1. a limitation or restriction
限制;束縛
The project had to be completed under severe time constraints.
這個專案必須在嚴格的時間限制下完成。
Financial constraints prevented them from expanding the business.
財務上的限制使他們無法擴展業務。
指一種限制、束縛或強制遵守的條件或規則。
限制條件
EN: a limitation or restriction
翻譯: 一種限制或約束。
強制力
EN: the use of force to make someone do something
翻譯: 使用強制力使某人做某事。
拘束感
EN: a feeling of being restricted or controlled
翻譯: 一種被限制或控制的感覺。
設計限制
EN: a restriction in engineering or design
翻譯: 工程或設計上的限制條件。
小提醒:注意 'constraint' 與 'restraint' 的細微差別:'constraint' 常指外在的、客觀的限制條件;'restraint' 則更常指內在的自我克制或抑制。
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Real-life Examples of "Constraint" from YouTube Videos
What Would Elon Musk Work On If He Were 22?
Y Combinator
“we're effectively superhuman Um, but we're extremely bad with constraint in that interface between the cortex and your sort of uh. that that tertiary digital form of yourself and um helping solve that bandwidth constraint uh would would be, I think, very important for the future as well.”
1. a limitation or restriction
限制;束縛
The project had to be completed under severe time constraints.
這個專案必須在嚴格的時間限制下完成。
Financial constraints prevented them from expanding the business.
財務上的限制使他們無法擴展業務。
2. a thing that forces someone to act in a particular way
約束;制約因素
Social constraints often influence our behavior in public.
社會約束常常影響我們在公共場合的行為。
The legal constraints on the company's operations are clearly defined.
對公司營運的法律制約因素有明確的規定。
3. stiffness of manner and inhibition in relations between people
拘謹;不自然
There was a certain constraint in their conversation after the argument.
爭吵過後,他們的談話中帶著某種拘謹。
He spoke with constraint, careful not to reveal his true feelings.
他說話很拘謹,小心翼翼地不透露真實感受。
4. a condition that must be satisfied in an engineering or mathematical problem
(工程或數學問題中的)約束條件
The design must meet all the safety constraints.
這個設計必須滿足所有的安全約束條件。
In the optimization problem, we have several boundary constraints.
在這個最佳化問題中,我們有幾個邊界約束條件。
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| constraint + on + noun | 對…的限制 | The government imposed new constraints on public spending. (政府對公共支出施加了新的限制。) |
| under + constraint | 在限制之下 | The team had to design the product under severe time constraints. (團隊必須在嚴格的時間限制下設計產品。) |
| place/put/impose + a constraint + on + noun | 對…施加限制 | Financial difficulties placed a major constraint on their plans. (財務困難對他們的計畫施加了重大限制。) |
| within + the constraints + of + noun | 在…的限制範圍內 | We have to work within the constraints of the existing budget. (我們必須在現有預算的限制範圍內工作。) |
| a major/serious/tight constraint | 一個主要/嚴重/緊迫的限制 | Lack of skilled workers is a serious constraint for the industry. (缺乏熟練工人是該產業的一個嚴重限制。) |
| relax/ease + constraints | 放鬆/減輕限制 | The new policy aims to ease regulatory constraints on small businesses. (新政策旨在減輕對小型企業的監管限制。) |
EN:The study was conducted under the constraint to use only existing data.
翻譯:這項研究是在只能使用現有數據的限制下進行的。
一般情況下,表達「對…的限制」時,使用 constraint on something/doing something 是最常見且自然的用法。
constraint vs restriction
「constraint」通常指內在或外在的「限制條件」,強調對行動或發展的框架性約束;「restriction」則更常指具體、明確的「規定或禁令」,通常由權威制定。
constraint vs limitation
「constraint」強調一種主動施加或存在的「約束力」,影響決策或行動;「limitation」則更側重於能力、範圍或數量的「不足或缺點」。
constraint vs control
「constraint」是設定邊界或限制條件;「control」則是主動的管理、支配或調節過程。
在對話中,當引述或轉述他人的意見、規則或限制時,常用 "constraint" 來客觀地說明情況。 EN: He mentioned the main constraint was the budget. 翻譯: 他提到主要的限制是預算。
EN:The only constraint she gave us was the deadline.
翻譯:她給我們的唯一限制就是截止日期。
在非正式討論中,使用 "constraint" 而非更簡單的 "limit",可以讓語氣聽起來更正式、更具體,強調限制的客觀性或結構性。 EN: That's not my preference, it's a technical constraint. 翻譯: 那不是我的偏好,而是一個技術上的限制。
EN:We're working under some pretty tight constraints here.
翻譯:我們是在一些相當緊迫的限制下工作的。
在思考如何委婉表達一個限制或負面因素時,"constraint" 可作為一個緩衝詞,讓後續的說明聽起來不那麼直接或嚴厲。 EN: The only constraint, I would say, is time. 翻譯: 唯一的限制,我想說,是時間。
EN:Well, there is one constraint we need to consider.
翻譯:嗯,有一個我們需要考慮的限制。
正式書寫注意:在口語中,"constraint" 的使用已相當普遍且自然。但在非常正式的學術或商業文件中,仍需確保其使用精確,通常與具體的系統、模型或資源(如 budget constraint, time constraint)搭配,避免過於模糊。口語中較寬鬆的用法(如泛指任何小限制)在正式寫作中應更謹慎。
budget constraint
noun + constraint
預算限制
time constraint
noun + constraint
時間限制
impose a constraint
verb + constraint
施加限制
operational constraint
adjective + constraint
營運限制
under constraint
preposition + constraint
在限制下
legal constraint
adjective + constraint
法律限制
face constraints
verb + constraints
面臨限制
physical constraint
adjective + constraint
物理限制
×There are many constraints to finish the project.
✓There are many constraints on finishing the project.
「constraint」通常與介系詞「on」連用,表示對某事的限制,而非使用「to」。
×We worked under a tight constraint.
✓We worked under tight constraints. / We worked under a tight time constraint.
「constraint」作為可數名詞,指具體的限制條件時常用複數形式。若指單一特定限制,則需具體說明,如「budget constraint」。
×The main constraint of the plan is the cost.
✓The main constraint on the plan is the cost.
表示「對…的限制」時,應使用「constraint on something」,而非「constraint of something」。
×We need to consider the constraint factors.
✓We need to consider the constraining factors. / We need to consider the constraints.
「constraint」是名詞,不應直接當形容詞修飾名詞。應使用其動詞的現在分詞形式「constraining」作形容詞,或直接使用名詞「constraints」。
×He felt constraint to accept the offer.
✓He felt constrained to accept the offer.
表達「感到被迫做某事」時,應使用形容詞「constrained」,而非名詞「constraint」。
×The project has a lot of constraint.
✓The project has a lot of constraints.
當指多個具體的限制條件時,「constraint」作為可數名詞應使用複數形式。