EN: In news headlines, the infinitive form ('to + base verb') is commonly used to express future events or planned actions, serving as an abbreviation for 'is going to' or 'plans to'.
中文: 在新聞標題中,常用不定詞(to + 原形動詞)來表示未來即將發生的事件或預定計畫,以精簡篇幅,相當於「is going to」或「plans to」。
Government to build new high-speed rail line next year.
政府將於明年興建一條新的高鐵路線。
EN: Coordinating conjunction 'and' connects two parallel infinitive verbs sharing the same subject: 'to Cut [850 Jobs]' and '[to] Move [Work]'. In the second clause, 'to' is omitted to avoid repetition.
中文: 對等連接詞「and」在此連接兩個平行的動詞短語:「to Cut [850 Jobs]」與「[to] Move [Work]」,第二個動詞前省略了「to」以避免重複。
The firm plans to reduce costs and hire new engineers.
這家公司計畫降低成本並招募新工程師。
EN: This headline follows standard 'Headlinese' conventions, which drop articles ('an' AI overhaul) and auxiliary verbs to save space and create urgency. Outsourcing back-office roles to countries like India while investing heavily in AI is a recurring and controversial trend among major Western corporations.
中文: 這則新聞標題採用標準的「新聞標題體(Headlinese)」,省略了冠詞(如 an AI overhaul)與助動詞以節省版面並提升緊湊感。大型西方企業將後勤業務外包至印度等國家、同時大舉投資 AI 技術,是近年屢見不鮮且常引發爭議的商業策略。
EN: An appositive phrase set off by commas provides non-essential supplementary information about a preceding noun without creating a full relative clause.
中文: 同位語片語(由逗號隔開)用於對前面的名詞提供補充說明,使語句簡潔,省去撰寫完整關係子句的繁複。
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is famous for its efficient public transit.
日本的首都東京以其高效率的大眾運輸系統聞名。
EN: Reporting verbs such as 'announce', 'say', or 'confirm' often take a noun clause introduced by 'that' as their direct object to report statements or plans.
中文: 報導動詞(如 announce、say、confirm)常後接由 that 引導的名詞子句作為受詞,用來轉述事件或宣布未來計畫。
The company announced that it will launch a new product next month.
該公司宣布將於下個月推出一款新產品。
EN: Qantas, colloquially referred to as 'The Flying Kangaroo', is Australia's flag carrier and largest airline. In Australian corporate culture, announcements of major job cuts due to offshoring or automation often trigger substantial public debate and union pushback.
中文: 澳洲航空(Qantas)暱稱為「飛行袋鼠」,是澳洲的國家載旗航空公司也是規模最大的航空業者。在澳洲企業文化中,因業務外包或自動化導致的大規模裁員往往會引發公眾廣泛關注與工會的強烈抗議。
EN: The present perfect tense ('has signed') is formed with 'have/has' + past participle. It is used here to describe a recently completed action in the past that has relevance or ongoing effects in the present business context.
中文: 現在完成式(has signed)由「have/has + 過去分詞」構成。在此處用來描述過去剛發生、且對現在商業局勢仍具影響力或相關性的已完成動作。
The tech startup has signed a partnership agreement with a local university.
這家科技初創公司已與當地一所大學簽署了合作協議。
EN: A non-defining relative clause begins with 'which' preceded by a comma (', which is...'). It adds extra, non-essential information about the noun before it ('Accenture') without restricting its identity.
中文: 非限定關係子句以逗號加上「which」開頭(, which is...),用來對先行詞(埃森哲)補充額外說明,刪除該子句也不會影響主要句意的完整性。
He works for Microsoft, which is one of the world's largest software companies.
他在微軟工作,那是全球最大的軟體公司之一。
EN: 'Professional services firm' is a formal term in corporate English used for multinational consultancies (such as Accenture, Deloitte, or PwC) that provide specialized services like IT outsourcing, strategy consulting, and digital transformation.
中文: 「Professional services firm」(專業服務公司)是商業英文中的標準用語,通常指埃森哲(Accenture)、勤業眾信(Deloitte)或資誠(PwC)等跨國管顧機構,專門提供企業 IT 外包、管理顧問與數位轉型等高階支援服務。
EN: Future passive voice is formed with 'will be + past participle' (will be moved). It is used when an action will happen to the subject in the future, especially when the focus is on the action or the receiver rather than the doer.
中文: 未來式被動語態的結構為「will be + 過去分詞」(如 will be moved)。當主詞在未來將承受某個動作,且焦點在於該動作或承受者而非執行者時使用。
The new policy will be implemented next month.
新政策將於下個月實施。
EN: The preposition 'through' is used here to indicate the means or method by which something is achieved (through + noun/gerund).
