trifles
/ˈtraɪ.fəl/ (bre, ipa) · [trˈaɪfəlz] /ˈtraɪ.fəl/ (ame, ipa) · [trˈaɪfəlz] /ˈtrī-fəl How to pronounce trifle (audio)/ (ame, mw)
trifles — 名詞
1. cold layered desserts made from cake, fruit, creamy custard, and whipped cream.
水果布丁
層疊蛋糕水果與奶糊的冷甜點
cold layered desserts made from cake, fruit, creamy custard, and whipped cream.
The cafe serves trifles in small glass bowls after Sunday lunch.
這家咖啡館在星期天午餐後會用小玻璃碗供應水果布丁。
plural dessert noun
Grandma chilled two strawberry trifles before the family came over.
阿嬤在家人來訪前先冰好兩份草莓水果布丁。
The children topped their trifles with extra cream and toasted almonds.
孩子們在自己的水果布丁上加了更多鮮奶油和烤杏仁。
At the hotel buffet, mini trifles disappeared before the pies did.
飯店自助餐上的迷你水果布丁比派還早被拿光。
文法句型
serve trifles
make trifles
用法筆記
Usually plural when several servings are meant. Often served in glass bowls at parties, buffets, or family meals.
2. small objects or concerns that are not worth much attention.
小東西；瑣事
不值得多費心的零碎事物
small objects or concerns that are not worth much attention.
The committee argued about trifles while the real budget problem grew.
委員會一直為這些瑣事爭個不停，真正的預算問題卻越來越大。
argue about + trifles
Do not fill your suitcase with trifles from every airport shop.
別把每間機場商店買來的小東西都塞進行李箱。
Talia brushed aside such trifles and focused on the broken pipe.
Talia 把這種瑣事先擺一邊，專心處理破掉的水管。
After the storm, broken cups and other trifles covered the kitchen floor.
暴風雨過後，碎杯子和其他小東西散滿了廚房地板。
- details
focuses on minor points rather than physical objects
- odds and ends
informal and especially common for small miscellaneous objects
- minutiae
more formal and usually refers to tiny details
- essentials
things that truly matter or are genuinely needed
文法句型
argue about trifles
dismiss trifles
用法筆記
Often plural and dismissive, especially when contrasted with a larger worry. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about importance, not food.
trifles — 副詞
1. by a small amount; just a little.
稍微
只多或少一點點
by a small amount; just a little.
The room felt trifles warmer after Karim closed the window.
Karim 關上窗後，房間感覺稍微暖了一些。
trifles + adjective
Harper looked trifles nervous before the piano exam began.
Harper 在鋼琴考試開始前看起來稍微緊張。
The soup is trifles too salty for the children tonight.
今晚這鍋湯對孩子們來說稍微太鹹了。
We arrived trifles late, yet the play had not started.
我們到得稍微晚了一點，不過戲還沒開始。
- slightly
the normal modern equivalent
- a little
more conversational and less literary
- marginally
more formal and often used in measured comparisons
文法句型
trifles + adjective
trifles + adverb
用法筆記
Old-fashioned and mainly placed before an adjective or adverb. Modern everyday English usually prefers slightly or a little.
trifles — 動詞
- triflespresent simple I / you / we / they
- trifleses3rd person singular
- triflesing-ing form
- triflesedpast simple
1. to handle a person, warning, or issue as if it does not really matter.
輕忽；看輕
把人或事情看得不重要
to handle a person, warning, or issue as if it does not really matter.
Any boss who trifles with worker safety should lose the contract.
任何輕忽工人安全的老闆都該失去那份合約。
trifle with + noun phrase
Ritu never trifles with family advice, even in private.
Ritu 從不看輕家人的忠告，就算私下也是如此。
The judge warned the boys not to trifle with school property.
法官警告那群男孩，不要輕忽學校財物。
No wise parent trifles with a child's fever after midnight.
明智的父母都不會看輕孩子半夜發燒這件事。
- dismiss
stresses rejecting something as unimportant
- belittle
suggests making something seem smaller or less serious
- make light of
more idiomatic and often used for serious matters
- respect
to treat a person or matter as worthy of care
- take seriously
to give proper weight to a person, risk, or warning
文法句型
trifle with + noun phrase
not to be trifled with
用法筆記
Commonly followed by with before the person or thing treated lightly. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense belittles the object, while sense 3 wastes time.
常見錯誤
2. to speak or act in a playful, careless way when more seriousness is needed.
說笑胡鬧
用輕浮玩笑態度說話行事
to speak or act in a playful, careless way when more seriousness is needed.
During the interview, Christopher trifled instead of answering the question clearly.
面試時，Christopher 一直說笑胡鬧，沒有清楚回答問題。
intransitive use in a serious situation
The host kept trifling while the audience waited for the real news.
觀眾等著聽真正的消息時，主持人還是不停胡鬧說笑。
Pim trifles whenever a conversation becomes too serious at dinner.
只要晚餐聊天變得太嚴肅，Pim 就會開始說笑胡鬧。
The minister refused to trifle at a meeting about flood damage.
部長在討論水災損害的會議上拒絕嬉鬧說笑。
- jest
more literary and focused on joking speech
- kid around
informal and lighter in tone
- fool around
informal and can suggest childish behaviour
- speak seriously
to keep an appropriate tone when the subject matters
文法句型
trifle during a serious occasion
keep trifling
用法筆記
Usually intransitive and often suggests an unserious tone in a serious setting. Distinguish from sense 1: the focus here is manner of speaking or behaving, not disregard for an object.
常見錯誤
3. to let time pass in idle or pointless activity instead of doing what matters.
虛度光陰
把時間耗在無關緊要的事上
to let time pass in idle or pointless activity instead of doing what matters.
Instead of packing, Harper trifled in the garden until sunset.
Harper 沒去收行李，反而在花園裡虛度光陰直到日落。
idle activity before needed work
The clerks trifled all morning and finished none of the orders.
那些店員整個上午都在虛度光陰，結果一張訂單也沒完成。
We cannot trifle when the train leaves in twenty minutes.
火車二十分鐘後就要開了，我們不能再虛度光陰。
Rachid trifled away the afternoon at the card table.
Rachid 在牌桌旁把整個下午虛度掉了。
- idle
neutral and focused on doing nothing useful
- dawdle
suggests moving or working too slowly
- waste time
the plain modern equivalent
- hurry
to move quickly because time matters
- get on with
to start or continue the necessary task
文法句型
trifle while others wait
trifle away + time expression
用法筆記
Often intransitive, but away can be added when the wasted thing is time itself. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about idling, not joking.