workhorse
/ˈwɜːkhɔːs/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈɚkhˌɔrs] /ˈwɜːrkhɔːrs/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈɚkhˌɔrs] /ˈwərk-ˌhȯrs How to pronounce workhorse (audio)/ (ame, mw)
workhorse — 名詞
- workhorsesingular
- workhorsesplural
1. someone who steadily carries out important but unglamorous tasks, often without
骨幹；主力
承擔大量繁重但不顯眼工作的人
someone who steadily carries out important but unglamorous tasks, often without much recognition or thanks.
Cole was the office workhorse, arriving at six every morning to sort mail.
Cole 是辦公室裡的主力，每天清晨六點就來整理郵件。
collocation: office workhorse
The clinic relied on Minho, a workhorse who treated twice as many patients.
診所仰賴 Minho 這位骨幹，他看診的病人數量是別人的兩倍。
appositive: a workhorse who [does X]
Sirin was the quiet workhorse who processed every donation the charity received.
Sirin 是默默付出的骨幹，慈善機構收到的每一筆捐款都是她處理的。
The kitchen had its workhorse: Tara, who scrubbed every pot without a word of complaint.
廚房裡有一位骨幹：Tara，她默默刷洗每個鍋子，從不抱怨。
Every office has a workhorse, and at Dahlia's company, it was definitely her.
每個辦公室都有一位骨幹，在 Dahlia 的公司裡，那個人就是她。
用法筆記
Frequently modified by adjectives like 'quiet', 'steady', 'real', or 'true'. Carries a positive tone — it praises dependability rather than brilliance.
2. a piece of equipment or a vehicle that keeps running dependably for years, even
耐用機器
長期穩定運轉、不易故障的設備
a piece of equipment or a vehicle that keeps running dependably for years, even if it looks plain or dated.
Cole's old pickup was a workhorse that started every morning for thirty years.
Cole 那台老貨車是部耐用機器，三十年來每天清晨都能發動。
workhorse + that-clause for describing reliability
The factory workhorse was a forty-year-old press that still stamped parts perfectly.
廠裡的耐用機器是一台四十年的老沖床，至今仍能完美壓出零件。
Minho's laptop is a workhorse; battered and slow, it has never crashed once.
Minho 的筆電是部耐用機器；又舊又慢，卻從未當機過。
That small printer is a workhorse, running all day without a single jam.
那台小印表機是部耐用機器，整天運轉從不卡紙。
Sirin flew a twenty-year-old Cessna, a real workhorse that never needed major repairs.
Sirin 駕駛一架二十年的 Cessna，是部從不需要大修的真實耐用機器。
- lemon
informal — a machine or vehicle that constantly breaks down
用法筆記
Subject is always a machine, vehicle, or piece of equipment. Often used with affection for old but unfailing technology. Distinguished from sense 1: here the subject is inanimate.
3. a player on a team who does the demanding physical work — defending, chasing, ta
苦工型球員
球隊中默默做髒活累活的隊員
a player on a team who does the demanding physical work — defending, chasing, tackling — that helps others shine but rarely makes the headlines.
Cole was the team workhorse, chasing every loose ball while the forwards rested.
Cole 是隊上的苦工型球員，當前鋒休息時他仍在追每一個失控球。
collocation: team workhorse
Minho became the midfield workhorse, running twelve kilometres each match without complaint.
Minho 成了中場的苦工型球員，每場比賽跑十二公里也毫無怨言。
compound noun: midfield workhorse
The coach called Sivan the squad's workhorse for covering more ground than anyone else.
教練說 Sivan 是全隊的苦工型球員，跑動距離比誰都多。
Soraya was never the star; as the team's workhorse, she won every tackle.
Soraya 從來不是明星球員，但身為隊上的苦工型球員，她贏下了每一次鏟球。
The rugby team's real workhorse was Elena: thirty tackles a match, zero complaints.
橄欖球隊真正的苦工型球員是 Elena：每場三十次擒抱，從不抱怨。
- showboat
a player focused on style and flair over hard work and substance
用法筆記
Domain-specific: used almost exclusively in sports commentary and journalism. Distinguished from sense 1 by the explicit sporting context and emphasis on physical effort rather than general labour.
4. a strong, heavily built horse bred for pulling ploughs, carts, and other farm lo
役馬；馱馬
用於拉車、耕地等重活的大型馬
a strong, heavily built horse bred for pulling ploughs, carts, and other farm loads.
The farmer hitched the workhorse to the plough at dawn and worked till dusk.
農夫天一亮就把役馬套上犁，一直耕作到黃昏。
Mert's grandfather kept two workhorses for pulling the heavy hay wagon each summer.
Mert 的祖父養了兩匹役馬，每年夏天用來拉沉重的乾草車。
The old workhorse plodded up the hill, pulling a cart loaded with firewood.
那匹老役馬緩步爬上山坡，拉著一車裝滿柴火的板車。
Before tractors, the Belgian workhorse powered every farm in the valley.
在拖拉機出現之前，比利時役馬是山谷中每座農場的動力來源。
Hui brushed the workhorse's coat after a long day of hauling stones.
Hui 在漫長的一天運石工作後，刷了刷役馬的毛。
- draft horse
neutral, technical term with no metaphorical overtones
- shire horse
a specific British breed of large draft horse
- cart horse
emphasises the horse's role in pulling vehicles rather than ploughing
- riding horse
a horse bred and trained for carrying a rider, not for labour
- racehorse
a horse bred purely for speed and competition
用法筆記
The original, literal sense from which all figurative uses of 'workhorse' derive. Now less frequent than the metaphorical senses 1–3.