ambition 的核心是「强烈的成功欲望，以及朝向某个重要目标的渴望」。两种用法：① 不可数名词：雄心，野心（have ambition = 有雄心；lack of ambition = 缺乏进取心）；② 可数名词：具体的志向目标（one of my ambitions is to... = 我的志向之一是…；ambitions pl. = 抱负）。关键搭配：ambition to do sth.（做某事的志向：her ambition to become a doctor = 她成为医生的志向）；fulfil / achieve / realise one's ambition（实现抱负）；political / personal ambition（政治/个人野心）。形容词 ambitious（有雄心的；规模宏大的：an ambitious plan = 宏大的计划）。
释义
1
n. [U]雄心，进取心（不可数，泛指）
Her extraordinary ambition and determination drove her to rise from poverty to become one of the country's most influential scientists.
她非凡的雄心和毅力驱使她从贫困中崛起，成为国内最具影响力的科学家之一。
2
n. [C]志向，抱负（可数，具体目标）
Her lifelong ambition to represent her country at the Olympics was finally realised at the age of twenty-six.
她代表国家参加奥运会的毕生志向终于在26岁时实现了。
语感
ambition = 有方向的强烈渴望——ambition to do（具体志向）；fulfil/achieve ambition（实现抱负）
雄心，进取心（不可数）志向，抱负（可数，specific goal）
关键搭配：have the ambition to do（有做某事的志向）；fulfil / achieve / realise one's ambition（实现抱负）；harbour ambitions（怀有野心，书面：harbour political ambitions = 怀有政治野心）；driven by ambition（被雄心驱动）；lack of ambition（缺乏进取心）；overriding ambition（首要志向，最高目标）。注意：ambition 本身中性（雄心或野心），语境决定正负；当指政治野心时含贬义（power-hungry ambition），当指个人奋斗时含正面义。
陷阱
⚠️ambition to do（不定式，非 of doing 或 for）
✗
Despite coming from a disadvantaged background, he never gave up his ambition of becoming a respected lawyer.
尽管出身弱势背景，他从未放弃成为一名受人尊敬的律师的志向。（× ambition of becoming → ✓ ambition to become）
ambition to do sth. 是标准搭配（× ambition of becoming → ✓ ambition to become）；of doing 常见于 dream of doing / hope of doing，但 ambition 后接不定式更标准
✓
Despite coming from a disadvantaged background, he never gave up his ambition to become a respected lawyer.
尽管出身弱势背景，他从未放弃成为一名受人尊敬的律师的志向。
⚠️ambitious 修饰人 vs. 修饰计划/目标：有雄心的 vs. 宏大的
The government has set an ambitious target of reducing carbon emissions by fifty per cent within the next decade.