激勵團隊提早完成專案的動力。
pattern: a spur for + noun phrase
A critic's good review can be a spur for a young writer to improve.
評論家的好評可以成為激勵年輕作家進步的動力。
Reema took the criticism as a spur to improve her performance at work.
Reema 把批評當作激勵自己在工作上進步的動力。
The coach's words acted as a spur for the tired runners in the final lap.
教練的話對最後一圈疲憊的跑者起了激勵作用。
- incentive
more formal, often refers to a concrete reward or benefit offered to encourage action
- motivation
broader in scope, can refer to internal or external reasons for acting
- stimulus
more technical or formal, often used in economics or psychology
- discouragement
something that reduces someone's confidence or willingness to act
文法句型
a spur to + noun
a spur for + noun
a spur to + infinitive
用法筆記
Often paired with 'as' (acted as a spur, served as a spur). Typically used in singular form. The object of 'for' or 'to' is usually the person or group being encouraged.
常見錯誤
4. a short road or railway line that connects to a bigger, busier route and serves
支線
連接主幹道的岔路或鐵道
a short road or railway line that connects to a bigger, busier route and serves a local area or facility.
A narrow railway spur carried goods from the factory to the main line.
一條狹窄的鐵路支線把貨物從工廠運到主幹線。
collocation: railway spur
The truck turned onto a dirt spur that led to the warehouse district outside town.
卡車轉進一條泥土岔路，通往市郊的倉儲區。
City planners approved a new road spur to ease congestion near the shopping centre.
都市規劃人員核准新建一條道路支線，以紓緩購物中心附近的塞車問題。
The old railway spur had been abandoned and was now completely overgrown with weeds.
那條舊鐵路支線早已廢棄，如今完全被雜草覆蓋。
- branch line
synonymous for railways, though 'branch line' may be longer and serve multiple stops
- side road
used for roads, but less specific — a side road does not necessarily connect to a main route
用法筆記
Common in transport planning, logistics, and civil engineering contexts. 'Railway spur' and 'road spur' are the two most frequent compound forms.
spur — 動詞
- spurpresent simple I / you / we / they
- spurs3rd person singular
- spurring-ing form
- spurredpast simple
1. to encourage someone to do something, or to cause something to develop or happen
推動；促進
鼓勵行動或加速發展
to encourage someone to do something, or to cause something to develop or happen faster — for example, a deadline spurring a team to finish a project, or new evidence spurring a police investigation.
The manager's promise of a bonus spurred the sales team to exceed their targets.
主管承諾的獎金推動業務團隊超越他們的業績目標。
pattern: spur + person + to + infinitive
A series of earthquakes spurred the city to update its building safety rules.
一連串的地震促使該市更新建築安全法規。
The documentary about ocean pollution spurred Harper to join a clean-up group at the beach.
那部關於海洋污染的紀錄片促使 Harper 加入海灘淨灘團體。
Rising energy costs have spurred many companies to invest in solar power for their factories.
能源成本持續上漲，促使許多公司在工廠投資太陽能設備。
Adisa was spurred by his mentor's advice to apply for the scholarship program.
Adisa 受到導師建議的激勵，申請了那項獎學金計劃。
- motivate
broader, can refer to internal or external reasons; less urgent than spur
- prompt
suggests a direct cause-effect relationship; slightly less forceful
- stimulate
more formal; often used for economic or intellectual activity
- drive
can be stronger, often implies internal determination rather than external cause
- discourage
to make someone less willing to do something
- deter
to prevent someone from taking action through fear or doubt
文法句型
spur + person + to + infinitive
spur + person + on
be spurred by + noun
用法筆記
Very frequently used in the passive voice (be spurred by). The object can be a person, group, or organization. When the stimulus is another event or fact, it often appears in news and business writing.
常見錯誤
2. to press your heels with spurs into a horse's sides so that it begins to run or
策馬
用馬刺催促馬匹前進
to press your heels with spurs into a horse's sides so that it begins to run or runs faster.
Aaron spurred his horse and raced across the open field toward the fence.
Aaron 策馬奔過開闊的田野，朝圍欄飛馳而去。
spur + horse + direction phrase
Nkechi gently spurred her pony to keep up with the other riders on the trail.
Nkechi 輕輕策馬跟上步道上的其他騎手。
The cowboy spurred his horse forward the moment the gate swung open.
大門一打開，牛仔便催馬向前奔去。
Eli refused to spur the tired horse and let it rest by the stream.
Eli 不願再催那匹疲憊的馬，讓牠在小溪邊休息。
文法句型
spur + horse + adverb/direction
spur + horse + on
用法筆記
This literal equestrian sense is less common in everyday conversation than the figurative sense (verb sense 1). Often carries a directional adverb (forward, on) or a direction phrase.