EN： The present perfect tense ('has agreed') is formed by 'have/has' + past participle. In news reporting, it is frequently used to announce recent events or decisions that have significant relevance to the current moment.
中文： 現在完成式（has agreed）由「have/has + 過去分詞」構成。在新聞報導中，經常用來宣告最近發生的事件或已達成的決定，強調該動作對當前現狀所具有的影響或關聯性。
The tech giant has agreed to revise its privacy policy.
該科技巨頭已同意修改其隱私權政策。
EN： The verb 'agree' followed by an infinitive ('to pay') pattern: 'agree + to-infinitive'. This pattern indicates consent or a commitment to perform a future action.
中文： 動詞「agree」後面接不定詞（to pay）的用法結構：「agree + to 不定詞」，表示同意或承諾採取未來的某項行動。
Both parties agreed to sign the contract tomorrow.
雙方均同意明天簽署合約。
EN： In the United States, 'ride-sharing' or 'rideshare' companies like Lyft and Uber have been central to legal battles over the 'gig economy'. State governments, notably California, have aggressively challenged these companies for classifying workers as independent contractors rather than employees, arguing that it deprives workers of mandated benefits like minimum wage, paid sick leave, and healthcare.
中文： 在美國，像 Lyft 和 Uber 這類共享乘車公司一直是「零工經濟（gig economy）」法律戰的核心焦點。加利福尼亞州等州政府積極對這些公司提出訴訟，指控其將司機歸類為「獨立承包商」而非「正式員工」，從而規避了最低工資、帶薪病假和健保等法定福利。
EN： The compound modifier 'largest-ever' combines a superlative adjective ('largest') with the adverb 'ever' using a hyphen to emphasize an unprecedented record ('the most ... in history').
中文： 複合修飾語「largest-ever」是由最高級形容詞「largest」加上副詞「ever」以連字號組合而成，用來強調「史上最大、前所未見」的紀錄。
This is the company's biggest-ever investment in renewable energy.
這是該公司在可再生能源領域史上最大的一筆投資。
EN： Compound nouns functioning as modifiers: 'wage theft settlement' uses the nouns 'wage' and 'theft' attributively to modify the head noun 'settlement', specifying what kind of legal agreement it is.
中文： 名詞作定語（名詞修飾名詞）：在「wage theft settlement」中，「wage」（工資）和「theft」（竊取／侵吞）轉化為修飾成分，用來修飾核心名詞「settlement」（和解），精確指出這是一起關於工資侵吞的和解案。
The union reached a landmark wage dispute agreement yesterday.
工會昨天達成了一項具里程碑意義的工資爭議協議。
EN： In US labor law, 'wage theft' refers to illegal practices where employers deny employees owed wages or benefits, such as through misclassifying full employees as 'independent contractors' to avoid paying overtime, sick leave, or health insurance.
中文： 在美國勞動法規中，「wage theft」（工資侵吞／偷竊工資）是指雇主透過不法手段剝奪員工應得薪酬或福利的行為。在零工經濟（gig economy）中，最常見的形式是將實質上的員工惡意歸類為「獨立承包商」（independent contractors），藉此規避超時工資、有薪病假及醫療保險等法定福利。
EN： The passive structure 'be accused of + gerund (-ing)' is used to report allegations or charges. The preposition 'of' must be followed by a noun phrase or a gerund.
中文： 被動語態結構「be accused of + 動名詞（-ing）」用於指控或控訴某人做了某事。介系詞「of」後面必須接名詞或動名詞。
He was accused of stealing valuable company secrets.
他被指控竊取寶貴的公司機密。
EN： The phrase 'instead of' is a preposition meaning 'in place of' or 'rather than'. It connects two comparable grammatical elements, such as nouns or gerunds.
中文： 片語「instead of」為介系詞，意思是「而不是」或「代替」。用於連接兩個對等成分（例如名詞或動名詞）。
She decided to take the train instead of driving.
