EN： The Present Perfect Tense (has/have + past participle) is used here to describe an action that happened in the recent past, where the exact time is not specified, but the result is important to the present situation.
中文： 現在完成式（has/have + 過去分詞）在此處用於描述在最近過去發生、且未指定確切時間的動作，其結果對目前的狀況具有重要影響。
The company has invested millions in renewable energy.
該公司已在再生能源上投資了數百萬美元。
EN： The infinitive 'to avoid' is used as an infinitive of purpose, which explains 'why' the grid operator paid the money. It is equivalent to 'in order to avoid'.
中文： 不定詞「to avoid」（為了避免）在此作為目的不定詞使用，用來解釋電網營運商為何付錢。這相當於「in order to avoid」。
She woke up early to catch the first train.
她提早起床是為了趕上第一班火車。
EN： In the UK, the electricity grid is managed by private and government-regulated bodies. During extreme weather events (like heatwaves or extreme cold), the grid operator must sometimes buy emergency power from neighboring European countries (via undersea cables called interconnectors) at very high prices to prevent blackouts.
中文： 在英國，電網是由私營且受政府監管的機構營運。在極端天氣事件（如熱浪或嚴寒）期間，電網營運商有時必須以極高價格向鄰近的歐洲國家（透過稱為海底聯絡線的電纜）購買緊急電力，以防止停電。
EN： The past participle phrase 'known as...' is used as a reduced relative clause (shortened from 'which is known as...') to provide additional information about the noun preceding it.
中文： 過去分詞片語「known as...」（被稱為...）用作簡化關係子句（由「which is known as...」簡化而來），用來對前面的名詞提供補充說明。
The local charity, known as Hope, helps homeless people.
這個名為「希望」的在地慈善機構幫助無家可歸的人。
EN： The past continuous tense ('was putting') is used to describe an ongoing action or state that was happening at a specific time in the past, often providing background context for another past event.
中文： 過去進行式（was putting）用於描述在過去特定時間點正在發生的持續性動作或狀態，通常用來為另一個過去事件提供背景脈絡。
The company was facing financial difficulties when the new CEO took over.
當新任執行長接管時，該公司正進退兩難地面臨財務困難。
EN： The National Energy System Operator (Neso) is an independent body responsible for ensuring that Great Britain's electricity and gas systems run safely and reliably. Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, increasingly challenge modern power grids globally due to the sudden surge in air conditioning use.
中文： 國家電力系統營運商（Neso）是一個獨立機構，負責確保大不列顛的電力和天然氣系統安全可靠地運行。隨著全球氣候變遷，極端天氣事件（如熱浪）因冷氣空調使用量驟增，正日益對現代電網構成嚴峻挑戰。
EN： The Present Perfect Continuous tense ('have been turning on') is used to describe an action that started in the past and has continued up to the present moment, often emphasizing the ongoing nature or duration of the activity.
中文： 現在完成進行式（have been turning on）用於描述一個從過去開始並一直持續到現在的動作，通常用來強調該活動的持續性或時間長度。
They have been working on the project all morning.
他們整個上午都在忙這個專案。
EN： The non-defining relative clause introduced by ', which' is used to add extra information about the entire preceding clause rather than just the noun before it. It takes a singular verb ('has increased') because it refers to the whole situation.
中文： 由「, which」引導的非限定關係子句，用於對前面整個子句所描述的情況（而非僅僅是緊鄰的名詞）進行補充說明。因為它指的是整個狀況，所以後接單數動詞（has increased）。
He passed the exam, which made his parents very happy.
他通過了考試，這讓他父母非常高興。
EN： The relative pronoun 'that' introduces an adjective clause (relative clause) modifying the noun 'notice'. In this sentence, 'that' acts as the subject of the relative clause 'that asked power generators...'.
中文： 關係代名詞「that」引導一個形容詞子句（關係子句），用來修飾名詞「notice」（通知）。在此句子中，「that」在關係子句「that asked power generators...」中擔任主詞的角色。
The company released a report that detailed the financial losses.
該公司發布了一份詳細說明財務損失的報告。
EN： The verb 'ask' is used in the pattern 'ask someone to do something', which means to request or direct someone to perform an action.
中文： 動詞「ask」在此處使用「ask someone to do something」（要求某人做某事）的句型，表示請求或指示某人執行某個動作。
The manager asked the employees to submit their reports by Friday.
