- 1
Vigilance is careful, attention to what is going on around you, kept up because something bad might happen — danger, a crime, a mistake, a disease coming back. It is the noun for that state of watching.
Vigilance is careful, unbroken attention to what is going on around youvigilance 是對周遭情況保持警覺、不間斷的注意 kept up because something bad might happen之所以要保持是因為可能會發生壞事 danger, a crime, a mistake, a disease coming back像是危險、犯罪、失誤、或舊病復發 It is the noun for that state of watching這是那種「保持戒備」狀態的名詞
Two things make it different from ordinary 'attention'. First, it points outward and forward: you are watching for something that has not happened yet. Second, it lasts — you can pay attention for a second, but vigilance is attention held over time, which is why people talk about vigilance being , or slipping, or being relaxed.
Two things make it different from ordinary 'attention'有兩點讓它跟一般的 attention 不一樣 First首先 it points outward and forward它是朝外、朝未來看的 you are watching for something that has not happened yet你在留意的是還沒發生的事 Second第二 it lasts它會持續一段時間 you can pay attention for a second你可以只專心一秒鐘 but vigilance is attention held over time但 vigilance 是長時間保持的注意力 which is why people talk about vigilance being tiring, or slipping, or being relaxed這也是為什麼人們會說 vigilance 會累人、會鬆懈、會放鬆
It is a fairly formal word. You meet it in news reports, safety notices, police and hospital language, and speeches: 'The public is urged to maintain vigilance.' In everyday talk people would just say 'keep an eye out' or 'be careful'.
It is a fairly formal word這是個相當正式的字 You meet it in news reports, safety notices, police and hospital language, and speeches你會在新聞報導、安全公告、警方與醫院用語、演講裡看到它 'The public is urged to maintain vigilance.'像 the public is urged to maintain vigilance 民眾被呼籲要保持警覺 In everyday talk在日常對話裡 people would just say 'keep an eye out' or 'be careful'大家就只會說 keep an eye out 或 be careful
It is uncountable — say 'vigilance', 'more vigilance', not 'a vigilance'. Common partners: constant vigilance, increased vigilance, maintain / exercise / relax vigilance.
It is uncountable這是不可數名詞 say 'vigilance', 'more vigilance'可以說 vigilance 或 more vigilance not 'a vigilance'但不能說 a vigilance Common partners常見的搭配有 constant vigilance, increased vigilance, maintain / exercise / relax vigilance像 constant vigilance 持續的警覺、increased vigilance 提高警覺、maintain/exercise/relax vigilance 保持、發揮、放鬆警覺
There is also a well-known saying, 'the price of liberty is eternal vigilance', which is why the word often has a slightly noble ring to it.
There is also a well-known saying還有一句知名的話 'the price of liberty is eternal vigilance'叫 the price of liberty is eternal vigilance 自由的代價是永恆的警覺 which is why the word often has a slightly noble ring to it這也是為什麼這個字常帶一點高尚的味道
組成Borrowed from Middle French vigilance, from Latin vigilantia — from Latin vigil, 'awake'. The old idea inside the word is staying awake while others sleep.
原始詞典資料3 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
vigilancenoun/ˈvɪd͡ʒɪlɪns/
- 1
Alert watchfulness.
- To-night she took her accustomed place; for, during the night, no vigilance could satisfy her but her own: any eye but hers might close in momentary forgetfulness.
- I corralled the judge, and we started off across the fields, in no very mild state of fear of that gentleman's wife, whose vigilance was seldom relaxed. And thus we came by a circuitous route to Mohair, the judge occupied by his own guilty thoughts, and I by others not less disturbing.
- 2
Close and continuous attention.
- But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing.
- […] similarly, the empiriocritics' opposition to religion was a fraud intended to lull the vigilance of the proletariat and lead it by different paths in the same direction as religious mythology.
- 3
obsoleteA guard; a person set to watch.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。