chain 核心是「一系列相互连接的环节」，可以是实物或抽象概念。名词：① 链条（物理：a bicycle chain = 自行车链条）；② 连锁（商业：a chain of hotels = 连锁酒店；fast-food chain = 快餐连锁）；③ 一系列（chain of events = 一系列事件；chain of command = 指挥链）。动词：chain sth./sb. to（用链子拴住：chain the bike to the fence = 把自行车锁在围栏上）。关键搭配：chain of events（一系列事件：a chain of events leading to = 导致…的一系列事件）；supply chain（供应链：global supply chain = 全球供应链）；food chain（食物链：the top of the food chain = 食物链顶端）；chain reaction（链式反应）。
释义
1
n.连锁（商业/零售）
The fast-food chain announced plans to open 200 new restaurants across Southeast Asia over the next three years.
这家快餐连锁宣布计划在未来三年内在东南亚开设200家新餐厅。
2
n.一系列相连的（链条，比喻义）
A chain of unfortunate events led the once-successful company towards bankruptcy within a matter of months.
一连串不幸事件在短短几个月内将这家曾经成功的公司推向破产。
3
n.供应链（supply chain）
The pandemic exposed significant vulnerabilities in global supply chains, prompting many companies to diversify their sourcing strategies.
疫情暴露了全球供应链的重大漏洞，促使许多公司将采购策略多元化。
语感
supply chain（供应链）；chain of events（一系列事件）；food chain（食物链）；chain reaction（链式反应）；a chain of（连锁/一系列）
连锁（商业）一系列相连的（比喻）链条（物理）
高频搭配：supply chain（供应链：disrupt the supply chain = 破坏供应链；global supply chain = 全球供应链）；chain of events（一系列事件：a chain of events = 连锁事件）；food chain（食物链：the top of the food chain = 食物链顶端）；chain reaction（链式反应：trigger a chain reaction = 引发连锁反应）；chain of command（指挥链，等级体系：go through the chain of command = 通过指挥链）；chain store / chain restaurant（连锁商店/连锁餐厅）；a chain of hotels / shops（连锁酒店/商店）；break the chain（打破链条，也比喻打破恶性循环）；in chains（被铁链锁住：prisoners in chains = 被铐住的囚犯）。
陷阱
⚠️supply chain（供应链）——单复数与修饰词的使用
The company has invested heavily in making its supply chain more resilient by identifying alternative suppliers in different regions.
⚠️chain of events（一系列事件）vs. series of events（一系列事件）——强调连锁 vs. 顺序
✗
A series of events, each triggering the next, ultimately led to the complete collapse of the financial system.
一系列相互触发的事件，最终导致了金融系统的完全崩溃。（series = 顺序发生；chain = 连锁因果，此处 chain of events 更精确）
此句「每个事件触发下一个」强调连锁性，应用 chain of events（链式连锁）；series of events（一系列事件）只表示按顺序发生，不强调因果连锁；chain of events 专门强调「前一个引发后一个」的连锁因果；此例句中 each triggering the next 已明确连锁，用 chain 更精确；series 并无语法错误，但语义不如 chain 准确
✓
A chain of events, each triggering the next, ultimately led to the complete collapse of the financial system.
一连串相互触发的事件，最终导致了金融系统的完全崩溃。（chain of events = 连锁因果）
近义辨析
chainvssequence
chainchain（一系列相连的：a chain of events = 一连串事件；强调连锁关系）sequencesequence（顺序，序列：a sequence of steps = 一系列步骤；强调按顺序排列，不一定有因果连锁关系）
Historians traced the chain of events that began with the assassination and ended with the declaration of war.
历史学家追溯了从暗杀开始到宣战结束的一连串事件。
The course introduces students to the logical sequence of steps involved in scientific method and experimental design.
该课程向学生介绍科学方法和实验设计中所涉及的逻辑步骤顺序。
写作加分
✨ 加分词
替换：a series of problemsconnected eventsrelated issues
经济话题社会问题议论文科技话题
普通
One problem leads to another and eventually causes a big crisis.
一个问题导致另一个问题，最终引发大危机。
加分 ✨
Economic inequality sets off a chain reaction — limiting access to education, which reduces social mobility, which in turn deepens inequality across generations.
经济不平等引发连锁反应——限制受教育机会，进而降低社会流动性，进而加深代际不平等。
为什么更好：chain reaction 比 series of problems 更精确（强调连锁因果）；三段 which...which 递进展示因果链；across generations 引入代际视角
常用搭配
supply chain供应链（全球化核心词）
chain of events一系列连锁事件
chain reaction连锁反应（trigger a chain reaction = 引发连锁反应）
food chain食物链
chain of command指挥链，等级体系
a chain of hotels / stores连锁酒店 / 商店
词根
chain = 「一个环扣着一个」→ 物理链条；连锁商店（每家都连着）；chain of events（事件链，每个引发下一个）；supply chain = 「供货的环链」= 供应链
考考你
Q1对错判断
判断下面句子里的用法是否正确：
The pandemic triggered a chain reaction of supply chain disruptions, factory closures, and consumer shortages that lasted for years.
疫情引发了一场供应链中断、工厂关闭和消费品短缺的连锁反应，持续了数年。
trigger a chain reaction（引发连锁反应）固定搭配正确；三项并列（disruptions/closures/shortages）展示连锁影响；that lasted for years = 关系从句，语法正确
Q2义项辨析
下面四个句子中，chain 的含义与其他三个最不同的是：
A
The supermarket chain announced it would source 80 per cent of its produce locally.
这家超市连锁宣布将从当地采购80%的产品。
B
A chain of restaurants across the city was closed following a food safety inspection.
一家跨城市的连锁餐厅在食品安全检查后关闭。
C
A chain of diplomatic failures ultimately made the conflict unavoidable.
一连串外交失败最终使冲突不可避免。
D
The coffee chain has expanded from a single shop into a global brand with thousands of outlets.
这家咖啡连锁已从一家单店扩展为拥有数千家门店的全球品牌。
C 中 chain = 一系列连锁事件（a chain of diplomatic failures，比喻，非商业义）；A、B、D 中 chain = 连锁（商业用语，指多个同品牌门店）
Q3近义选词
选择最恰当的词填空：
The tutorial outlined a clear ___ of steps that students should follow when approaching an unseen text in an examination.
Achain
Bsequence
✓ 教程概述了学生在考试中处理生词文本时应遵循的清晰步骤顺序。
sequence of steps（步骤顺序）强调「按既定顺序排列」；此处是考试技巧步骤，强调顺序性而非因果连锁；chain of steps 不是标准表达；sequence 适合程序性/步骤性的内容
接着学
点击进入该词的深度解析
link近义环节，联系（a link in the chain = 链条中的一个环节；the weakest link = 最薄弱的环节）
series近义系列（a series of events = 一系列事件；比 chain 弱化了连锁因果，只强调顺序）
network近义网络（a network of suppliers = 供应商网络；比 chain 更强调多向连接而非线性链条）
disrupt近义破坏，打断（disrupt the supply chain = 破坏供应链；chain 的常见动词搭配）