她決定搭火車而不是開車。
EN： In the United States, the gig economy has faced fierce legal battles over worker classification. 'Independent contractors' do not receive standard labor protections such as overtime pay, health insurance, and paid sick leave, which 'employees' are entitled to by law.
中文： 在美國，零工經濟（gig economy）長期面臨勞工身份認定的法律訴訟。「獨立承包商（independent contractor）」依法無法享有正式「員工（employee）」擁有的加班費、健保補助及帶薪病假等法定福利與勞動保障，因此這項分類差異對企業成本與勞工權益影響甚鉅。
EN： "Because of" is a prepositional phrase followed by a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun to express a reason or cause. It differs from the conjunction "because", which must be followed by a full clause (subject + verb).
中文： 「Because of」是介系詞片語，後面接名詞、名詞片語或代名詞來表示原因或理由。它與連接詞「because」不同，「because」後面必須接完整的子句（主詞 + 動詞）。
Because of the heavy snow, the flight was delayed.
因為大雪，航班延誤了。
EN： The clause "that employees normally get" is a restrictive relative clause modifying the antecedent "important benefits". The relative pronoun "that" serves as the direct object of the verb "get".
中文： 子句「that employees normally get」是關係子句（形容詞子句），用來修飾先行詞「important benefits（重要福利）」。關係代名詞「that」在子句中作動詞「get」的受詞。
She bought the laptop that everyone recommended.
她買了大家推薦的那台筆記型電腦。
EN： In the United States labor market, the distinction between an "independent contractor" (1099 worker) and a statutory "employee" (W-2 worker) is critical. Employees are legally entitled to federal and state protections such as minimum wage, overtime pay, workers' compensation, paid sick leave, and employer-sponsored health insurance. Independent contractors lack these mandatory benefits, making worker classification a central legal battleground in the gig economy.
中文： 在美國勞動法體系中，「獨立承包商」（通常領取 1099 稅表）與法定「受僱員工」（W-2 員工）有著根本差異。法定員工受聯邦與州法律保障，享有最低工資、加班費、工傷保險、帶薪病假以及僱主贊助的健保福利；而獨立承包商則沒有這些法定福利保障。因此，零工經濟（gig economy）平臺如何將勞工「分類」（classification），一直是美國勞動法上最具爭議的核心焦點。
EN： Appositive phrase: 'the attorney general of California' is placed directly next to the proper noun 'Rob Bonta' between commas to provide identifying or explanatory information about who he is.
中文： 同位語片語：「the attorney general of California」置於專有名詞「Rob Bonta」之後並以逗號隔開，用來補充說明其身分或職稱。
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, announced a new product line yesterday.
蘋果公司的執行長提姆·庫克昨天宣布了一條新產品線。
EN： Verb pattern 'call + Object + Object Complement (Noun Phrase)': The verb 'call' takes an object ('the agreement') followed by a noun phrase complement ('a landmark win for workers') that renames or defines the object.
中文： 動詞句型「call + 受詞 + 受詞補語（名詞片語）」：及物動詞「call」在此處接名詞受詞「the agreement」，後面緊接著名詞補語「a landmark win for workers」，用以補充說明該協議被稱為什麼。
The committee called the initiative a major step forward.
委員會稱這項倡議是一大步邁進。
EN： In the United States, an 'attorney general' is the chief legal officer of the federal government or a state. State attorneys general frequently file major civil lawsuits to enforce state labor and consumer protection laws against large corporations.
中文： 在美國，「attorney general」（通常譯為檢察總長或司法部長）是聯邦或州政府的首席法律顧問兼最高執法人員。各州的檢察總長經常主導民事訴訟，以執行勞動權益與消費者保護法規，對抗大型企業違法行為。
EN： The idiom 'on the back of' (or 'on the backs of') means to achieve success, wealth, or progress through the hard work, sacrifice, or suffering of others, often with an implication of unfairness or exploitation.
中文： 成語「on the back(s) of」意指「藉由他人的辛勤勞動、犧牲或痛苦而獲益／成功」，通常帶有不公平或剝削的意味（常譯為「踩在…的肩膀／脊樑上」或「靠著…的血汗」）。
The empire was built on the backs of enslaved workers.
