laggard n.

釋義：a person who makes slow progress and falls behind others

“l(fā)aggard”是可數(shù)名詞，意思是“落后者”，從動(dòng)詞 lag（落后）衍生而來(lái)。這個(gè)詞是《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》的?？停梢灾敢粋€(gè)人、一家公司、一支球隊(duì)、一個(gè)國(guó)家。

例①這項(xiàng)比賽競(jìng)爭(zhēng)激烈，不適合失敗者和落后者。

This cut-throat contest is not for losers and laggards.

例②中國(guó)男足一直落后，讓很多國(guó)人覺(jué)得非常尷尬。

The Chinese national football team has long been a laggard, an embarrassment to many Chinese.

例③ 來(lái)看看《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》文章中用到的幾處 laggard：

a) Britain’s economy has gone from a leader to a laggard internationally, as GDP growth has slowed sharply.

想表達(dá)“從領(lǐng)頭羊變成了落后者”就可以直接用“go from a leader to a laggard”這一表達(dá)。

b) Indeed, half a millennium ago Europe might justly have been considered a laggard.

c) On its current path, the country will remain a growth laggard.

這句中，注意 growth 雖然是名詞，但也可以用來(lái)修飾 laggard。在閱讀中可以多注意積累類(lèi)似的名詞作修飾語(yǔ)的用法。

翻譯：這個(gè)國(guó)家的經(jīng)濟(jì)一度落后，不過(guò)現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)開(kāi)始迎頭趕上了。

Having long been a laggard, the economy of this country is starting to catch up.

（參考翻譯：Once a laggard, the economy of this country is starting to catch up. 或 Long a laggard, this country's economy is beginning to pick up.）