swamp
/swɒmp/ (bre, ipa) · /swɑːmp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈswämp ˈswȯmp/ (ame, mw)
swamp — 名詞
- swampsingular
- swampsplural
1. an area of ground that is completely wet and soft, often covered with muddy wate
沼澤
潮溼柔軟、泥濘積水的低地
an area of ground that is completely wet and soft, often covered with muddy water that cannot drain away, making it difficult to walk through
The hikers turned back when the trail became a swamp after three days of rain.
連續下了三天雨之後，步道變成一片沼澤，健行的人只好折返。
collocation: turn into a swamp
Alligators living in the swamp came out to warm themselves in the afternoon sun.
住在沼澤裡的鱷魚在午後的陽光下爬出來取暖。
The children stayed away from the swamp behind the village because of the deep mud.
孩子們都沒有靠近村莊後面的沼澤，因為那裡的泥巴很深。
Heavy machinery could not cross the swamp, so the builders used wooden walkways instead.
重型機械無法穿越沼澤，所以工人改用木板步道。
- desert
a dry, arid region with little to no water
文法句型
a/the swamp
swamps (plural)
用法筆記
A swamp is wetter than a marsh and has more trees than a bog. Often used in the plural swamps when referring to a large wetland area.
常見錯誤
2. a type of wetland with trees and bushes growing in soil that stays wet for most
沼澤地；濕地
有樹木灌木的溼地生態系統
a type of wetland with trees and bushes growing in soil that stays wet for most of the year, forming a distinct natural environment for wildlife
Environmentalists are working to protect the swamp from being drained for new housing.
環保人士正在努力保護這片沼澤地，避免它被抽乾蓋新房。
collocation: protect / drain a swamp
The swamp is home to rare birds that cannot survive anywhere else in the region.
這片沼澤地是稀有鳥類的家園，牠們在本地其他地方無法生存。
Park rangers lead guided walks through the swamp every Saturday morning.
公園管理員每週六早上帶隊徒步穿越這片沼澤地。
The swamp supports a rich variety of bird and insect life throughout the year.
這片沼澤地全年養育了種類豐富的鳥類和昆蟲。
- wetland
a broader term covering swamps, marshes, and bogs
- mangrove swamp
a specific type of coastal swamp with salt-tolerant trees
文法句型
the swamp
swamp ecosystem
swamp as a habitat
用法筆記
In ecological writing, swamp refers specifically to forested wetlands, as distinct from marsh (grassy) or bog (mossy). Uncountable when referring to the habitat type: 'areas of swamp were cleared.'
3. a very difficult or messy situation that feels nearly impossible to get out of,
困境
難以脫身的麻煩局面
a very difficult or messy situation that feels nearly impossible to get out of, especially one caused by too many problems, rules, or conflicting demands
The company found itself in a swamp of legal problems after the CEO was arrested.
執行長被捕之後，這家公司陷入了一堆法律問題的困境。
collocation: a swamp of [problems]
Getting out of this bureaucratic swamp will take months of paperwork and meetings.
要脫離這個官僚體制的泥淖，需要花好幾個月處理文件和開會。
Without a plan, the project sank into a swamp of confusion and missed deadlines.
沒有計畫，這個專案就陷入了混亂和不斷錯過截止日期的困境。
Shirin was trapped in a swamp of debt after losing her job last winter.
Shirin 去年冬天失業之後，就陷入了債務困境。
- breeze
informal; something that is very easy to do or deal with
文法句型
a swamp of [problems/difficulties]
in a swamp of [n.]
a bureaucratic swamp
用法筆記
Almost always figurative and preceded by a determiner (a/the swamp). Common in metaphor pairs: 'a swamp of...' and 'drag/drain/get out of the swamp.' Not used in formal academic writing.
常見錯誤
swamp — 動詞
- swamppresent simple I / you / we / they
- swamps3rd person singular
- swamping-ing form
- swampedpast simple
1. to submerge something entirely under water, so that it is covered and often unab
淹沒
被大量水完全覆蓋
to submerge something entirely under water, so that it is covered and often unable to function or be used normally
Heavy rains swamped the coastal village, forcing hundreds of families to leave their homes.
大雨淹沒了沿海村莊，迫使數百個家庭撤離家園。
active: rains + swamp + [place]
A wave from the passing boat swamped the little fishing boat, soaking everyone on board.
一艘經過的船掀起大浪，淹沒了小漁船，船上每個人都溼透了。
The basement was swamped by the rising river after the dam broke upstream.
水壩上游破了一個洞，河水暴漲，地下室就被淹沒了。
The storm surge swamped the entire ground floor of the seaside hotel.
暴潮淹沒了海邊飯店的整個一樓。
文法句型
swamp [noun]
be swamped by/with [water/inundation]
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice ('be swamped'). The active form typically takes natural forces (rain, waves, floods) as the subject. Compare with 'flood' — swamp emphasises complete covering and immobilisation, while flood can mean water covering an area to any depth.
2. to give someone or a system more work, information, or requests than can be hand
疲於應付
工作量或請求多到無法應付
to give someone or a system more work, information, or requests than can be handled, so that normal operation becomes impossible
The customer service team was swamped with calls after the website crashed on Monday morning.
週一早上網站當機之後，客服團隊被電話淹沒了。
passive: be swamped with [calls]
Small shops were swamped by holiday orders and had to hire temporary workers.
小商店被假期訂單淹沒，只好僱用臨時人員。
Roya felt swamped by all the paperwork on her first day at the new job.
Roya 在新工作的第一天就被一堆文書作業壓得喘不過氣。
The school's admission office was swamped with applications this year and ran out of forms.
學校招生辦公室今年收到大量申請，連申請表都發完了。
- overwhelm
the closest synonym, but broader — can refer to emotions as well as tasks
- deluge
to give someone a very large amount of something at once; more dramatic
- flood
to arrive in large numbers; slightly less intense than swamp
- snow under
informal; means to give someone more work than they can handle
文法句型
swamp [person/system] with [n.]
be swamped with/by [requests/work/information]
用法筆記
Almost always passive (be/get/feel swamped). The active form exists but is rare: 'Requests swamped the office.' The preposition with is more common than by when specifying the overwhelming thing.
常見錯誤
3. when a piece of clothing is so large that it completely hides the shape of your
過於寬大
衣服太大，把人的身體完全罩住
when a piece of clothing is so large that it completely hides the shape of your body and looks as though it is about to fall off your shoulders
The borrowed jacket swamped Kian, with the sleeves hanging well past his fingertips.
借來的外套對 Kian 來說太大了，袖子遠遠超過他的手指。
pattern: [clothes] swamp [person]
Élise's hand-me-down coat swamped her younger sister, making her look like a child in costume.
Élise 穿不下的外套穿在妹妹身上實在太大了，看起來像小孩穿戲服。
The oversized sweater swamped Tomás, but he wore it anyway because it was comfortable.
那件特大號的毛衣對 Tomás 來說太大了，但他還是穿了，因為很舒服。
The charity shop coat swamped Adina, but she loved the warm fabric anyway.
二手店買的外套對 Adina 來說太大件了，但她很喜歡那溫暖的布料，還是穿了。
- drown
similar meaning but more dramatic; 'drowned in a oversized shirt'
- swallow up
phrasal verb; 'the sleeves swallowed up his hands'
- fit
to be the right size for someone
文法句型
[clothes] swamp [person]
be swamped by [clothes]
用法筆記
This sense is less common than the other two verb senses. It is almost always used in the active voice with the clothing item as the subject. The passive ('be swamped by a coat') is possible but less natural.