這個帝國是建立在奴隸勞工的血汗之上的。
EN： This sentence uses indirect speech (reported speech) introduced by 'He said that...'. Inside the noun clause acting as the direct object, two past participles ('grown' and 'made') share the auxiliary verb 'have' in a compound present perfect predicate.
中文： 本句使用了由「He said that...」引導的間接引語（名詞子句作賓語）。在該子句內部，過去分詞「grown」和「made」並列，共用同一個助動詞「have」，構成複合的現在完成時結構。
She explained that the team has trained hard and achieved great results.
她解釋說團隊已經刻苦訓練並取得了顯著的成果。
EN： The phrase 'on the backs of' is frequently invoked by labor unions, politicians, and civil rights advocates in the United States when criticizing corporate practices. In the context of the 'gig economy' (platform-based labor such as ridesharing or food delivery), this phrase highlights the sharp contrast between tech companies' billion-dollar valuations and the precarious working conditions of gig workers classified as independent contractors.
中文： 片語「on the backs of」（踩在…的血汗之上）在美國常被工會、政客及民權倡議者用於批判企業剝削。在「零工經濟」（gig economy，如共乘平台或外送平台）的背景下，該用語強烈凸顯了科技巨頭數十億美元的高估值與被歸類為「獨立承包商」的基層勞工所面臨的缺乏福利與保障之嚴峻對比。
EN： The reporting verb 'note' is followed by a noun clause introduced by the conjunction 'that', which functions as the direct object of the sentence.
中文： 轉述動詞「note」（指出、注意到）後接由連接詞「that」引導的名詞子句，作為整句話的受詞，用來說明陳述的具體內容。
The report noted that consumer prices had risen sharply.
該報告指出，消費者物價已急劇上漲。
EN： The quantifier phrase 'many of' followed by a determiner plus plural noun ('these drivers') refers to a large proportion of a specific, defined group.
中文： 數量詞片語「many of」後接限定詞與複數名詞（如「these drivers」），用來表示特定群體中的「許多人」或「大部分」。
Many of these students come from low-income families.
這些學生中有許多人來自低收入家庭。
EN： In US legal and social discourse, 'communities of color' is the widely accepted collective term referring to non-white racial and ethnic groups (including Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and Indigenous populations). Highlighting that gig-economy drivers predominantly come from immigrant and minority groups emphasizes concerns about economic equity and labor exploitation.
中文： 在美國社會與法律論述中，「communities of color」（有色人種社群）是用來統稱非白人族群（包括黑人、拉丁裔、亞裔及原住民等）的正式用語。在此特別指出零工經濟（gig economy）司機多來自移民與少數族裔社群，旨在凸顯勞工權益與社會經濟公平問題。
EN： Third conditional alternative with 'without': 'would have been' expresses a past unreal hypothetical result. Using 'without + noun phrase' replaces an 'if it had not been for...' clause to indicate a counterfactual condition in the past.
中文： 使用「without」的與過去事實相反之假設語氣：「would have been」用來表達過去假設條件下未曾發生的結果。介系詞片語「without + 名詞」可取代「if it had not been for...」（若非...），表達過去的反事實條件。
Without your advice, the project would have failed completely.
如果沒有你的建議，這個專案早就徹底失敗了。
EN： Omission of the relative pronoun in restrictive relative clauses: When the relative pronoun (whom/that) functions as the object of the relative clause, it is frequently omitted, as in 'the drivers [whom/that] it tried to short-change'.
中文： 關係代名詞的省略：在限定關係子句中，當關係代名詞（whom 或 that）在子句中作受詞時，通常可以省略。例如句中的「the drivers [whom/that] it tried to short-change」。
The mentor I respected the most gave me this book.
我最尊敬的那位導師送給我這本書。
EN： In US legal and labor reporting, 'to short-change' means not only to fail to give the right change in a store, but figuratively to treat unfairly by withholding rightful pay or benefits. The statement reflects the intense debate over the gig economy, where tech companies classify gig workers as independent contractors to avoid mandatory labor benefits.
