七月開始，政府實施多項攸關國民荷包的新政策，如擴大租金補助、環保杯增加優惠、刺激旅遊補助等，都和大眾的生活支出息息相關。通膨影響之下，薪水相對縮水，如果能在生活中省下荷包，也是一種小確幸！本次就讓我們來看看補助的英文說法。
rent subsidy 租金補貼
Premier Su described the new scheme as a significant policy toward achieving “housing justice” thanks to significantly relaxed eligibility criteria and increased subsidies for young singles, newlywed couples, families with young children, and socially and economically disadvantaged families.（蘇院長將新措施描述為實現「居住正義」的重大政策，這要歸功於大幅放寬的資格審查標準，並增加年輕單身人士、新婚夫婦、家有幼兒的家庭、以及社經弱勢家庭的補貼。）
照片：Unsplash提供
relaxed eligibility criteria是「放寬資格標準」的意思。relax最常見的解釋為「放鬆」，但是在政策上，可以用來形容「放寬（措施）」的意思，本句採用過去分詞表達形容詞的用法。
A good massage will relax your tired muscles.
（好好按摩一下會使你疲勞的肌肉放鬆。）
Two weeks after the police relaxed security at the airports, there was a bomb attack.
eligibility是多益測驗中經常出現的名詞，來自於形容詞eligible，意思是「符合資格的」。注意用法「符合資格獲得…」要用介系詞for來接上可獲得的物品或補助等福利。若要表達符合資格做某件事情，則要使用不定詞to加上原型動詞。
You might be eligible for a grant. （你或許有資格獲得獎學金。）
Only people over 18 are eligible to vote.
（只有十八歲以上的人才有投票資格。）
increased subsidies 增加補助
increase就是「增加」的意思，相反詞是decrease「減少」，主要差別在於字首的差異，「in-」指的是「往上增加」，而「de-」則有「往下降低」的涵意。
subsidy為「補助」的意思，複數就是字尾去y加ies。subsidies加上介系詞to代表「針對…的補助」，to的後面接對象。動詞用法則是subsidize，有「給予津貼」的意思。
The refugees live in subsidized housing provided by the authorities.
（難民居住在當局提供的補貼住房裡。）
significantly解釋為「大大地、急遽地」，與dramatically有相似的意思。
The cost of the project has increased significantly since it began.
（該專案自開始以來，成本就大幅上升。）
travel subsidy 旅遊補助
Individual travelers could be granted a subsidy of NT$800 per room per night for staying at a designated hotel on Sundays to Thursdays.
（自由行旅客於週日至週四入住指定飯店，每房每晚可獲得八百元補助。）
be granted a subsidy of解釋為「給予…補助」。grant當動詞時，如同give有「給予」的意思，加上介系詞of則表達為「…的補助」。grant當名詞時是「補助津貼」，搭配的動詞可以使用award或是give，加上不定詞to接原型動詞則能表達補助的目的。
They granted her an entry visa.
（他們發給她入境簽證。）
He was granted asylum.
（他的避難請求被接受了。）
They awarded her a grant to study abroad for one year.
（他們授予她一筆獎學金供她出國留學一年。）
除此之外，take. . . for granted「視…為理所當然」是生活常見的用語，多益測驗也常會出現。
I didn’t realize that Melanie hadn’t been to college — I suppose I just took it for granted.
（我不知道梅蘭妮沒上大學—我還以為這是理所當然的。）
designated hotel代表「指定旅店」。動詞designate就是「指定」的意思，採用被動語氣時，可以用介系詞來表達「被指定擔任…職位、身分」，加上不定詞to則表達指派來的目的。而酒後要找代駕，英文就是designated driver「指定駕駛」。
Traditionally, the president designates his or her successor.
（按照傳統，總統會選定其接班人。）
Thompson has been designated as/to be team captain.
（湯普生被指定擔任隊長。）
She has been designated to organize the meeting.
（她被指派來組織本次會議。）
【多益模擬試題】
1. Once the berries are harvested, Green Fields Farms washes and packages the fruit for ________ to retail stores.
(A) distribute (B) distributed (C) distribution (D) distributional
2. Although measures have been introduced to discourage the use of mobile telephones inside the opera house, ________ effectiveness remains limited.
(A) they (B) their (C) them (D) theirs
3. When their first tests failed, the engineers at OKM Corporation agreed it was ________ to try using different materials.
(A) time (B) end (C) moment (D) turn
【解析】
1. 正解(C)。句意為「莓果採收後，Green Fields Farms會清洗並包裝水果，然後分發到零售店。」空格前方使用介系詞for，因此後面只能接名詞或是動名詞，以表目的性，故(C)為正確答案。
2. 正解(B)。句意為「儘管已採取措施阻止觀眾在歌劇院內使用電話，但其效果仍然有限。」本題要考名詞前方接形容詞的用法，their是所有格形容詞，故(B)為正確答案。
3. 正解(A)。句意為「當他們第一次檢測失敗時，OKM公司的工程師同意是時候嘗試使用不同的材料了。」本題要考一個常用的說法it is time to. . .+V「是時候…（去做某件事）」，故(A)為正確答案。
SOURCE: https://www.englishok.com.tw/toeic/toeic-issue/rent-travel-subsidy
文章由 English OK 授權使用: www.englishok.com.tw
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