whitewash
/ˈwaɪtwɒʃ/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈaɪtwˌɑʃ] /ˈwaɪtwɑːʃ/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈaɪtwˌɑʃ] /ˈ(h)wīt-ˌwȯsh How to pronounce whitewash (audio) -ˌwäsh/ (ame, mw) · /ˈwaɪt.wɒʃ/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈaɪtwˌɑʃ] /ˈwaɪt.wɑːʃ/ (ame, ipa)
whitewash — 名詞
- whitewashsingular
- whitewashesplural
1. A white, watery paint made from lime or chalk powder mixed with water, used to g
石灰水
石灰或白堊調製的白色塗料
A white, watery paint made from lime or chalk powder mixed with water, used to give walls and ceilings a bright white finish.
The farmer mixed a bucket of whitewash to paint the chicken coop walls.
農夫調了一桶石灰水，準備粉刷雞舍的牆壁。
countable: a bucket of whitewash
Grandma asked us to apply fresh whitewash to the garden shed before summer.
奶奶要我們在夏天來臨前，給花園小屋刷上新的石灰水。
In the old days, people used whitewash to keep their cottage walls clean and bright.
以前的人常用石灰水粉刷農舍牆壁，讓房子保持潔白明亮。
The workers brushed whitewash onto the ceiling of the village school last Tuesday.
上星期二，工人們把石灰水刷在村莊學校的天花板上。
- limewash
more specific; made with slaked lime rather than chalk
- white paint
broader category; includes modern paints that are not water-and-lime based
文法句型
a bucket of whitewash
coat of whitewash
用法筆記
Most modern households use emulsion paint instead of traditional whitewash. The word still appears when describing historical buildings or rural construction methods.
2. A report or investigation that deliberately hides unpleasant facts so that peopl
掩飾
刻意隱瞞真相的調查或報告
A report or investigation that deliberately hides unpleasant facts so that people think a bad situation is acceptable.
The mayor's investigation was a whitewash meant to protect his colleagues from blame.
市長的調查只是一場掩飾，目的是保護他的同事免受指責。
countable: a whitewash + passive 'was a whitewash'
Environmental groups called the report a whitewash because it ignored the factory's pollution.
環保團體抨擊那份報告是掩飾，因為它完全無視工廠的污染問題。
Journalists accused the committee of producing a whitewash instead of a real inquiry.
記者指責委員會發布的是一份掩飾文件，而非真正的調查報告。
The company issued a whitewash of its safety problems, not a proper review.
公司發布的文件是對其安全問題的掩飾，而非正當檢討。
- cover-up
more informal and slightly broader; can refer to the act not just the document
- concealment
more formal; implies intentional hiding of evidence
- exposure
the opposite of hiding facts — making the truth known
- revelation
bringing hidden facts into the open
文法句型
a whitewash of [scandal/failure]
called it a whitewash
用法筆記
Commonly appears in news reporting about politics, corporate scandals, or institutional failures.
常見錯誤
3. A situation in a sports series where one side wins every match, often in such a
完封
比賽中對手未得分或全敗
A situation in a sports series where one side wins every match, often in such a one-sided way that the losers never score at all.
The home team suffered a 5–0 whitewash in the first match of the season.
主隊在球季第一場比賽就以 5 比 0 慘遭完封。
collocation: suffer a whitewash + score
Fans were disappointed by the whitewash in the finals — their team scored zero.
球迷對決賽的完封結果感到失望——他們的隊伍一分未得。
Suzuki's team faced a whitewash when they lost every game in the tournament.
鈴木的隊伍在錦標賽中連輸每一場比賽，慘遭完封。
A whitewash in the series meant the champions kept the trophy without losing any games.