中文: 介系詞「through」在此用來表示達成某事的手段或方式(through + 名詞/動名詞),意為「透過……」或「藉由……」。
She improved her English through daily practice.
她透過每天練習提升了英語能力。
EN: Offshore outsourcing (often to India) is a common corporate strategy used by Western multinational companies to cut labor costs and access specialized tech or back-office talent, though it frequently sparks domestic backlash from local labor unions.
中文: 離岸外包(通常外包至印度)是西方跨國企業常見的經營策略,旨在降低人力成本並獲取專業的技術或後勤支援人才;然而,這項策略往往會在國內引發工會與勞工團體的強烈反彈。
EN: Ordinal numbers (e.g., 'the first', 'the second', 'the third') are almost always preceded by the definite article 'the' when identifying a specific item in a sequence or rank.
中文: 序數詞(如 the first、the second、the third)在表示順序或排名的特定對象時,前面通常必須加上定冠詞「the」。
This is the second major update released this year.
這是今年發布的第二個重大更新。
EN: The preposition 'in' can express a duration of time within which something occurs. Adding 'just' emphasizes how surprisingly short the time frame is.
中文: 介系詞「in」可用來表示事情發生的時間長度或範圍。在此搭配副詞「just」,有強調「短短、僅僅」這段時間之意。
He completed the entire project in just two days.
他僅在短短兩天內就完成了整個專案。
EN: In corporate news, 'layoff' (noun) and 'job cuts' are frequently used interchangeably to describe mass dismissals driven by restructuring or economic downturns rather than individual employee performance.
中文: 在企業新聞中,「layoff」(解僱/裁員)與「job cuts」(縮減職位)經常互換使用,指因公司組織重整、轉型或經濟低迷造成的大規模解聘,而非員工個人工作表現不佳所致。
EN: Compound subjects consist of two or more nouns or noun phrases joined by a coordinating conjunction (such as 'and'). Here, 'the design company Canva' and 'National Australia Bank' act together as the plural subject of the verb 'announced'.
中文: 複合主詞(Compound Subject)是由兩個或多個名詞(短語)透過對等連接詞(如 'and')連接而成。在此句中,「the design company Canva」與「National Australia Bank」共同作為動詞「announced」的主詞。
Both the marketing team and the sales department supported the new strategy.
行銷團隊與業務部門都支持這項新策略。
EN: The preposition 'to' is used with nouns like 'change', 'alteration', or 'adjustment' to specify the target or area being modified (e.g., 'changes to something').
中文: 介系詞「to」常與 change(變更)、alteration(修改)或 adjustment(調整)等名詞連用,用來指明受影響或被修改的具體對象或範疇(即 'changes to something')。
The company introduced several changes to the contract.
該公司對合約做了幾項修改。
EN: In corporate and business English, phrases like 'changes to their workforce' or 'restructuring' are common corporate euphemisms used in place of direct terms like 'layoffs' or 'job cuts' to soften the impact of the announcement.
中文: 在商業英語新聞中,常使用「changes to their workforce(人員調整)」或「restructuring(重組)」等委婉說法(euphemism),以取代直接且負面的「layoffs(裁員)」或「job cuts」,用來緩和公告的衝擊感。
EN: The reporting verb 'says' introduces an indirect statement (noun clause) where the conjunction 'that' is omitted: 'The airline says [that] it wants...'.
中文: 轉述動詞「says」引導一個名詞子句(間接敘述),此處省略了從屬連接詞「that」:即「The airline says [that] it wants...」。
The company announced it plans to expand overseas.
該公司宣布計劃向海外擴展。
EN: The infinitive of purpose ('to improve...') is used here to explain the reason or goal of investing in technology.
中文: 「不定詞表目的」(to improve...)在此用來表示採取行動(投資新技術)的目標或原因,意為「為了改善……」。
She took an online course to learn coding.
她參加了線上課程以學習程式設計。
EN: In corporate and business English, restructuring and job cuts are frequently justified as strategic shifts toward 'investing in new technology and artificial intelligence', framing workforce reduction around modernizing operational efficiency.
中文: 在企業新聞與商務英語中,裁員或重組常被官方表述為「投資新技術與人工智慧」的轉型舉措,將精簡人力包裝為現代化與提升營運效率的策略。
EN: A defining relative clause (starting with 'who') is used to specify exactly which 'staff' are being talked about. In this clause, 'who' serves as the subject for the verb 'work'.
中文: 關係代名詞「who」引導限定修飾子句,用來具體說明受影響的是哪一部分的「員工(staff)」。在此子句中,「who」作為動詞「work」的主詞。
The company is seeking candidates who possess excellent communication skills.
