1. to become shorter by having sections that slide into one another
(可伸縮的物體)縮短,套疊
The tripod legs telescope for easy storage.
三腳架的腿可以伸縮,方便收納。
The antenna telescopes down to half its length.
這根天線可以縮短到原來長度的一半。
「telescope」作動詞時,主要指物體因擠壓而縮短,或用於描述時間、事件等被壓縮。
物理壓縮
EN: to become shorter by having one part slide over another
翻譯: 指物體的一部分滑入另一部分而變短,像伸縮式天線或三腳架那樣。
時間壓縮
EN: to make something shorter in time or space
翻譯: 使時間或空間變短、被壓縮。例如將長時間的過程縮減。
事件壓縮
EN: to condense or conflate events or sequences
翻譯: 將多個事件或過程壓縮、合併在一起,常出現在敘事或報告中。
小提醒:注意「telescope」作動詞時,核心概念是「壓縮」而非「觀看」。它描述的是長度、時間或事件的縮減,與名詞「望遠鏡」的觀測功能不同,容易造成混淆。
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Telescope" from YouTube Videos
Animations of unseeable biology | Drew Berry | TED
TED
“I picked two well-known examples, because they're very well-known for expressing science through art, And I start with Galileo, who used the world's first telescope to look at the Moon, And he transformed our understanding of the Moon.”
1. to become shorter by having sections that slide into one another
(可伸縮的物體)縮短,套疊
The tripod legs telescope for easy storage.
三腳架的腿可以伸縮,方便收納。
The antenna telescopes down to half its length.
這根天線可以縮短到原來長度的一半。
2. to compress or condense something, such as time or events
壓縮(時間、事件等)
The film telescopes twenty years of history into a two-hour drama.
這部電影將二十年的歷史壓縮成兩小時的戲劇。
The merger will telescope three separate projects into one.
這次合併將把三個獨立的項目壓縮成一個。
3. to cause to become shorter by crashing or collapsing into itself
(因撞擊或坍塌而)套疊縮短
The impact caused the train's carriages to telescope into each other.
撞擊導致火車車廂一節節套疊在一起。
In a severe collision, the front of the car may telescope.
在嚴重的碰撞中,汽車的前部可能會套疊縮短。
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| telescope + noun | 壓縮(時間、空間等) | The project manager had to telescope three months of work into one. (專案經理必須將三個月的工作壓縮到一個月內完成。) |
| telescope + into + noun | 壓縮成… | The entire history of the region telescopes into a single chapter. (該地區的整個歷史被壓縮成單獨一章。) |
| be telescoped | 被壓縮 | The two meetings were telescoped into one due to time constraints. (由於時間限制,兩場會議被壓縮成了一場。) |
| telescope + together | 套疊在一起 | The old-fashioned spyglass could telescope together for easy carrying. (那副老式的單筒望遠鏡可以套疊在一起,方便攜帶。) |
EN:The development timeline had to be telescoped to a mere four months.
翻譯:開發時間表不得不被縮短至僅僅四個月。
在表示「壓縮至某個具體期限」時,使用 telescope to;強調「壓縮成一個緊密整體」時,則使用 telescope into。
telescope vs collapse
「telescope」強調像望遠鏡套筒般一節節地縮短或壓縮,常用於描述物理結構或時間;「collapse」則指突然、徹底地倒塌或崩潰,多用於建築、系統或健康狀況。
telescope vs compress
「telescope」側重於縱向、分段式的縮短或套疊,常用於具體物體;「compress」則泛指將體積或空間壓縮變小,多用於氣體、資料或時間。
telescope vs shorten
「telescope」特指像望遠鏡筒一樣,透過套疊的方式縮短長度,過程是物理性的;「shorten」是通用詞,指使長度、持續時間或距離變短。
在口語中,常用來引述或總結他人說過的話,表示「把...壓縮」或「概括成...」。 EN: So what you're saying is, you can telescope the whole project timeline into just six months? 翻譯: 所以你的意思是,你能把整個專案時間表壓縮到僅僅六個月?
EN:She tends to telescope complex arguments into a single catchy phrase.
翻譯:她總是把複雜的論點概括成一句朗朗上口的口號。
用於強調某件事被極度壓縮或縮短,帶有驚訝、不滿或誇張的語氣。 EN: They telescoped a three-day training into a two-hour webinar! 翻譯: 他們居然把三天的培訓壓縮成兩個小時的線上研討會!
EN:Don't telescope my entire career into one bad decision.
翻譯:別把我整個職業生涯都壓縮成那一個糟糕的決定。
在思考或組織語言時,作為填充詞使用,表示「讓我概括一下」或「簡單來說」。 EN: Let me telescope that for you... it's basically about efficiency. 翻譯: 讓我為你概括一下... 基本上就是關於效率。
EN:To telescope, the main issue is budget, not time.
翻譯:簡單來說,主要問題是預算,不是時間。
正式寫作注意:在正式報告或學術寫作中,應避免將 "telescope" 用作上述口語中的填充詞或語氣強調詞。建議使用更精確的動詞,如 "condense"、"summarize" 或 "compress",以保持文體的嚴謹性。
telescope into
verb + into + noun
將(時間、事件等)壓縮或縮短至
telescope down
verb + particle
(使)縮短、摺疊或縮小
telescope together
verb + particle
將多個部分套疊在一起
telescope the timeline
verb + noun phrase
壓縮時間表
telescope in on
verb + particle + on + noun
(像望遠鏡般)聚焦於、集中關注
be telescoped
passive verb
被壓縮、被縮短
×We need to telescope the stars.
✓We need to look at the stars through a telescope.
將 'telescope' 誤用作表示「觀看」的動詞。'Telescope' 作為動詞時意為「套疊、壓縮」,而非「用望遠鏡觀看」。表達觀看天體時,應使用 'look at/observe through a telescope'。
×The train cars telescope.
✓The train cars telescope together.
動詞 'telescope' 在表示「套疊」時通常為及物動詞或需搭配副詞(如 together, into)。單獨使用不及物形式不自然。
×The meeting was telescoped to save time.
✓The meeting was shortened/condensed to save time.
過度依賴 'telescope' 的比喻用法(壓縮時間)。雖然此用法正確,但在日常語境中,'shorten'、'condense' 或 'compress' 更為常見自然。
×He telescoped the data with a software.
✓He condensed the data using software. / The data was telescoped into a single chart.
誤用介系詞 'with' 來連接動詞 'telescope' 與工具。正確用法是描述將某物壓縮/套疊『成』(into)另一形式,或使用其他更常見的動詞(如 condense using)。
×The antenna is telescoping.
✓The antenna telescopes. / The antenna can be telescoped.
誤用進行式。'Telescope' 作為動詞描述物體「可套疊」的特性時,通常用簡單現在式(如 This tripod telescopes)或被動語態(can be telescoped),極少使用進行式。