經理要求員工在週五前提交報告。
EN： Neso (National Energy System Operator) is the independent body responsible for ensuring that Great Britain's electricity and gas systems run safely and reliably. In extreme weather conditions, such as severe heatwaves or cold snaps, grid operators across Europe often collaborate to balance power loads by importing or exporting electricity through undersea interconnectors.
中文： Neso（國家電力系統營運商）是一個獨立機構，負責確保大不列顛的電力和天然氣系統安全可靠地運行。在極端氣候條件下（如嚴重熱浪或寒流），歐洲各地的電網營運商通常會透過海底聯絡線進口或出口電力，以協助彼此平衡電力負載。
EN： The verb 'agree' is followed by an infinitive (to + verb) to express consent or a decision to perform an action. This is a common pattern for verbs expressing plans, decisions, or promises.
中文： 動詞「agree」（同意）後面接不定詞（to + 動詞原形），用來表示同意或決定執行某個動作。這是表示計劃、決定或承諾的動詞之常見句型。
They agreed to sign the contract tomorrow.
他們同意明天簽署合約。
EN： The preposition 'for' is used here to indicate exchange, specifically the price paid in return for a service or commodity (imported electricity).
中文： 介係詞「for」在此處用於表示交換，特別是指為了換取某種服務或商品（進口電力）所支付的價格或代價。
She bought the book for ten dollars.
她花了十美元買那本書。
EN： The mention of paying high prices for imported electricity from Europe highlights the interconnected nature of the European energy grid. Great Britain (via undersea interconnectors) can trade electricity with neighboring European countries like France, Belgium, and the Netherlands to balance supply and demand during peak times.
中文： 提及向歐洲支付高昂價格購買進口電力，凸顯了歐洲能源電網相互連結的特性。大不列顛（透過海底聯絡線）能與法國、比利時和荷蘭等鄰近歐洲國家進行電力交易，以便在用電尖峰時期平衡供需。
EN： To express how many times one thing is greater than another, use the pattern: '[number] times + comparative adjective (e.g., higher/larger) + than'. 'Nearly' can be added before the number to mean 'almost'.
中文： 要表達一個事物是另一個事物的幾倍時，可以使用「[數字] times + 比較級形容詞（如 higher/larger）+ than」的句型。在數字前加上「nearly」表示「幾乎、接近」。
The new model is three times faster than the old one.
新機型比舊機型快了三倍。
EN： The word 'nearly' is an adverb of degree used to modify numbers or quantities, meaning 'almost' or 'not quite but very close to'.
中文： 「nearly」是一個程度副詞，用來修飾數量或數字，意思是「幾乎」或「接近（但還差一點）」。
It took nearly two hours to finish the test.
花了幾乎兩個小時才完成這項測試。
EN： The Passive Voice (be + past participle) is used when the focus is on the action or the receiver of the action, rather than the doer. In this sentence, 'was cancelled' and 'had been secured' are both passive constructions because the focus is on the warning and the power, not who cancelled or secured them.
中文： 被動語態（be 動詞 + 過去分詞）用於當焦點放在動作本身或動作的接受者，而非執行者時。在本句中，「was cancelled」（被取消）和「had been secured」（被確保）皆為被動結構，因為重點在於「警告」和「電力」，而非是誰取消或確保了它們。
The meeting was postponed because the manager was ill.
會議因為經理生病而延期了。
EN： The Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle) is used to show that an action was completed before another action in the past. Here, 'had been secured' happened before the warning 'was cancelled'.
中文： 過去完成式（had + 過去分詞）用於表示某個動作在過去另一個動作發生之前就已經完成。在此處，「had been secured」（已被確保）發生在警告「was cancelled」（被取消）之前。
The train had already left when we arrived at the station.
當我們到達車站時，火車已經開走了。
EN： The conjunction 'both... and...' is used to emphasize that two different things, people, or concepts are included in a statement. It connects two grammatically equal elements (in this case, two proper nouns acting as objects).
中文： 連言詞「both... and...」（兩者皆…；既…又…）用於強調陳述中同時包含兩個不同的事物、人或概念。它連接兩個文法地位對等的元素（在此句中為兩個作為受詞的專有名詞）。
The new policy will affect both local businesses and international companies.
新政策將同時影響本地企業與國際公司。
EN： The past continuous tense (were affecting) is used here to describe an ongoing action or state that was happening around a specific time in the past, often serving as the background context for another event.