該公司正在尋找具備優秀溝通能力的求職者。
EN: When listing multiple items (e.g., departments: finance, procurement, human resources, and marketing), commas separate each item, with 'and' placed before the final element.
中文: 在英文中列舉多個項目時(例如各個部門),項目之間以逗號隔開,並在最後一項前加上連接詞「and」。
We provide consulting services in technology, operations and management.
我們在科技、營運及管理領域提供諮詢服務。
EN: In modern corporate restructuring (particularly involving AI adoption or outsourcing), back-office departments such as finance, procurement, and human resources are often the first to be automated or transferred to lower-cost shared service hubs abroad.
中文: 在現代企業轉型(尤其是導入人工智慧或委外模式)中,財務、採購、人力資源等「後勤支援部門(back-office)」通常最容易面臨自動化或被轉移至海外低成本共享中心。
EN: Reporting Clause with 'That'-Noun Clause: The reporting verb 'said' is followed by a content clause starting with 'that', which functions as the direct object of the main verb. The 'that' can sometimes be omitted in casual English, but is retained in formal news reporting.
中文: 帶有 that 名詞子句的轉述結構:轉述動詞 said 後面接由 that 引導的名詞子句,作為主要動詞的受詞。在日常英語中 that 常可省略,但在正式新聞報導中通常會保留。
The manager explained that the new policy would take effect next month.
經理說明新政策將於下個月生效。
EN: Complex Noun Phrase Subject: In 'the speed of technological disruption today', the head noun 'speed' is post-modified by the prepositional phrase 'of technological disruption' and the temporal adverb/noun 'today'. Notice that the singular head noun 'speed' determines the singular verb 'is'.
中文: 複雜名詞短語作主詞:在「the speed of technological disruption today」中,中心名詞「speed」由介系詞短語「of technological disruption」以及時間副詞「today」後位修飾。注意中心名詞為單數,因此決定了子句中的單數動詞「is」。
The cost of living in big cities has increased dramatically.
大城市的生活成本大幅上升。
EN: Corporate leaders often use terms like 'technological disruption' and 'unprecedented' to justify restructuring and workforce reductions, framing job cuts as an unavoidable strategic response to industry-wide changes rather than internal mismanagement.
中文: 企業高層常使用「科技顛覆」(technological disruption)和「前所未有」(unprecedented)等詞彙來合理化組織重組與裁員決策,將縮減人力的舉動包裝為順應整體產業劇變的必然策略,而非內部管理不善。
EN: The verb 'know' is followed by an object noun clause where the conjunction 'that' is omitted: 'We know [that] this will be difficult news...'. In conversational and informal written English, omitting 'that' after common cognitive verbs (such as know, think, believe) is very common.
中文: 動詞「know」後面接了一個省略從屬連接詞「that」的名詞子句當受詞:「We know [that] this will be difficult news...」。在日常口語及新聞引述中,認知動詞(如 know、think、believe)後面的 that 經常被省略以使句子更流暢。
I know you worked hard on this project.
我知道你在這個專案上付出了很多努力。
EN: The noun 'news' is an uncountable noun in English. It always takes a singular verb (e.g., 'news is / will be') and cannot be preceded directly by the indefinite article 'a' (we say 'difficult news', not 'a difficult news').
中文: 名詞「news」(消息、新聞)在英文中為不可數名詞,後面一律搭配單數動詞(如本句中的 will be,若是現在式則用 is),且前面不可直接加不定冠詞 a(應說 difficult news,不可說 a difficult news)。
The bad news was unexpected for all employees.
這則壞消息對所有員工來說都很突然。
EN: In corporate communication, leaders often refer to employees as 'our people' rather than 'workers' or 'employees'. This phrasing sounds more personal, supportive, and human-centric, especially when delivering difficult announcements such as layoffs or restructurings.
中文: 在現代企業溝通中,企業高層經常使用「our people」(我們的同仁/夥伴)來代替冷冰冰的「employees」(員工)或「workers」(勞工)。這種措辭能營造同理心與人性化關懷的氛圍,特別是在宣布裁員或架構重組等沉痛消息時非常普遍。
EN: In indirect speech (reported speech), when the main reporting verb is in the past tense ('added'), the modal verb 'will' typically shifts back to its past form 'would' (future-in-the-past).
中文: 在間接引語(轉述語氣)中,當主句引述動詞為過去式(added)時,從屬子句中表示未來的助動詞「will」通常會退回過去式形式「would」,此概念稱為「過去未來式」。
He promised that he would call me as soon as he arrived.
