sustenance
/ˈsʌstənəns/ (bre, ipa) · [sˈʌstənəns] /ˈsʌstənəns/ (ame, ipa) · [sˈʌstənəns] /ˈsə-stə-nən(t)s How to pronounce sustenance (audio)/ (ame, mw)
sustenance — 名詞
1. The food, and sometimes drink, that lets a person, animal, or plant stay alive,
食糧
維持生命的食物與飲水
The food, and sometimes drink, that lets a person, animal, or plant stay alive, especially in a difficult situation.
Rescue workers carried water and basic sustenance to the flooded village.
救難人員把飲水和基本食糧送進淹水的村子。
basic sustenance for survival
The trapped hikers shared dried fruit as their only sustenance overnight.
受困的登山客整夜分著吃乾果，那是他們唯一的食糧。
Tiny roots drew sustenance from the wet soil beside the wall.
細小的根從牆邊的濕土吸收養分來維生。
During the siege, thin soup was the family's main sustenance.
圍城期間，稀薄的湯就是那家人主要的食糧。
- food
broader and more neutral; not especially focused on survival
- provisions
used for supplies prepared for a journey or emergency
- rations
suggests fixed limited amounts, often in military or emergency settings
- starvation
the condition of having too little food to live on
文法句型
provide sustenance for + person / place
draw sustenance from + source
用法筆記
Usually uncountable and often used in serious, formal, or literary contexts where the focus is survival rather than enjoyment. It commonly refers to very basic food or drink, not a full meal with social meaning.
常見錯誤
2. The amount of strength and lasting energy that food gives to the body.
營養；飽足
食物帶來的營養與飽足作用
The amount of strength and lasting energy that food gives to the body.
A bowl of beans offers more sustenance than a packet of biscuits.
一碗豆子比一包餅乾更有營養，也更有飽足感。
comparison: more sustenance than
The nurse chose porridge because it gave the patient steady sustenance.
護士選了粥，因為它能替病人提供穩定的營養。
Trail runners need snacks with real sustenance, not just sugar.
越野跑者需要真正有飽足感的點心，不只是糖分。
Grandpa said the stew had enough sustenance for a cold morning.
爺爺說那鍋燉菜的營養足夠撐過寒冷的早晨。
- nourishment
slightly broader; includes the process of feeding as well as the value of food
- nutrition
more scientific and often used in health discussion
- staying power
informal; focuses on how long food keeps you going
文法句型
food gives sustenance
have enough sustenance for + activity / time
用法筆記
Most often used when comparing foods and judging how filling or strengthening they are. It commonly appears after verbs such as 'give', 'offer', or 'have', rather than naming the food itself as in sense 1.
3. A source of comfort or inner strength that helps someone endure pain, grief, or
慰藉；支撐
讓人撐下去的情感或心理支持
A source of comfort or inner strength that helps someone endure pain, grief, or pressure.
Music became Jia's sustenance during months of care at home.
在家照護的那幾個月裡，音樂成了 Jia 的精神慰藉。
be someone's sustenance during hardship
After the divorce, prayer was Nadia's main sustenance each evening.
離婚後，禱告是 Nadia 每天晚上主要的支撐。
Letters from old friends gave Eri quiet sustenance in hospital.
老朋友的來信在住院期間給了 Eri 安靜的慰藉。
The small garden provided mental sustenance for residents of the shelter.
那座小花園為收容所住戶提供了心理上的支撐。
- solace
focuses on comfort in sadness or pain
- comfort
broader everyday word for emotional relief
- encouragement
focuses more on confidence and hope
- despair
a complete loss of hope or inner strength
文法句型
find sustenance in + activity / belief
be someone's sustenance during + hardship
用法筆記
Often appears with sources such as music, prayer, memory, friendship, or nature. Distinguish from sense 5: this sense keeps a person emotionally steady, while sense 5 is about keeping a system, community, or tradition in existence.
4. The income or material support a person depends on in order to live.
生計
維持生活所需的收入或資源
The income or material support a person depends on in order to live.
Fishing was the islanders' chief sustenance before tourism arrived.
在觀光業出現前，捕魚是島民最主要的生計。
chief sustenance from a livelihood source
The market stall provided sustenance for Padma and her two sons.
那個市場攤位提供了 Padma 和兩個兒子的生計。
provide sustenance for + family
When the mine closed, hundreds of families lost their sustenance.
礦場關閉時，數百個家庭失去了生計。
Small farms remain the main sustenance of many mountain villages.
小型農場仍是許多山村主要的生計來源。
- livelihood
the most direct modern equivalent
- income
narrower; focuses only on money received
- means of support
formal phrase for what keeps someone materially secure
文法句型
provide sustenance for + family / community
lose sustenance when + job / source ends
用法筆記
Common in formal, historical, or literary discussion of workers, households, and communities. Distinguish from sense 1: here the word means the resources that pay for life, not the actual food or drink itself.
5. The continuing support that lets a life, system, community, or tradition remain
延續
使制度、生命或傳統延續的支撐
The continuing support that lets a life, system, community, or tradition remain in being.
Clean rivers are essential to the sustenance of local farming communities.
乾淨的河流對在地農耕社群的延續非常重要。
the sustenance of + community
Public trust is vital for the sustenance of any democracy.
大眾信任對任何民主制度的延續都很關鍵。
vital for the sustenance of + system
These forests play a part in the sustenance of rare bird species.
這些森林對稀有鳥類族群的延續很重要。
Careful repairs ensured the sustenance of the old temple for decades.
細心的修繕讓那座古老寺廟再延續了數十年。
- continuation
neutral term for something going on without stopping
- maintenance
emphasises ongoing care needed to keep something functioning
- preservation
focuses on protecting something from damage or loss
- collapse
the sudden failure of a system or structure
- extinction
the complete ending of a species or form of life
文法句型
the sustenance of + system / tradition / species
be vital to the sustenance of + noun
用法筆記
Most common in formal writing about institutions, ecosystems, traditions, and long-term social or biological survival. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is about preserving existence over time, not giving a person emotional comfort.