中文： 在美國法律與勞動新聞中，「to short-change」除了字面上在商店「少找零錢」外，比喻為剋扣、虧待或未能給予對方應得的報酬與福利。這句話反映了美國零工經濟（gig economy）的核心爭議：科技平台透過將勞工定義為「獨立承包商」而非「正式員工」，從而規避法定福利支出。
EN： The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a restrictive relative clause ('that allegedly happened...') modifying the noun 'violations'. In this clause, 'that' acts as the subject of the verb 'happened'.
中文： 關係代名詞「that」引導一個限定關係子句（「that allegedly happened...」），用來修飾先行詞「violations」（違規行為）。在此子句中，「that」充當動詞「happened」的主詞。
The report highlights errors that occurred during the audit.
該報告強調了審計期間發生的錯誤。
EN： The adverb 'allegedly' is used in formal, legal, or journalistic contexts to convey that something is claimed or asserted without definitive proof. It modifies the verb 'happened'.
中文： 副詞「allegedly」（據稱、涉嫌）常出現在法律或新聞英語中，用來表示某事據說發生過但尚未經最終證實，用以保持客觀中立。此處用來修飾動詞「happened」。
The suspect allegedly stole thousands of dollars from the vault.
該嫌犯據稱從金庫中竊取了數千美元。
EN： In legal and journalistic contexts in the United States, words like 'allegedly' or 'alleged' are critical. They protect publishers and parties from defamation lawsuits because settlements often do not require the defendant to admit wrongdoing or guilt.
中文： 在美國的法律和新聞報導中，像「allegedly」（據稱、涉嫌）這樣的詞語至關重要。由於民事和解通常不代表被告承認犯法或承擔罪責，使用此類詞彙可以保護報導者避免承擔誹謗的法律責任。
EN： The conjunction 'once' means 'as soon as' or 'from the moment when'. In adverbial time clauses referring to the future, English uses the simple present tense ('approves') instead of 'will approve', while the main clause uses the future tense ('will be distributed').
中文： 連字號「once」表示「一旦」或「一……就……」。在引導表示未來時間的副詞子句中，英文習慣以現在簡單式（如 approves）代替未來式，而主要子句則維持未來式（如 will be distributed）。
Once the manager signs the contract, the project will begin immediately.
一旦經理簽署合約，該專案就會立即啟動。
EN： Future passive voice is formed with 'will + be + past participle' ('will be distributed'). It is commonly used when the recipient of the action is the main focus, or when the agent performing the action is obvious or less important.
中文： 未來式被動語態的結構為「will + be + 過去分詞」（如 will be distributed）。當句子焦點在於接受動作的對象，或是執行者顯而易見、非強調重點時，常使用此結構。
The tickets will be sent to your email tomorrow.
票券將在明天寄送至您的電子郵件。
EN： In US legal procedures, major class-action settlements or enforcement actions reached by attorneys general must receive final court approval before funds can be officially distributed to affected individuals.
中文： 在美國法律程序中，由檢察總長或集體訴訟達成的巨額和解協議，通常必須經過法官或法院的最終核准（court approval），賠償金才能依法正式發放給受影響的受害群體。
EN： The phrasal verb 'miss out on' means to fail to participate in, take advantage of, or receive something beneficial or enjoyable.
中文： 片語動詞「miss out on」的意思是「錯失、錯過」某種好處、機會或令人愉快的體驗，後接名詞或動名詞。
He missed out on a promotion because he didn't submit his application on time.
他因為沒有按時提交申請而錯失了晉升機會。
EN： The passive voice pattern 'be classified as [noun]' is used to describe how a person or thing is officially categorized or labeled by an authority or system.
中文： 被動語態結構「be classified as + 名詞」用來表示某人或某物在官方或體系中「被歸類為……」。
Workers are often classified as full-time employees after their probation period.