中文： 過去進行式（were affecting）在此用於描述在過去特定時間點正在發生且持續進行的動作或狀態，通常作為另一個事件的背景脈絡。
EN： The term 'European continent' (or mainland Europe) is often used in Great Britain to distinguish the continental landmass from the British Isles. This distinction is common in British English, reflecting both geographical and cultural perspectives.
中文： 在大不列顛，「European continent」（歐洲大陸，或稱歐洲本土）一詞常用於區分歐洲大陸與不列顛群島。這種區分在英式英語中非常常見，反映了地理與文化上的雙重觀點。
EN： The Past Perfect Tense ('had reduced') is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. In this sentence, the reduction of electricity happened before the spokesperson made the statement (which is in the simple past 'said').
中文： 過去完成式（had + 過去分詞，如 'had reduced'）用於描述在過去某個動作或時間點之前已經完成的動作。在本句中，電量的減少發生在發言人發表聲明（過去式 'said'）之前。
The train had already left when we arrived at the station.
當我們到達車站時，火車已經開走了。
EN： Reduced Relative Clauses with Past Participles: 'produced by wind farms' is a reduced relative clause modifying 'electricity'. It is shortened from 'which was produced by wind farms'. The past participle 'produced' has a passive meaning.
中文： 過去分詞引導的簡化關係子句：'produced by wind farms'（由風力發電廠所產生）是一個簡化關係子句，用來修飾名詞 'electricity'（電量）。它是由 'which was produced by wind farms' 簡化而來，其中的過去分詞 'produced' 具有被動語態的意義。
The books written by this author are very popular.
這位作家寫的書（被這位作家所寫的書）非常受歡迎。
EN： Noun clauses introduced by 'that' function as the direct object of reporting verbs like 'state', 'say', or 'believe'. The conjunction 'that' can often be omitted in informal contexts, but is usually retained in formal writing.
中文： 由「that」引導的名詞子句，在「state」（表示）、「say」（說）或「believe」（相信）等說話動詞後擔任直接受詞。在非正式語境中，「that」常可省略，但在正式寫作中通常會保留。
The spokesperson stated that the project was completed on time.
發言人表示該專案已按時完成。
EN： The prepositional phrase 'at risk' is an idiomatic expression meaning 'in a situation where something bad or harmful could happen'. It is commonly used after the verb 'to be'.
中文： 介系詞片語「at risk」是一個慣用語，意思是「處於可能發生壞事或受害的危險處境中」。它常用在 be 動詞之後。
Without immediate action, many species will be at risk of extinction.
若不立即採取行動，許多物種將面臨滅絕的風險。
EN： The infinitive phrase 'to issue a warning' acts as an adjective (adjectival infinitive) modifying the noun 'decision'. It explains what kind of decision is being referred to.
中文： 不定詞片語「to issue a warning」在此作為形容詞（形容詞性不定詞），用來修飾名詞「decision」（決定），說明是什麼樣的決定。
His decision to study abroad surprised everyone.
他出國留學的決定讓每個人都感到驚訝。
EN： The verb 'mean' is followed by a noun clause starting with the conjunction 'that' (which can be omitted in informal contexts). This clause functions as the direct object of the verb 'mean' and contains its own subject and verb.
中文： 動詞「mean」（意味著）後面接由連接詞「that」引導的名詞子句（在非正式語境中可省略）。此子句作為動詞「mean」的直接受詞，其內部有自己的主詞與動詞。
The dark clouds mean that it is going to rain.
烏雲意味著快要下雨了。
EN： The Present Simple tense is used here to describe a permanent fact or state. Since the subject 'Neso' is a singular proper noun (third-person singular), the verb 'manage' takes the suffix '-es' to become 'manages'.
中文： 此處使用現在簡單式（Present Simple）來描述一個永久的事實或狀態。由於主詞「Neso」是單數專有名詞（第三人稱單數），因此動詞「manage」加上字尾「-es」成為「manages」。
The company operates several factories in Europe.
這間公司在歐洲營運著幾家工廠。
EN： The Oxford comma (also known as the serial comma) is the comma placed immediately before the coordinating conjunction (usually 'and' or 'or') in a list of three or more items. In 'England, Scotland, and Wales', the comma after 'Scotland' is the Oxford comma, which helps prevent ambiguity.
