witness
/ˈwɪtnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɪtnəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwit-nəs/ (ame, mw) · /ˈwɪt.nəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɪt.nəs/ (ame, ipa)
witness — 名詞
1. someone who is present and watches an event as it takes place, such as a crime o
目擊者
親眼看到事件的人
someone who is present and watches an event as it takes place, such as a crime or accident, and can later describe what they saw
The police asked Amihan to stay since she was the only eyewitness to the robbery.
警方要求 Amihan 留下，因為她是那起搶劫案唯一的目擊者。
eyewitness + to + [event] for a person who saw it
Several eyewitnesses gave the police a clear description of the car that drove away.
幾位目擊者向警方清楚描述了那輛開走的車。
Jabari became an eyewitness to the traffic accident while waiting for the bus.
Jabari 在等公車時，親眼目睹了一起交通事故。
No eyewitness has come forward to say what happened outside the bank that night.
沒有目擊者出面說明那晚銀行外發生的事。
A kitchen fire broke out so suddenly that there were no eyewitnesses to how it started.
廚房突然起火，沒有人親眼看到火勢是如何開始的。
文法句型
witness + to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently followed by the preposition 'to' to specify the event seen. Can be used alone ('an eyewitness') or with a modifier ('a reliable eyewitness').
常見錯誤
2. someone who appears before a judge and answers questions about a legal matter, a
證人
在法庭上提供證詞的人
someone who appears before a judge and answers questions about a legal matter, after swearing to tell the truth
The witness in the courtroom took a deep breath before the lawyer asked her the first question.
法庭上的證人在律師問第一個問題前，深吸了一口氣。
Aoi was called as a witness for the defence in her neighbour's trial.
Aoi 在鄰居的審判中被傳喚為辯方證人。
witness + for + prosecution/defence
The judge ordered all witnesses to wait outside the court until their turn came.
法官命令所有證人在庭外等候，輪到他們時才能進來。
William gave his account calmly when he took the stand as the main witness.
William 以主要證人的身分站上證人席，冷靜地陳述經過。
During cross-examination by the defence lawyer, the witness quietly corrected part of her earlier account.
在辯護律師的交互詰問下，該證人悄悄地修正了部分先前的說詞。
文法句型
witness + for + prosecution/defence
用法筆記
Can be specified as 'witness for the prosecution' (called by the accuser) or 'witness for the defence' (called by the accused). Expert witnesses (doctors, scientists) may give opinions rather than factual accounts.
常見錯誤
3. someone asked to attend the signing of a legal paper and put their name on it to
見證人
在文件上簽名確認的人
someone asked to attend the signing of a legal paper and put their name on it too, confirming that they saw the original signer do so
Hari asked his neighbour to act as a witness when he signed the rental agreement.
Hari 在簽署租約時請鄰居擔任見證人。
act as a witness + when signing a document
Each side of the business deal must bring two witnesses to the signing of the final contract.
這筆商業交易的每一方都必須有兩位見證人在場簽署最終合約。
Quinn refused to be a witness to the will since she was related to the heir.
Quinn 拒絕擔任遺囑的見證人，因為她和繼承人有親屬關係。
The lawyer checked that all witnesses had signed their names next to the correct line.
律師確認所有見證人都已在正確的欄位旁簽名。
In some countries, a marriage needs two witnesses to sign the official record.
在某些國家，結婚需要兩位見證人在官方紀錄上簽名。
- signatory
more formal and usually refers to a person signing an agreement on behalf of a group, not a neutral third party verifying a signature
文法句型
witness + to + document
用法筆記
Common in legal, property, and family-document contexts (wills, contracts, marriage certificates). The witness's signature confirms the identity of the main signer and the fact that they signed freely.
常見錯誤
4. the act of seeing something with your own eyes, especially when your account of
親眼所見
親眼看到某事的行為
the act of seeing something with your own eyes, especially when your account of it later becomes relevant or important
The security guard's witness of the break-in gave the police enough details to start searching.
警衛對破門而入事件的親眼所見，給了警方足夠的細節來展開搜查。
possessive + witness + of + [event] for the act of seeing
The court relied on Roya's witness of the contract signing to confirm it was legal.
法庭依據 Roya 親眼見證合約簽署的紀錄，來確認其合法性。
The journalist's personal witness of the ceremony was the only way she could write an accurate report.
記者親自見證典禮過程，是她寫出準確報導的唯一方法。
Caio's witness of the whole argument helped the manager decide who was at fault.