員工在試用期過後通常會被歸類為全職員工。
EN： In the United States labor market, the distinction between an 'employee' (W-2 worker) and an 'independent contractor' (1099 worker) is significant. Gig economy companies like Lyft and Uber have faced extensive legal battles, particularly in California under Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), regarding whether drivers are entitled to mandatory employee protections such as minimum wage, health coverage, and paid sick leave.
中文： 在美國勞動法規中，「正式員工」（W-2）與「獨立承包商」（1099）有著巨大差異。員工依法享有最低工資保證、加班費、帶薪病假和雇主分擔的醫療保險；而承包商則通常沒有任何這類福利。近年來，以 Lyft 和 Uber 為代表的零工經濟（gig economy）在加利福尼亞州等地面臨嚴格審查與激烈訴訟，核心爭議正是司機的就業身分歸屬。
EN： The structure 'respond by + V-ing' is used to indicate the method or action taken in response to a statement, event, or inquiry. Here, 'by saying...' introduces the content of the response.
中文： 「respond by + V-ing」結構用來說明針對某項發言、事件或詢問所採取的具體回應方式。在此句中，「by saying...」（透過表示……）引出回應的具體內容。
The company responded by offering a full refund to all affected customers.
該公司透過向所有受影響的顧客提供全額退款作為回應。
EN： The clause uses the present perfect passive voice ('have always been properly classified') with the adverb 'always' placed between the auxiliary 'have' and 'been'. It describes a status that started in the past and has continuously remained true up to the present.
中文： 子句中使用了現在完成式的被動語態（have always been properly classified），副詞「always」位於助動詞「have」與「been」之間。此時態用來表達某種狀態從過去開始，並一直持續保持到現在。
These historical documents have always been preserved with great care.
這些歷史文獻一直以來都被非常小心地保存著。
EN： In the US gig economy, whether workers are considered 'independent contractors' (1099 workers) or 'employees' (W-2 workers) is a massive legal and financial battleground. Companies like Lyft and Uber have consistently argued that flexible, app-based driving fits the contractor model, avoiding significant mandatory costs like health insurance and minimum wage guarantees.
中文： 在美國零工經濟（gig economy）中，勞工究竟被歸類為「獨立承攬人」（independent contractor）還是「受僱員工」（employee）是一場重大的法律與財務爭議。Lyft 與 Uber 等平台長期主張這類基於應用程式的彈性載客屬於承攬模式，藉此免除負擔龐大的健保、帶薪病假與最低工資等法定義務。
EN： The idiom 'put something behind someone' means to overcome, move past, or stop thinking about an unpleasant past event so one can focus on the future.
中文： 片語「put something behind someone」意為「將某事拋在腦後／告一段落」，指不再受過去不愉快事件的困擾，重新向前看。
After months of negotiations, they were relieved to put the dispute behind them.
歷經數月的協商後，他們終於鬆了一口氣，將這場糾紛拋在腦後。
EN： The pattern 'be + adjective + to-infinitive' (e.g., 'is glad to put') is used to express feelings, emotions, or reactions toward performing a particular action.
中文： 「be + 形容詞 + 不定詞（to + 原形動詞）」結構（如 is glad to put）用來表達對於做某個動作的情緒、感受或反應。
We are thrilled to welcome our new team members.
我們很高興歡迎我們的新團隊成員。
EN： In American corporate communications and legal settlements, phrases like 'glad to put this behind us/it' are standard public relations (PR) phrasing. It allows a company to signal closure and a forward-looking attitude without admitting fault or wrongdoing.
中文： 在美國企業公關（PR）與和解聲明中，常使用「glad to put this behind us/it」（很高興能告一段落／拋諸腦後）這類標準措辭。這讓企業能向投資人與大眾展現向前看的態度，同時巧妙地避免正面承認過失或法律責任。
EN： The present perfect tense ('has continued') is used with a time expression introduced by 'for' ('for more than ten years') to describe an action or state that began in the past and continues into the present.
中文： 現在完成式（has continued）搭配介系詞「for」引導的時間長度（for more than ten years），用來表示一項行動或狀態從過去開始發生，並一直持續到現在。
The discussion about remote work has continued for several months.