中文： 牛津逗號（Oxford comma，也稱序列逗號）是指在三個或更多項目的列表中，緊接在對等連接詞（通常是「and」或「or」）之前的逗號。在「England, Scotland, and Wales」中，「Scotland」後面的逗號就是牛津逗號，有助於避免歧義。
She bought apples, bananas, and oranges.
她買了蘋果、香蕉和柳橙。
EN： Great Britain consists of three countries: England, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom (UK) includes these three plus Northern Ireland. Neso manages the electricity and gas networks for Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales), but not Northern Ireland, which operates on a different grid system shared with the Republic of Ireland.
中文： 大不列顛（Great Britain）由三個國家組成：英格蘭、蘇格蘭和威爾斯。而英國（UK）則包括這三者加上北愛爾蘭。Neso 管理大不列顛（英格蘭、蘇格蘭和威爾斯）的電力與天然氣網路，但不包括北愛爾蘭，因為北愛爾蘭與愛爾蘭共和國共用另一個不同的電網系統。
EN： The Past Perfect Tense ('had warned') is used to show that an action was completed before another past action or a specific time in the past (in this case, before the events of Wednesday).
中文： 過去完成式（had warned）用於表示某個動作在過去的另一個動作或特定時間（在此指週三的事件）之前就已經完成。
By the time the meeting started, the manager had already sent the report.
在會議開始之前，經理就已經寄出報告了。
EN： Future in the Past ('would need') is used to describe an action that was in the future when viewed from a point in the past. It uses 'would' instead of 'will'.
中文： 過去未來式（would need）用於從過去的某個時間點來看未來將要發生的動作。此時會使用 would 代替 will。
She promised that she would call me the next day.
她答應她隔天會打電話給我。
EN： The prepositional phrase 'Without + noun' is used here to express a conditional idea, equivalent to 'If there were not...' or 'If we didn't have...'. It sets up a hypothetical condition in the present or future.
中文： 介係詞片語「Without + 名詞」在此處用於表達假設條件，相當於「If there were not...」（如果沒有...）。它為現在或未來設定了一個假設的前提。
Without your help, we would not finish the project on time.
如果沒有你的幫助，我們就無法按時完成這個專案。
EN： The structure 'would + not + be' is used in the main clause of a conditional sentence (Second Conditional) to describe an unlikely or hypothetical situation in the present or future.
中文： 「would + not + be」結構用於假設語氣（第二類條件句）的主句中，用來描述現在或未來不太可能發生或假設性的情況。
If it rained tomorrow, the game would not be held outdoors.
如果明天下雨，比賽就不會在戶外舉行。
EN： The gerund ('securing') is used here as the object of the preposition 'of'. A gerund is the '-ing' form of a verb that functions as a noun, allowing us to express an action as a concept or activity.
中文： 動名詞（在此為 'securing'）在此用作介係詞 'of' 的受詞。動名詞是動詞的 '-ing' 形式，其功能相當於名詞，讓我們能將某個動作表達為一個概念或活動。
The cost of renting an apartment in the city center is very high.
在市中心租公寓的成本非常高。
EN： The multiplier expression 'X times the [noun]' is used to make comparisons of scale or quantity. 'More than' is added before the multiplier to indicate that the amount exceeds that specific multiple.
中文： 倍數表達法「X times the [名詞]」用於進行規模或數量的比較。在倍數前加上「more than」（超過/以上），表示數量超過了該特定倍數。
The new stadium is three times the size of the old one.
新體育場的尺寸是舊體育場的三倍。
重要單字附有 IPA 發音、定義、例句和互動式測驗。
在本文中： 營運商、操作者，此處指負責管理和運行電網的機構
在本文中： （物資、資金等）嚴重不足、緊缺、危機
在本文中： 需求、需求量
在本文中： 進口的、外來的
在本文中： 獲得、爭取到（尤指經過努力）
在本文中： 影響、對…產生作用
在本文中： 減少、降低
在本文中： 停電、斷電
片語包含類型標示、雙語定義、用法說明和例句。
The source of electrical power, or the system that provides electricity to consumers.
電力供應、電源
To start the operation of an appliance, light, or engine by pushing a button or turning a switch.
打開（電器、開關等）
An area of land or water with a group of wind turbines used for generating electricity.
風力發電廠、風場
In a situation where there is danger of loss, harm, or failure.
處於危險之中、面臨風險