wires
/ˈtel.ɪ.ɡræm/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈaɪɚz] /ˈtel.ə.ɡræm/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈaɪɚz] /ˈwī(-ə)r How to pronounce wire (audio)/ (ame, mw)
wires — 名詞
1. a thin thread or rod made of metal which is flexible enough to be shaped as need
金屬線
細而可彎曲的金屬線材
a thin thread or rod made of metal which is flexible enough to be shaped as needed, used for construction, crafting, or tying objects together
The artist shaped copper wire into a small tree for her sculpture class.
那位藝術家把銅線彎成一棵小樹，帶去雕塑課。
Chidi used a piece of wire to hang the picture frame on the wall.
Chidi 用一段鐵線把畫框掛在牆上。
a piece of wire — countable unit
The fence gate was held shut by a thick strand of twisted wire.
籬笆的門是被一圈絞緊的鐵線栓住的。
Tara cut a length of wire to make handles for the clay pots she was shaping.
Tara 剪了一段鐵線，替她正在捏的陶土罐做把手。
Strong steel wire supports the suspension bridge above the deep river valley.
結實的鋼索支撐著橫跨深谷的吊橋。
文法句型
[quantity] of wire
[material] wire
用法筆記
Can be uncountable ('a roll of wire') or countable ('a wire connecting the two posts'). When countable, it usually refers to a specific piece or length.
常見錯誤
2. a thin metal thread wrapped in insulating material such as plastic or rubber, de
電線
包覆塑膠外層、用以傳電的金屬線
a thin metal thread wrapped in insulating material such as plastic or rubber, designed to carry electricity throughout a building, device, or appliance
A mouse had chewed through the wire behind the refrigerator, causing a short circuit.
老鼠把冰箱後面的電線咬破了，造成短路。
The electrician ran new wires through the walls of the old house to add more sockets.
電工在老房子的牆壁裡舖設新的電線，加裝更多插座。
ran new wires through [location] — common installation pattern
Daichi checked the wires connecting the solar panels to the battery storage unit.
Daichi 檢查了連接太陽能板與蓄電池的電線。
Gabriela accidentally pulled the wire out of the socket while vacuuming the living room floor.
Gabriela 用吸塵器打掃客廳時不小心把電線從插座裡拉了出來。
文法句型
[number]-wire [device]
wire + carries/connects/runs
用法筆記
This sense is often used in the plural ('the wires') when referring to the wiring system of a building or device. 'Cable' suggests a thicker, more heavy-duty wire.
常見錯誤
3. a short message that was sent through a telegraph system in the past, before tel
電報
舊時透過電報系統傳送的簡短訊息
a short message that was sent through a telegraph system in the past, before telephones and email became common
Tuan's grandfather received a wire announcing the birth of his first son.
Tuan 的祖父收到一封電報，通知他長子出生的消息。
passive: received a wire announcing [event]
In the 1940s people sent wires to share urgent family news across long distances.
在 1940 年代，人們靠電報把緊急的家書傳送到遠方。
The general sent a wire to headquarters reporting the situation at the front line.
將軍發了一封電報給總部，報告前線的戰況。
Maeve found an old wire from 1952 tucked inside her grandmother's diary.
Maeve 在祖母的日記本裡發現了一封 1952 年的舊電報。
文法句型
wire + verb (sent, received)
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used when talking about the past. Modern equivalents are 'text message' or 'email'.
常見錯誤
4. a fence or barrier made of stretched metal wire, often with sharp points to keep
鐵絲網
用鐵線構成的圍籬或障礙物
a fence or barrier made of stretched metal wire, often with sharp points to keep people or animals in or out of an area
The farmer repaired a broken section of the wire where the sheep had escaped.
農夫把鐵絲籬笆破掉的一段補好，那裡的羊就是從這個缺口跑出去的。
section of the wire — referring to the fence as a whole
Rows of barbed wire stretched along the top of the prison wall.
好幾排有刺鐵絲網沿著監獄圍牆的頂端延伸。
Heather's dog dug a hole under the wire and wandered into the neighbour's garden.
Heather 的狗在鐵絲網底下挖了一個洞，跑到鄰居的花園裡去了。
During the storm a large branch fell onto the farm wire and flattened several sections of it.
暴風雨期間，一根大樹枝掉落在農場的鐵絲網上，壓壞了好幾段。
- barbed wire
wire with sharp points, used for security or containing livestock
- fencing
a general term for any material used to build a fence
- chain-link
a specific type of wire fence with a diamond pattern
文法句型
the wire (referring to a fence)
behind/beyond the wire
用法筆記
Often used with 'the' ('the wire') to mean the whole fence, especially in rural or prison contexts. 'Barbed wire' is a common specific type with sharp points.
