theme
/θiːm/ (bre, ipa) · /θiːm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈthēm/ (ame, mw)
theme — 名詞
- themesingular
- themesplural
1. the central idea or topic that a written work, speech, movie, artwork, or simila
主題
談話、作品等的核心議題
the central idea or topic that a written work, speech, movie, artwork, or similar creation deals with
The main theme of Christopher's speech was the importance of community service.
Christopher 演講的主題是社區服務的重要性。
theme + of + [possession] for central idea
Environmental protection is a recurring theme in Dewi's documentary about rainforests.
環境保護是 Dewi 那部關於雨林的紀錄片中反覆出現的主題。
recurring theme + in + [work]
The novel explores the universal theme of love and loss during wartime.
這部小說探討了戰爭時期愛與失去這個普遍的主題。
A central theme of the conference was how technology can improve healthcare in rural areas.
這次會議的一個核心主題是科技如何改善偏鄉地區的醫療保健。
Shanti's research paper examines the theme of identity in postcolonial literature.
Shanti 的研究論文探討了後殖民文學中的身分認同主題。
文法句型
theme + of + something
用法筆記
Often used with adjectives such as 'central,' 'main,' 'recurring,' or 'underlying' to indicate the importance or frequency of the subject.
常見錯誤
2. a piece of music that appears repeatedly in a movie, television show, or video g
主題曲；配樂
電影或節目中重複出現的音樂
a piece of music that appears repeatedly in a movie, television show, or video game, often connected to a specific character, place, or mood
The theme from "Jurassic Park" is one of the most famous film scores ever written.
《侏羅紀公園》的主題曲是有史以來最著名的電影配樂之一。
theme from + [film title]
Every time the villain appears on screen, the same dark theme plays in the background.
每次反派角色出現在螢幕上時，同一段陰暗的主題音樂就會在背景中響起。
The children hummed the cartoon's theme song all the way to school.
孩子們一路唱著那部卡通的主題曲走到學校。
Rania downloaded the theme tune from her favourite TV show as a ringtone.
Rania 把她最喜歡的電視節目主題曲下載下來當作手機鈴聲。
- theme song
specifically a song with lyrics used as a theme
- theme tune
more common in British English, especially for TV
- signature tune
less common; associated with a particular programme or personality
文法句型
theme + from + [film/show]
theme song / theme tune
用法筆記
The compound forms 'theme song' and 'theme tune' are more common in everyday conversation, especially for TV shows.
3. a short, basic melody used as the basis for a longer musical composition, appear
主旋律
樂曲所依據的簡短旋律
a short, basic melody used as the basis for a longer musical composition, appearing in altered forms throughout the piece
The pianist introduced a quiet theme that she later developed into a full concerto.
那位鋼琴家先彈奏了一段安靜的主旋律，之後將其發展成一首完整的協奏曲。
develop a theme — verb + noun collocation
In the second movement, the orchestra returns to the opening theme with greater force.
在第二樂章中，管弦樂團以更強的力量回到了開場的主旋律。
The composer uses a simple five-note theme that appears throughout the symphony.
這位作曲家使用了一個簡單的五音符主旋律，貫穿整首交響曲。
Liang recognised the folk theme that the orchestra was playing from his childhood.
Liang 認出了管弦樂團正在演奏的那首民謠主旋律，那是他童年聽過的曲子。
文法句型
theme + in/from + [musical work]
用法筆記
In music, a 'theme' is more than just a melody — it is the main musical idea that a composer builds a piece around, often varying it throughout the work.
4. a musical structure where a main melody is presented first and then played again
主題與變奏
重複演奏並加入變化的音樂形式
a musical structure where a main melody is presented first and then played again in several different versions, each with slight changes in rhythm, harmony, or style
Mozart wrote a well-known set of twelve variations on a simple French folk theme.
莫札特寫了一組著名的變奏曲，主題是一首簡單的法國民歌。
variations on a theme — standard musical phrasing
The final variation returns to the original theme but adds a lively jazz rhythm.
最後一個變奏回到了原本的主題，但加入了一段活潑的爵士節奏。
The music teacher asked each student to write their own theme and three variations.
音樂老師要求每位學生寫出一個自己的主題並加上三個變奏。
Beethoven's Diabelli Variations are a famous example of the theme and variations form.
貝多芬的《迪亞貝利變奏曲》是主題與變奏形式的著名範例。
文法句型
theme and variations
variations on a theme
用法筆記
The phrase 'variations on a theme' is also used figuratively outside music to describe different versions of the same basic idea.
