- 1
World-class means as good as the best anywhere in the world. If a university, a hospital, an athlete, or an orchestra is world-class, it belongs in the top group globally — you could put it next to the famous ones and it would not look out of place.
World-class means意思是 anywhere in the world跟全世界任何地方 the best最好的 as good as一樣好。If如果 a university, a hospital, an athlete, or an orchestra一所大學、一間醫院、一位運動員或一個樂團 is world-class是世界級的,it belongs它就屬於 in the top group globally全球最頂尖的那一群——you could put it你可以把它放 next to the famous ones在那些有名的旁邊,and it would not look out of place它也不會顯得格格不入。
Notice that it says "among the best", not "the best". That is why it is so useful: it is a strong compliment that stays . A city can have world-class public transport without having the single best system on earth. Compare *world-beating*, which claims first place outright.
Notice that注意 it says它說的是「among the best最好的之一」,not而不是「the best最好的那一個」。That is why it is so useful這正是它好用的原因:it is它是 stays believable讓人信得過的 a strong compliment強力稱讚。A city can have一座城市可以有 world-class public transport世界級的大眾運輸,without having卻不必擁有 the single best system on earth全地球唯一最好的系統。Compare比較看看 *world-beating*,which claims那個字直接宣稱 first place outright第一名。
It goes before a noun almost always — a world-class musician, world-class facilities — and it is at home in fairly formal or promotional writing: tourism , university websites, government plans, sports pages. Because it is used so freely in advertising, it has over the years; when a small local gym calls itself world-class, everyone understands that as enthusiasm, not measurement.
It它 almost always幾乎都 goes before a noun放在名詞前面——a world-class musician世界級的音樂家、world-class facilities世界級的設施——and it is at home in它待得最自在的地方是 fairly formal or promotional writing比較正式或宣傳性的文字:tourism brochures觀光手冊、university websites大學網站、government plans政府計畫、sports pages體育版。in advertising在廣告裡 Because it is used so freely因為它被用得太隨意,over the years這些年下來 it has softened它的力道變軟了;when a small local gym當一間地方小健身房 calls itself說自己 world-class是世界級,everyone understands that as大家都把那理解成 enthusiasm熱情,not measurement而不是測量結果。
One more thing. English speakers also use it jokingly for bad things that are extreme: "world-class stupidity", "a world-class liar". The pattern still means "top of the world at this" — it just happens to be something nobody wants to win.
One more thing還有一件事。English speakers母語者 also use it jokingly也拿它開玩笑,for bad things that are extreme用在很極端的壞事上:"world-class stupidity世界級的愚蠢"、"a world-class liar世界級的騙子"。The pattern still means這個句型的意思仍然是「top of the world at this這件事上是世界頂尖」——it just happens to be只是那剛好是 something nobody wants to win沒有人想贏的項目。
組成world + class, where class means a rank or level of quality (as in first-class, top-class). So: at the world's level of quality.
同家族的字
- first-classsame use of class as a level of quality
- middle-classsame class meaning a rank, here a social one
- classyfrom the same class = high quality
原始詞典資料2 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。
world-classadj/wɜː(ɹ)ldˈklæs/
- 1
Of a standard that ranks among the best in the world.
- Chris Green remarks that this "world-class gateway to London and the UK still looks as good as new", [...].
- 2
informalExtraordinary in degree.
- A world-class idiot
- Both of you, prepare for a world-class punishment session when we get home!
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。