常見錯誤
5. the line at the end of a race track that a runner, horse, or vehicle must cross
終點線
賽跑或賽馬跑道終點標示線
the line at the end of a race track that a runner, horse, or vehicle must cross to finish the race
The two horses crossed the wire almost at the same time, so officials studied the photo carefully.
那兩匹馬幾乎同時衝過終點線，裁判只好仔細查看照片。
crossed the wire — the standard idiom for finishing a race
The crowd cheered loudly as the leading runner hit the wire first.
領先的跑者率先抵達終點線時，全場觀眾大聲歡呼。
Marco pushed harder in the final metres and reached the wire just ahead of his rival.
Marco 在最後幾公尺奮力衝刺，以些微差距領先對手抵達終點線。
- finish line
the more general and widely understood term for the end of a race
- finishing line
common alternative to 'finish line', especially in British English
文法句型
the wire
cross the wire
hit the wire
用法筆記
Almost always used in the singular with 'the'. Also appears in the idiom 'down to the wire', meaning a contest that is close until the very end.
常見錯誤
wires — 動詞
- wirespresent simple I / you / we / they
- wireses3rd person singular
- wiresing-ing form
- wiresedpast simple
1. to attach, tie, or fix something firmly in place using a thin piece of metal wir
用鐵線固定
用金屬線將物品綁緊或繫牢
to attach, tie, or fix something firmly in place using a thin piece of metal wire
Tariq wired the broken fence gate to the post until a proper repair could be done.
Tariq 用鐵線把破掉的籬笆門綁在柱子上，等之後再好好修理。
wire [object] to [object] — attaching one thing to another
The florist wired the stems together to form a round wedding bouquet.
花藝師用鐵線把花莖纏在一起，紮成結婚用的圓形捧花。
Eli wired the loose shelf bracket to the wall frame to stop it from wobbling.
Eli 把鬆掉的層板托架用鐵線綁在牆框上，免得它一直搖晃。
The gardener wired the young tree to a wooden stake so the wind would not damage it.
園丁把幼樹用鐵線綁在一根木樁上，以免被風吹倒。
文法句型
wire + object + to/onto/around + object
wire + object + together
用法筆記
Often used with a preposition phrase ('to', 'onto', 'together') that indicates how the object is being secured. The focus is on the physical act of fastening with wire.
常見錯誤
2. to connect a building, room, or piece of equipment to a system of electrical wir
配線；接線
將建築物或設備接上電路系統
to connect a building, room, or piece of equipment to a system of electrical wires so that electricity can reach it
Daniel wired the new ceiling fan to the junction box in the attic before switching on the power.
Daniel 把新的吊扇接到閣樓的接線盒，然後才打開電源。
wire [device] to [power source] — installation pattern
The technician wired the alarm system to the main control panel in the basement.
技術人員把警報系統接到地下室的總控制盤。
Mark spent Saturday afternoon wiring the basement workshop for extra lighting and power outlets.
Mark 星期六花了整個下午在地下室的工作室配線，裝了多餘的照明和插座。
The new house was wired for both standard electricity and solar panel backup systems.
新房子同時配備了標準電力管線和太陽能備用系統。
文法句型
wire + object + to/into/for + object
be wired (up) for [purpose]
用法筆記
Commonly used in the passive form ('the building is wired for...') to describe what electrical systems a place has. The phrasal verb 'wire up' is very common in informal British English.
常見錯誤
3. to transmit a short written message through the telegraph system, a method used
拍電報
以電報系統傳送文字訊息
to transmit a short written message through the telegraph system, a method used in earlier times for urgent news or giving instructions
Heather wired her parents to say she had arrived safely in London after the long voyage.
Heather 拍電報給父母，告訴他們她已平安抵達倫敦。
wire + someone + to-infinitive — stating purpose
The company wired the news of the merger to all branch offices across East Asia.
公司用電報把合併的消息通知東亞各分公司。
In 1923 explorers still wired their discoveries back to the Royal Geographical Society.
1923 年，探險家仍然用電報把他們的發現傳回英國皇家地理學會。
The ambassador wired a formal protest to the foreign ministry after the border incident.
邊境事件發生後，大使向外交部發了一份正式的抗議電報。
文法句型
wire + someone + that-clause
wire + someone + something
wire + to + someone
用法筆記
Historically this was the fastest way to send written messages before telephones became common. Today this sense is only used when describing past events or in historical fiction.