surprise
/səˈpraɪz/ (bre, ipa) · [sɚprˈaɪz] /sərˈpraɪz/ (ame, ipa) · [sɚprˈaɪz] /sər-ˈprīz sə-/ (ame, mw) · [sɚprˈaɪz] /sɚˈpraɪz/ (ame, ipa)
surprise — 名詞
- surprisesingular
- surprisesplural
1. Something that happens that you did not expect to happen — for example, a party
意外
意想不到的事件
Something that happens that you did not expect to happen — for example, a party arranged for you without your knowledge, or a sudden piece of news that changes your plans.
The party was a complete surprise — Linh had no idea her friends were planning it.
這場派對完全是個意外——Linh 完全不知道朋友們在為她策劃。
collocation: complete surprise
A surprise awaited the children when they opened the classroom door.
孩子們打開教室門時，有個驚喜在等著他們。
The election result came as a surprise to most people in the country.
選舉結果令該國大多數人感到意外。
Meera loves surprises, so her family plans something special every birthday.
Meera 喜歡驚喜，所以她的家人每年生日都會準備特別的活動。
It was a nice surprise to find a handwritten letter in the mailbox.
在信箱裡找到一封手寫信，真是個意外的驚喜。
- shock
stronger and more negative; implies sudden upset
- bolt from the blue
idiomatic, dramatic, and less common in everyday speech
- expectation
what you believe will happen, rather than what you do not see coming
用法筆記
Often used in the pattern 'come as a surprise (to someone)' or 'be a surprise'.
常見錯誤
2. The emotional reaction you have — often a mix of shock, curiosity, or pleasure —
驚訝
因意外而產生的情緒
The emotional reaction you have — often a mix of shock, curiosity, or pleasure — when something unexpected happens.
To her surprise, Dahlia found the exam much easier than she had expected.
令 Dahlia 驚訝的是，考試比她預期的簡單許多。
pattern: to [possessive] surprise
Heather gasped in surprise when she saw the sunset over the desert.
Heather 看到沙漠上的日落時，驚訝得倒吸了一口氣。
A look of surprise crossed the teacher's face when the shy student answered first.
當那位害羞的學生第一個回答問題時，老師臉上掠過一絲驚訝的表情。
Much to everyone's surprise, the small team won the first prize.
令大家非常驚訝的是，這支小隊伍贏得了頭獎。
His voice was full of surprise as he read the results on the screen.
他在螢幕上閱讀結果時，語氣中充滿了驚訝。
- astonishment
stronger and more formal
- amazement
suggests wonder and admiration rather than shock
- shock
more negative; suggests upset or disturbance
- expectation
a calm feeling that something will happen
- predictability
the quality of being expected and ordinary
用法筆記
Common in fixed phrases such as 'to someone's surprise', 'in surprise', and 'much to someone's surprise'. This sense is uncountable — do not say 'a surprise' when you mean the feeling.
常見錯誤
surprise — 動詞
- surprisepresent simple I / you / we / they
- surprises3rd person singular
- surprising-ing form
- surprisedpast simple
1. To cause someone to feel the emotion of surprise — usually by doing or saying so
使驚訝
讓某人感到意外
To cause someone to feel the emotion of surprise — usually by doing or saying something they did not expect, such as arriving early, giving an unexpected gift, or sharing news that goes against what they believed.
It surprised Antonia to learn that her old school had closed down.
Antonia 得知母校關閉時感到很驚訝。
pattern: it surprises [object] to-infinitive
The results of the test surprised everyone in the laboratory.
測驗結果讓實驗室裡的每個人都感到意外。
What surprised me most was how kind the strangers were.
最令我驚訝的是那些陌生人有多麼友善。
Does it surprise you that many people prefer working from home?
很多人比較喜歡在家工作，這讓你驚訝嗎？
The news surprised Ilan so much that he dropped his coffee cup.
這個消息讓 Ilan 驚訝到連咖啡杯都掉了。
- expect
to think something will happen, so you are not surprised
文法句型
surprise + object
surprise + object + that-clause
it surprises + object + to-infinitive
it surprises + object + wh-clause
用法筆記
Frequently used in impersonal constructions: 'it surprises someone that/to/when...' and 'what surprises someone is...'.
常見錯誤
2. To come upon someone who is completely unprepared — whether by stumbling across
撞見；突襲
出其不意地發現或攻擊
To come upon someone who is completely unprepared — whether by stumbling across them doing something hidden, or by launching an attack with no advance warning.
The security guard surprised two people trying to climb over the fence.
警衛撞見兩個人試圖翻越圍欄。
pattern: surprise [object] + -ing verb
A sudden snowstorm surprised the hikers on the mountain.
一場突如其來的暴風雪讓山上的登山客措手不及。
Nkechi came home early and surprised a stranger in the kitchen.
Nkechi 提早回家，在廚房裡撞見了一名陌生人。
The army surprised the enemy camp at dawn and captured the position.
軍隊在黎明時突襲敵軍陣地，並攻佔了該處。
Paloma opened the door and surprised her brother while he was reading her notes.
Paloma 打開門，發現哥哥正在偷看她的筆記。
- warn
to tell someone in advance so they are prepared
文法句型
surprise + object
surprise + object + -ing verb
用法筆記
Often followed by an -ing clause describing the action the person was doing when caught. In military contexts, 'surprise' means to attack suddenly and without warning.