witnesses
witnesses — 名詞
- witnessessingular
- witnessesesplural
1. a person who is present when something happens and sees it with their own eyes,
目擊者
親眼看見事件發生的人
a person who is present when something happens and sees it with their own eyes, especially a crime, accident, or other notable event
Otis was the only witness to the car accident at the junction.
Otis 是那起路口車禍的唯一目擊者。
witness + to + noun phrase (the event)
Police are looking for witnesses who saw the robbery outside the bank.
警方正在尋找目睹銀行外搶案的目擊者。
plural: witnesses + who + saw + event
A witness told reporters that she heard shouting just before midnight.
一名目擊者告訴記者，她在午夜前聽到了喊叫聲。
Several witnesses at the scene gave statements to the officers.
現場的幾名目擊者向警察提供了證詞。
- eyewitness
emphasises having seen the event directly with one's own eyes; stronger than general witness
- observer
more neutral; a person who watches but may not have a legal role
- bystander
someone present at an event by chance, not actively involved
- participant
someone who takes part in the event rather than just watching
文法句型
witness + to/of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used with 'to' to specify the event (a witness to the crash) or with 'of' for the location or time (a witness of the era). Frequently paired with 'eyewitness', though 'eyewitness' emphasises having seen directly.
常見錯誤
2. the experience or fact of seeing something happen, without necessarily taking an
目睹
親眼見證某事的發生
the experience or fact of seeing something happen, without necessarily taking any further action
The old photographs bear witness to a way of life that has disappeared.
這些老照片見證了一種已經消失的生活方式。
fixed phrase: 'bear witness to' + noun phrase
Talia's diary is witness to the struggles she faced as a young artist.
Talia 的日記見證了她作為年輕藝術家所面對的掙扎。
The empty streets were witness to the fear that gripped the town that night.
空蕩蕩的街道見證了那晚籠罩全鎮的恐懼。
Esteban's scarred hands are witness to years of work in the pottery kiln.
Esteban 滿是疤痕的雙手見證了多年在陶窯工作的歲月。
- testimony
stronger emphasis on providing formal evidence
- attestation
very formal; a formal declaration that something is true
文法句型
bear witness to + noun phrase
be witness to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the fixed expressions 'bear witness to' (testify to something's existence or truth) and 'be witness to' (having experienced or seen something). The noun is typically used without an article in these patterns.
3. a person who attends the signing of a legal paper and then puts their own name o
見證人
在文件上簽名確認的人
a person who attends the signing of a legal paper and then puts their own name on it as proof that everything was properly executed and the signer was willing
We need two witnesses to sign the marriage certificate after the ceremony.
婚禮儀式後，我們需要兩名見證人在結婚證書上簽名。
plural: witnesses + to + sign + document
Selim asked his neighbour to act as a witness for his will.
Selim 請鄰居為他的遺囑擔任見證人。
act as a + witness + for + document
The contract must be signed in front of a witness to be legally valid.
合約必須在見證人面前簽署才具有法律效力。
Each witness added their name and address at the bottom of the deed.
每位見證人在契據底部寫下了自己的姓名和地址。
文法句型
witness + to + document/agreement
用法筆記
Unlike 'eyewitness' (noun sense 1), this sense focuses on the formal, legal role of confirming a signature or transaction, not on observing an event. The witness must usually be an independent adult who is not a party to the document.
4. someone called to give sworn statements before a judge or jury about what they k
證人
在法庭上提供證詞的人
someone called to give sworn statements before a judge or jury about what they know regarding a legal case, sometimes offering expert opinions in their field
The witness swore to tell the truth before taking the stand.
證人在作證前宣誓要說實話。
Dr. Okafor appeared as an expert witness in the medical malpractice trial.
Okafor 醫師在醫療過失審判中以專家證人身分出庭。
expert witness — specialist who gives opinion evidence
Imran was called as a witness for the defence in the theft case.
Imran 在盜竊案中被傳喚為辯方證人。
The prosecution's main witness changed her story during cross-examination.
檢方的主要證人在交叉詢問中改變了她的說法。
文法句型
witness + for/against + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used with prepositions: 'for' (witness for the defence / prosecution) or 'against' (witness against the accused). An 'expert witness' is a specialist (e.g. a doctor or engineer) who gives professional opinions, not just factual accounts. 'Hostile witness' refers to someone who does not cooperate with the side that called them.
常見錯誤
5. a physical sign, mark, or measurable result that shows something has happened or
證據；證明
顯示事實為真的跡象
a physical sign, mark, or measurable result that shows something has happened or reveals a truth about a situation — for example, cracks showing years of neglect, or a drop in sales showing a product's failure
The cracks spreading across the ceiling are a clear witness to years of water damage.
天花板上蔓延的裂縫清楚地證明了多年來的水損害。
inanimate physical sign + be a + witness + to + past condition (evidence of)
The rising number of empty shops is a witness to the town's slow economic decline.
空置商店數量不斷增加，證明了該鎮經濟的逐漸衰退。
statistical indicator + be a witness to + abstract condition
Dark smoke rising from the chimney is a witness to the heavy industry inside.
煙囪冒出的黑煙證明了裡面的重工業活動。
The worn patches on the stone floor are a witness to centuries of footsteps.