關於遠距工作的討論已經持續了好幾個月。
EN： An indirect question (embedded question) functions as a noun clause after a preposition: 'over [how rideshare drivers should be classified]'. Unlike direct questions, it uses normal statement word order (Subject + Modal + Verb) rather than subject-auxiliary inversion.
中文： 間接問句（嵌入式問句）作為名詞子句置於介系詞後：「over [how rideshare drivers should be classified]」。不同於直接問句，間接問句採用陳述句語序（主詞 + 助動詞/情態動詞 + 動詞），不進行倒裝。
We need to discuss how the budget should be allocated.
我們需要討論預算該如何分配。
EN： The legal classification of gig-economy workers (like rideshare drivers) has been a central political and legal battleground in California, highlighted by Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5) and Proposition 22. The debate centers on whether gig workers are 'independent contractors' (offering flexibility) or 'employees' (entitled to minimum wage, overtime, paid sick leave, and healthcare).
中文： 零工經濟工作者（如共乘司機）的法律身分歸類一直是加利福尼亞州政界與法律界的核心爭議，其中最著名的爭端包括第 5 號州議會法案（AB 5）與第 22 號提案（Prop 22）。這場爭論的核心在於平台司機應被視為「獨立承包商」（享有工時彈性）還是「正式員工」（享有最低工資、加班費、帶薪病假與醫療保險等法定福利）。
EN： Compound Sentence with Coordinating Conjunction 'and': Two independent clauses ('The state first filed...' and 'the cities... also joined...') are linked by the coordinating conjunction 'and' preceded by a comma. Each clause contains its own subject and finite verb.
中文： 對等連接詞「and」構成的複合句：兩個獨立子句（「The state first filed...」與「the cities... also joined...」）透過對等連接詞「and」以及其前面的逗號連接。每個子句皆擁有獨立的主詞與限定動詞。
The company introduced a new policy, and several departments quickly adopted it.
該公司推出了一項新政策，幾個部門也迅速採用了它。
EN： Collocation: 'file a lawsuit against [someone]': In legal and formal contexts, 'to file a lawsuit against' means to officially start a legal case or claim against an individual or organization in a court of law.
中文： 固定搭配「file a lawsuit against [某人/某機構]」：在法律及正式語境中，意為向法院正式提出對某人或某機構的訴訟或控告。
Several customers decided to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer.
幾名顧客決定對該製造商提起訴訟。
EN： In the United States, major cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego have their own city attorneys with authority to initiate or join public-interest lawsuits alongside the state attorney general, particularly in labor-protection and consumer-rights disputes.
中文： 在美國，像洛杉磯、舊金山和聖地牙哥這類大城市都擁有各自的市檢察官（City Attorney），他們有權與州檢察長並肩發起或加入符合公眾利益的訴訟，尤其常見於勞工權益保障及消費者權益爭議。
重要單字附有 IPA 發音、定義、例句和互動式測驗。
在本文中： （法律訴訟的）和解協議
在本文中： 分類、身分界定
在本文中： 具里程碑意義的、重大的
在本文中： 少給…錢；不公平地對待
在本文中： 違規；違反法律
在本文中： 據宣稱、涉嫌地
在本文中： 分發、分配
在本文中： 正確地、適當地
在本文中： 訴訟、官司
片語包含類型標示、雙語定義、用法說明和例句。
The illegal practice of not paying employees the full wages or benefits to which they are legally entitled.
薪資盜竊（雇主非法剝奪或剋扣勞工應得工資與福利）
A person contracted to perform work for another entity as a nonemployee, typically without statutory employment benefits.
獨立包商、承攬人
Achieved through the hard work, sacrifice, or exploitation of others.
踩在…的肩膀上；靠剝削／犧牲…而獲利
To lose the chance to experience something good, beneficial, or enjoyable.
錯失、失去（好處、機會）
To stop thinking about or being affected by an unpleasant experience or dispute and move on.
將…拋諸腦後；告別…（不愉快的事物）