系列賽的完封意味著冠軍隊伍未輸任何比賽，保住了獎盃。
- shutout
more common in American English; can refer to a single game where the opponent scores zero
- clean sweep
winning all games in a series, but not necessarily by keeping the opponent scoreless
文法句型
suffer a whitewash
face a whitewash
用法筆記
Used mainly in British English for sports like cricket and rugby where a series of matches is common. In American English the equivalent term is 'shutout'.
whitewash — 動詞
- whitewashpresent simple I / you / we / they
- whitewashes3rd person singular
- whitewashing-ing form
- whitewashedpast simple
1. To deliberately prevent the public from learning the truth about a dishonest or
粉飾；掩蓋
刻意隱瞞真相以美化形象
To deliberately prevent the public from learning the truth about a dishonest or shameful event, especially by presenting a false, more acceptable version.
The company tried to whitewash its role in the oil spill by deleting internal emails.
該公司試圖刪除內部郵件，以粉飾它在漏油事件中的角色。
try + to-infinitive: deliberate intention
Government officials attempted to whitewash the prison conditions before the UN visit.
政府官員試圖在聯合國人員來訪前，粉飾監獄的惡劣環境。
Critics say the museum's exhibition whitewashes the violent history of the colonial period.
評論家認為這間博物館的展覽粉飾了殖民時期的暴力歷史。
Lena refused to whitewash the mistake and insisted on reporting it to the manager.
Lena 拒絕粉飾這個錯誤，堅持向經理報告。
The documentary was criticized for whitewashing the general's involvement in the coup.
這部紀錄片被批評為粉飾了將軍參與政變的事實。
- cover up
phrasal verb; more informal and slightly less deliberate-sounding
- gloss over
focuses on making something look better rather than concealing it; less thorough
文法句型
whitewash + noun phrase
attempt to whitewash
try to whitewash
用法筆記
Often carries a moral judgment — the speaker implies that hiding the truth is wrong. Commonly followed by a noun referring to a person's record, an event, or an organization's conduct.
常見錯誤
2. To defeat an opponent in a contest by such a wide margin that the other side end
橫掃
以懸殊比數徹底擊敗對手
To defeat an opponent in a contest by such a wide margin that the other side ends the match or series without scoring at all.
The Brazilian team whitewashed their opponents 4–0 in the quarter-final match.
巴西隊在八強賽中以 4 比 0 橫掃對手。
active: whitewash + opponent + score
Our school's chess club whitewashed the defending champions in the city tournament.
我們學校的西洋棋社在市級錦標賽中橫掃了衛冕冠軍隊。
Amara's team was whitewashed in the final and did not win a single round.
Amara 的隊伍在決賽中被橫掃，一局都沒贏。
No one expected the visitors to whitewash the top-ranked team by such a wide margin.
沒有人料想到客隊會以如此懸殊的比數橫掃排名第一的隊伍。
- lose to
the opposite perspective — being defeated instead of defeating
文法句型
whitewash + opponent
be whitewashed by + opponent
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 ('COVER-UP'): the sports sense has no moral implication. The verb takes the winning side as the subject.
3. To cover a wall, fence, or building surface with a thin white mixture of lime or
粉刷
用石灰水塗刷牆面或建築物
To cover a wall, fence, or building surface with a thin white mixture of lime or chalk and water.
The villagers whitewashed their houses every spring to keep them looking fresh.
村民每年春天都會用石灰水粉刷房子，讓外觀保持新穎。
whitewash + house/wall — typical object
Mr. Chen spent the weekend whitewashing the fence around his vegetable garden.
陳先生花了整個週末用石灰水粉刷菜園的圍籬。
The landlord whitewashed the kitchen walls before the new family moved into the flat.
在新家庭搬進公寓之前，房東用石灰水粉刷了廚房牆壁。
In the countryside, many farmers still whitewash their barns using traditional methods.
在鄉下，許多農民仍以傳統方法用石灰水粉刷穀倉。
- paint white
broader; includes modern paint, not just lime-based whitewash
文法句型
whitewash + object (wall/fence/barn)
用法筆記
The literal paint sense is the original meaning from which the metaphorical senses developed. It is much less common in daily conversation than the 'cover-up' sense.