石地板上磨損的痕跡證明了數百年的來往腳步。
文法句型
be a witness to + noun phrase
stand as a witness
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (EYEWITNESS), which refers to a living person; this sense uses 'witness' as an abstract or evidentiary concept. Critically distinguish from sense 2 (ACT OF SEEING): sense 2 personifies an inanimate object as if it were present and 'saw' what happened, using the fixed phrases 'bear witness to' or 'be witness to'; sense 5 treats the object itself as the direct evidence or symptom — the cracks ARE the proof of damage, not a watcher of it. The subject in this sense is always a concrete or measurable phenomenon that functions as an indicator.
witnesses — 動詞
- witnessespresent simple I / you / we / they
- witnesseses3rd person singular
- witnessesing-ing form
- witnessesedpast simple
1. to see an event take place with your own eyes, especially something unusual, ill
目擊
親眼看到（事故或犯罪）
to see an event take place with your own eyes, especially something unusual, illegal, or dangerous such as a crime, accident, or violent incident
Femi witnessed the collision from his apartment window on the third floor.
Femi 從他三樓公寓的窗戶目睹了那起撞車事故。
witness + event (from location)
Several people witnessed the argument between the two drivers outside the supermarket.
有幾個人目睹了那兩名司機在超市外的爭執。
No one admitted to having witnessed the attack on the security guard.
沒有人承認目睹了對保全人員的襲擊。
The children witnessed a strange light moving across the sky after dark.
孩子們在天黑後目睹了一道奇怪的光劃過天空。
文法句型
witness + noun phrase (event/accident/crime)
用法筆記
Frequently used in crime reporting and legal contexts. The object is typically an event or incident (crime, accident, fight) rather than a person, though one can witness a person doing something ('witnessed him leaving the building'). Often interchangeable with 'see' but implies more significance.
常見錯誤
2. to be present when someone signs a document and to add your own signature to con
見證
在現場簽名確認文件
to be present when someone signs a document and to add your own signature to confirm that the signing took place correctly and willingly
Lotte agreed to witness the signing of her uncle's new will.
Lotte 同意見證她叔叔新遺囑的簽署過程。
witness + the signing of + document
A lawyer must witness the client's signature on the power of attorney form.
律師必須在授權書上見證客戶的簽名。
Two colleagues witnessed his signature on the job offer letter.
兩名同事見證了他在錄取通知書上的簽名。
Salma asked her landlord to witness the rental agreement before she mailed it.
Salma 請房東見證租賃協議，然後才郵寄出去。
- countersign
to sign a document that someone else has already signed; more specific than witnessing
- attest
formal; to declare officially that something is genuine or true
文法句型
witness + document/signature/contract
用法筆記
The object is usually a document (will, contract, deed) or the act of signing ('witness the signature'). The witness must be physically present when the signing occurs and is not a party to the agreement. In many jurisdictions, a witness must be an adult who is not related to the signer.
常見錯誤
3. when used of a location or era, to mean that a particular event, development, or
經歷
（地方或時期）發生（某事）
when used of a location or era, to mean that a particular event, development, or situation occurs or exists there or then
The city of Kyoto has witnessed over a thousand years of Japanese history.
京都市經歷了一千多年的日本歷史。
place (city) + has witnessed + period of history
The 1990s witnessed a huge rise in the use of mobile phones around the world.
1990 年代經歷了全球手機使用量的大幅增長。
time period (decade) + witnessed + change/development
Hana's neighbourhood has witnessed many changes since the new train station opened.
Hana 居住的社區自新火車站啟用以來經歷了許多變化。
The stadium witnessed one of the most exciting football matches in recent years.
這座體育場見證了近幾年來最精彩的足球賽之一。
- see
a more general alternative; 'The 1990s saw a rise...' is common in less formal writing
- experience
suggests undergoing change or events, often implying impact
- undergo
emphasises that the place or period was affected by the event
文法句型
place/time + witness + event/situation
用法筆記
A figurative or literary use where the subject is a location, time period, or institution — not a person. Common in historical, journalistic, and descriptive writing. Often used in the present perfect ('has witnessed') to link the past to now.
4. to be a clear sign or proof that something is true, exists, or has a particular
證明
顯示某事為真或存在
to be a clear sign or proof that something is true, exists, or has a particular quality — for example, a person's actions witnessing their honesty, or the condition of a building witnessing years of use
The worn steps on the staircase witness the thousands of feet that have climbed them.
樓梯上磨損的台階證明了曾經有成千上萬的人走過。
physical object + witness + abstract evidence (proof of use)
The family's generosity witnesses the values they were raised with.
這家人的慷慨證明了他們所接受的價值觀。
His trembling hands witnessed the fear he tried so hard to hide.
他顫抖的雙手證明了他極力想隱藏的恐懼。
The lack of repair witnesses how little the old building was cared for.
缺乏維修的事實證明了這棟老建築多麼不受照顧。
- indicate
more neutral; to show something is likely true without proving it
- demonstrate
to show clearly through evidence or reasoning
- attest to
formal; to bear clear witness to a fact or quality
- disprove
to show that something is false
文法句型
witness + noun phrase (quality/fact/condition)
用法筆記
This sense is less common than the others and is mainly found in formal or literary writing. Distinguish from sense 3 (PLACE / PERIOD), where the subject is a time or place; here the subject can be any concrete sign or abstract quality that reveals a truth.