好词典

labor

UK //ˈleɪbə(r)//US //ˈleɪbər//

词源

源自中古英语 labour,借自古法语 labourer(耕作),最终源于拉丁语 labor(劳动、辛苦)。

noun

❶ 指体力或脑力的工作,尤指需要付出努力的辛苦劳动。常用于描述职业活动或生产过程中的工作。

“The construction workers were exhausted after a day of hard labor.”

(建筑工人们在一天的繁重劳动后筋疲力尽。)

“She went into labor at midnight and gave birth in the morning.”

(她半夜开始分娩,清晨生下孩子。)

同义词:work, toil, effort, employment, exertion

verb

❶ 指辛勤工作或努力做某事,常带有费力或艰难的含义。也可特指女性分娩的过程。

“He labored for hours to fix the broken engine.”

(他花了几个小时费力修理损坏的发动机。)

“She is laboring under the misconception that the project is easy.”

(她误以为这个项目很简单而苦苦挣扎。)

同义词:work hard, strive, toil, struggle, endeavor

常见短语

labor of love — 指出于热爱而从事的辛苦工作,虽然费力但让人心甘情愿。

“Restoring the antique car was a true labor of love for him.”

(修复那辆古董车对他来说是心甘情愿的辛苦工作。)

labor under — 在某种不利条件下艰难工作或生活,常指被错误想法或困难处境所困扰。

“The team has been laboring under false assumptions about the market.”

(这个团队一直在对市场的错误假设下艰难工作。)