Groundwork is the work that has to happen first, so that a plan has something solid to stand on. Before you build a house, you prepare the ground; before a big change at school or at work, someone has to do the quiet early jobs — talking to people, gathering facts, making a base.

Groundwork基礎工作 is the work that has to happen first是指必須先完成的工作, so這樣 a plan has something solid to stand on一個計畫才有穩固的基礎可以立足。Before you build a house蓋房子之前, you prepare the ground你要先整地; before a big change at school or at work在學校或職場發生重大改變之前, someone has to do the quiet early jobs也得有人先默默完成早期的工作 — talking to people跟人溝通, gathering facts蒐集資訊, making a base打好基礎。

We mostly use it as a picture now, not about real soil. You lay the groundwork, or do the groundwork, for something.

We大家 mostly use it as a picture now現在大多是把它當成一種比喻, not不是 about real soil真的在講泥土。You你 lay the groundwork, or do the groundwork, for something會說「lay the groundwork」或「do the groundwork」，意思是為某件事打好基礎。

It is a slightly careful, grown-up word, common in news and in offices.

It它 is a slightly careful, grown-up word是一個稍微正式、成熟的字, common in news and in offices在新聞和辦公室裡很常見。

Though actually, if you take it word by word, students sometimes think it means digging or farming. In almost every sentence you will meet, nobody is holding a shovel.

Though actually不過其實 if you take it word by word如果你逐字去拆解這個字, students sometimes think it means digging or farming學生有時候會以為它是在講挖土或種田。In almost every sentence you will meet在你會遇到的幾乎每一個句子裡, nobody is holding a shovel都沒有人真的拿著鏟子。