他承諾一到達就會給我打電話。
EN: In time adverbial clauses introduced by conjunctions such as 'before', 'after', or 'when', the present simple tense is used instead of future tenses even when referring to future events.
中文: 在由「before」、「after」或「when」等連接詞引導的時間副詞子句中,即使描述的是未來的動作,也須以現在簡單式(如 makes)代替未來式。
Please turn off the lights before you leave the office.
在離開辦公室之前,請務必關掉電燈。
EN: In Australian industrial relations, companies undergoing major restructuring or redundancy programs are legally or contractually obligated through Enterprise Agreements to engage in a formal 'consultation process' with trade unions and affected staff prior to finalizing decisions.
中文: 在澳洲的勞資關係體系中,企業若進行大規模重組或裁員,通常必須依據勞資協定(Enterprise Agreements)履行法律程序,在做出定案前與工會(unions)及受影響員工進行正式的「協商程序(consultation process)」。
EN: The passive voice construction 'be + past participle' (are expected) is used when the focus is on the action or the receiver of the action, rather than who performs it. Here, 'are expected' implies an expectation held by the company or observers generally.
中文: 被動語態結構「be 動詞 + 過去分詞」(are expected)用於強調動作本身或承受動作的對象,而非執行者。在此句中,「are expected」表示公司管理層或外界普遍預期該變動即將發生。
The new policy is expected to take effect next month.
這項新政策預計將於下個月生效。
EN: The prepositional phrase 'by + time expression' indicates a deadline or a point in time before or at which an action will be completed (by the middle of next year = no later than the middle of next year).
中文: 介系詞片語「by + 時間點」表示截止期限,意為「在……之前」或「最晚在……時」(by the middle of next year 指最遲在明年年中)。
Please submit your final report by Friday afternoon.
請在週五下午前提交您的最終報告。
EN: Qantas is Australia's flag carrier and the largest airline by fleet size and international flights. Its name originally stood for 'Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services'. In Australian culture, it is affectionately nicknamed 'The Flying Kangaroo'.
中文: 澳洲航空(Qantas)是澳洲的國家航空公司,也是該國規模最大的航空公司。其名稱原本是「昆士蘭與北領地航空服務」(Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services)的縮寫,在澳洲常被親切地稱為「飛行袋鼠」(The Flying Kangaroo)。
EN: Present perfect tense ('have reacted', 'have fought') is formed with 'have/has' + past participle. It is used here to connect past actions to the current situation, showing a recent reaction and a recurring history of conflict.
中文: 現在完成式(have reacted、have fought)由「have/has + 過去分詞」構成。在此句中用來連結過去發生的動作與當前局勢,表示剛發生的強烈反應,以及過去延續至今的反覆抗爭歷史。
Workers have protested against the new policies several times this year.
今年工人們已經針對新政策抗議了好幾次。
EN: The preposition 'over' is used after verbs like 'fight', 'argue', or 'dispute' to indicate the cause, topic, or subject of contention (meaning 'regarding' or 'concerning').
中文: 介系詞「over」常用在 fight(爭鬥)、argue(爭論)或 dispute(爭執)等動詞後,表示引起衝突的主題或原因,意為「關於……」或「因……而爭執」。
The management and staff argued over working hours.
管理層與員工就工時問題發生了爭執。
EN: In Australia, trade unions hold significant legal and historical power, particularly in aviation (e.g., the Transport Workers' Union). Qantas previously faced severe public scrutiny and landmark court battles over illegal ground-handling outsourcing during the COVID-19 pandemic, making current outsourcing moves highly contentious.
中文: 在澳洲,工會(例如運輸工人工會 TWU)具有重大的法律地位與歷史影響力。澳洲航空在新冠疫情期間曾因非法外包地勤人員而陷入重大法律訴訟並遭法院判定違法,因此再度推動外包決策引發了極為敏感且強烈的反彈。
重要單字附有 IPA 發音、定義、例句和互動式測驗。
在本文中: 徹底改革;全面改造
在本文中: 轉型;重大改革
在本文中: 外包(將工作交由外部機構或海外處理)
在本文中: 解僱;裁員
在本文中: 勞動力;全體員工
在本文中: 採購(指企業或機構購買所需物品或服務)
在本文中: 顛覆;劇烈變革
在本文中: 史無前例的;前所未見的
在本文中: 工會
片語包含類型標示、雙語定義、用法說明和例句。
Reductions in the number of employees within a company or organization.
裁員;縮減職位
The simulation of human intelligence processes by computer systems.
人工智慧
A significant change in industries caused by rapid advances in new technology.
科技顛覆;技術革新帶來的產業衝擊
To argue, dispute, or struggle about a particular issue or thing.
為……爭吵;就……發生爭執或抗爭