Caio 親眼目睹了整場爭執，這幫助主管判斷誰該負責。
- observation
more neutral; observation can be casual or scientific, while witness implies a specific event of significance
- testimony
narrower; testimony is the formal spoken or written account, not the act of seeing itself
文法句型
witness + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
This uncountable/singular sense is more formal than the verb and often appears with a possessive determiner ('his witness', 'their witness'). Distinguish from sense 1 (a person) — here the word refers to the act itself, not a person.
witness — 動詞
1. to be present and watch an event as it takes place, particularly a crime, accide
目睹
親眼看到事件發生
to be present and watch an event as it takes place, particularly a crime, accident, or other significant occurrence
Amihan witnessed the car hit the bicycle from her apartment window on the fifth floor.
Amihan 從她五樓公寓的窗戶親眼看到那輛車撞上腳踏車。
witness + noun phrase + -ing (event happening)
Several people in the park witnessed the fight and called the police immediately.
公園裡有好幾個人目睹了那場鬥毆，並立刻報警。
The security guard witnessed a man trying to open the back door of the shop.
警衛目睹一名男子試圖打開商店的後門。
Nobody witnessed the exact moment when the painting was cut from its frame in the gallery.
沒有人親眼看到畫作在藝廊中被從畫框割下的那一刻。
Quinn later told police she witnessed the whole argument from across the street.
Quinn 後來告訴警方，她從街對面目睹了整場爭執。
文法句型
witness + noun phrase
witness + noun phrase + -ing
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person who was physically present. The '-ing' pattern ('witnessed someone doing something') is common and often describes an action in progress. Frequently used in formal police and legal statements.
常見錯誤
2. to attend the signing of an official paper and add your own signature, thereby c
簽名見證
在場簽名以證明文件簽署無誤
to attend the signing of an official paper and add your own signature, thereby confirming that the person named on it truly signed it
Eli asked a colleague to witness his signature on the job contract.
Eli 請一位同事為他的工作合約簽名見證。
witness + signature / document (legal act)
A lawyer must witness a will being signed for it to be valid.
遺囑必須有律師在場見證簽署才能生效。
Two senior employees witnessed the director signing the annual financial report last Thursday.
兩名高階員工上週四在場見證了主管簽署年度財務報告。
The notary public witnessed the young couple signing their marriage certificate at city hall.
公證人在市政廳見證那對年輕夫婦簽署結婚證書。
- countersign
more specific; countersigning is done to confirm or endorse a signature that is already on the document
文法句型
witness + document
用法筆記
The object can be the document ('witness a will'), the signature ('witness a signature'), or the act ('witness the signing'). The witness's own signature is usually added to the document after the main signer has signed.
常見錯誤
3. of a place, era, or institution: to be the setting in which a notable event unfo
見證
某地或時期發生某事
of a place, era, or institution: to be the setting in which a notable event unfolds
The stadium witnessed some of the most exciting matches in the history of the sport.
這座體育館見證了該運動史上最精彩的幾場比賽。
place + witnessed + event (metaphorical)
The early 2000s witnessed a huge growth in smartphone use across the world.
21 世紀初期見證了全球智慧型手機使用量的大幅成長。
This small town has witnessed many changes since the new highway was built.
這個小鎮自從新建了高速公路以來，見證了許多變化。
The last decade witnessed a sharp rise in the number of people working from home.
過去十年見證了在家工作人數的急遽增加。
- experience
broader; 'experience' can apply to people too and does not carry the same formal, historical tone
- see
less formal; 'see' with a place/time subject ('the year 2020 saw…') is more common in everyday journalism
文法句型
place/time + witnessed + event
用法筆記
Subject is always a location, time period, or institution — never a person. Common with abstract objects like 'change', 'growth', 'decline', 'rise'. More common in written English, especially news and academic texts.
常見錯誤
4. to show or be clear evidence of a quality, feeling, fact, or change, especially
顯示；證明
透過結果或行為清楚展現
to show or be clear evidence of a quality, feeling, fact, or change, especially through visible actions or results
The rows of empty seats witnessed the audience's disappointment with the show.
一排排的空位顯示了觀眾對該場表演的失望。
result + witnesses + [abstract quality] (evidence pattern)
His tired eyes and slow walk witnessed the long hours he had spent on the project.
他疲憊的雙眼和緩慢的步伐顯示了他為這個計畫投入了許多時間。
The heavy silence in the room witnessed the shock everyone felt after hearing the news.
房間裡沉重的寂靜顯示了大家聽到消息後的震驚。
The faded photographs on the wall witness a friendship that lasted more than fifty years.
牆上褪色的照片見證了一段長達五十多年的友誼。
文法句型
something + witnesses + something
用法筆記
Subject is an object, situation, or result — never a person. Often interchangeable with 'attest to' or 'testify to' in formal writing. This sense is rarer in everyday speech than verb sense 1.