5. a historical term for a military and administrative district that the Byzantine
軍區；行省
拜占庭帝國的行政區域
a historical term for a military and administrative district that the Byzantine Empire was split into, each under the command of a general
Under Emperor Heraclius, the Byzantine military was reorganised into several large themes.
在希拉克略皇帝統治下，拜占庭軍隊被重新組織成數個大型軍區。
Byzantine theme — historical domain term
Each theme was commanded by a strategos who managed both soldiers and local government.
每個軍區由一名兼管士兵與地方行政的將領（strategos）所指揮。
The theme system helped the Byzantine Empire defend its borders for many centuries.
軍區制度幫助拜占庭帝國在好幾個世紀期間保衛其邊境。
Historians still debate how effectively the themes were governed across such a wide area.
歷史學家仍在辯論這些軍區在如此廣闊的領土上治理得有多有效。
用法筆記
This sense is specialized for Byzantine history and is unrelated to the other meanings of 'theme.' It appears mainly in academic writing about the medieval Eastern Roman Empire.
6. a brief written assignment that a student prepares on a given topic for a school
作文
學生就特定主題撰寫的短文
a brief written assignment that a student prepares on a given topic for a school class, similar to an essay
Yael had to write a theme on the causes of the Civil War for her history class.
Yael 必須為她的歷史課寫一篇關於南北戰爭起因的作文。
write a theme on + [topic] — typical American school usage
The teacher asked the students to submit their themes by Friday afternoon.
老師要求學生在星期五下午之前繳交他們的作文。
Amani spent the weekend working on her theme about the influence of social media.
Amani 花了一整個週末寫她那篇關於社群媒體對青少年影響的作文。
Piotr received an A on his theme comparing two novels from the nineteenth century.
Piotr 那篇比較兩部十九世紀小說的作文拿到了 A 等。
- essay
more widely used internationally; less specific to American schools
- composition
often used for shorter writing assignments in school contexts
文法句型
write a theme on + [topic]
用法筆記
This sense is primarily American English. In British and other varieties of English, 'essay' or 'composition' is the more common term for a school writing assignment.
常見錯誤
7. the base part of a word that remains after removing prefixes, suffixes, or other
詞幹
去除詞綴後的詞語基本形式
the base part of a word that remains after removing prefixes, suffixes, or other affixes, also known as the stem
The word "national" has the theme "nation" with the suffix "-al" attached to it.
「national」這個詞的詞幹是「nation」，然後加上後綴「-al」。
In linguistics class, Sofia learned how to identify the theme by removing affixes from complex words.
在語言學課上，Sofia 學會了如何透過去除詞綴來識別複雜單字的詞幹。
The theme of "unhappiness" is "happy" once you take off the prefix and the suffix.
「unhappiness」的詞幹是「happy」，只要去掉前綴和後綴就知道了。
Comparing themes across related languages shows how words share a common origin.
比較不同語言中的詞幹，可以看出這些單字如何擁有共同的起源。
用法筆記
In modern linguistics, 'stem' is far more common than 'theme' for this meaning. 'Theme' in this sense is primarily found in older or more technical morphology textbooks.
theme — 動詞
- themepresent simple I / you / we / they
- themes3rd person singular
- theming-ing form
- themedpast simple
1. to create, decorate, or arrange something around a specific subject, style, or h
以…為主題
依照特定主題來設計
to create, decorate, or arrange something around a specific subject, style, or historical period so that everything fits that concept
The wedding was themed around a vintage Hollywood glamour concept from the 1950s.
那場婚禮以1950年代復古好萊塢魅力的概念為主題來設計。
passive: be themed around + [concept]
The new restaurant is themed like a 1920s Parisian cafe with jazz music and old posters.
那家新餐廳的風格像1920年代的巴黎咖啡館，有爵士音樂和舊海報。
Mauricio proposed a themed party where every guest dresses as a famous scientist.
Mauricio 提議辦一個主題派對，每位賓客都扮成一位著名的科學家。
The children's bedroom was themed after a space station with glow-in-the-dark stars.
孩子們的臥室以太空站為主題來布置，天花板上有夜光星星。
文法句型
be themed around + [something]
theme + [noun] + as/on + [subject]
用法筆記
This verb is most commonly used in the passive or past participle form ('a themed restaurant,' 'the party was themed'). The active form ('They themed the room') exists but is less frequent.