trials

IPA/ˈtraɪ.əl/
KK[trˈaɪəlz]IPA/ˈtraɪ.əl/

trials — 名詞

  • trialssingular
  • trialsesplural

1. a formal court hearing where evidence and arguments are presented so that a judg

1.名詞B2
釋義

審判

法院審理案件以判定罪責的程序

a formal court hearing where evidence and arguments are presented so that a judge or jury can decide if the accused person has broken the law

例句

The murder <hl>trial</hl> lasted six weeks before the jury reached a unanimous verdict.

謀殺案的審判持續了六週，陪審團才達成一致判決。

trial + last + period of time + jury verdict

During the <hl>trial</hl>, the defence lawyer called three witnesses to the witness box.

審判期間，辯護律師傳喚了三名證人出庭作證。

during the trial + lawyer + witnesses

同義詞
  • hearing

    less formal and usually shorter than a full trial; a hearing may decide a single legal point rather than the whole case

  • court case

    broader term that includes the entire legal dispute, not just the court proceeding itself

  • proceedings

    formal term covering all actions taken in a court of law

反義詞
  • settlement

    an agreement reached outside of court before a trial happens

用法筆記

Commonly used in fixed phrases: 'stand trial' (be judged in court), 'go on trial' (start the legal proceeding), 'trial by jury' (a trial with a jury deciding the verdict). Subject is typically a person accused of a crime.

常見錯誤

❌He had a trial for stealing a car.
✅He stood trial for stealing a car.
💡'stand trial' is the correct collocation, not 'have a trial'.

2. a short period of testing to find out how well a product, method, or person work

2.名詞B2
釋義

試驗

短期測試以評估效能或適用性

a short period of testing to find out how well a product, method, or person works under real conditions

例句

The pharmaceutical company is running clinical <hl>trials</hl> on a new treatment for heart disease.

該藥廠正在對一種心臟病新療法進行臨床試驗。

clinical trials + treatment for disease

New customer service staff go through a three-month <hl>trial</hl> before they receive a permanent contract.

新客服人員需經過三個月的試用期，才能獲得正式合約。

trial before permanent contract

同義詞
  • test

    broader and more general; a test can be any kind of check, while a trial usually happens over a set period

  • experiment

    implies a scientific or controlled procedure rather than a practical trial of an existing product

  • pilot

    used for a small-scale first trial of a project or system before wider use

用法筆記

Frequently appears in compound nouns: 'clinical trial', 'field trial', 'drug trial', 'trial run'. Often followed by 'of' or 'on': a trial of the new system, trials on patients.

常見錯誤

❌The car passed the try.
✅The car passed the trial.
💡'try' as a noun means an attempt, not a formal test procedure.

3. a person, thing, or situation that is difficult to deal with and causes trouble

3.名詞C1
釋義

磨難

長期困擾的人事物

a person, thing, or situation that is difficult to deal with and causes trouble or worry over a long period of time

例句

Lena's younger brother loved playing practical jokes, which were a constant <hl>trial</hl> to the whole family.

Lena 的弟弟愛玩惡作劇，對全家人來說是個持續的折磨。

constant trial + family + practical jokes

The daily two-hour commute is one of those little <hl>trials</hl> of city life that you learn to accept.

每天兩小時的通勤是都市生活中那些你得學會接受的小折磨之一。

little trials of life + accept

同義詞
  • ordeal

    stronger and more painful; an ordeal involves suffering, while a trial is more about general difficulty

  • nuisance

    less serious; a nuisance is merely inconvenient, while a trial suggests longer-term struggle

  • burden

    emphasises the weight of responsibility, while a trial focuses on the difficulty itself

反義詞
  • blessing

    something that brings happiness or benefit, the opposite of a troublesome situation

用法筆記

Almost always used with an intensifier: 'a real trial', 'a constant trial', 'such a trial'. The sense is stronger than simply 'annoyance' — it implies ongoing difficulty. Unlike the other noun senses, this one is rarely used in the plural except in the fixed expression 'trials and tribulations'.

常見錯誤

❌The noisy neighbours are trials.
✅The noisy neighbours are a trial.
💡This sense is almost always used in the singular form even when the subject is plural.

4. an examination that students take for practice before they take the real, offici

4.名詞B1
釋義

模擬考

正式考試前的練習測驗

an examination that students take for practice before they take the real, official examination

例句

The maths teacher handed out the <hl>trial</hl> exam papers and gave the class exactly one hour to finish.

數學老師發下模擬考試卷，給全班整整一小時作答。

trial exam papers + teacher + class

Mei-Lin scored higher on the real exam than on any of the practice <hl>trials</hl> she took beforehand.

Mei-Lin 的正式考試成績比她先前任何一次模擬考都還要高。

practice trials + real exam + score

同義詞
  • mock exam

    interchangeable with 'trial exam' but slightly more informal; common in both British and American English

  • practice test

    the standard American English term; less formal than 'trial exam'

  • preliminary exam

    formal term for an exam taken before the main one, often with official weight

用法筆記

More common in British English ('trial exams', 'mock trials') than American English, where 'practice test' or 'mock exam' is preferred. Usually found in the plural when referring to a series of practice exams before one major test.

常見錯誤

❌I have a trial tomorrow.' (when meaning a practice exam)
✅I have a trial exam tomorrow.
💡Without 'exam' or 'test', a native speaker may think you mean a legal trial or a product test.

trials — 動詞