/'spɒnsə(r); `spɑnsɚ/
n
1 person who makes himself responsible for another (eg sb who is training for sth) 担保人, 保人（如为求学者作担保者）.
2 godparent 教父; 教母.
3 person who puts forward or guarantees a proposal (eg for a new law) 发起者; 倡议者; 提案人; （建议的）保证人.
4 person or firm that pays for a radio or TV programme, or for a musical, artistic or sporting event, usu in order to use them for advertising 赞助人; 赞助公司; 广告客户.
5 person who pays money to charity in return for a specified activity by another person 向慈善事业捐款以换取他人的某项活动者.

v [Tn] act as a sponsor for (sb/sth) 担保或赞助（某人[某事物]）; 倡议（某事）
*an athlete sponsored by a bank 由某银行资助的运动员
* a sponsored walk, ie one over a fixed distance for which the walkers arrange sponsorship beforehand in aid of charity 募捐性步行
* a government-sponsored cheap textbooks scheme 政府资助的提供廉价教科书的方案
* I'm doing a sponsored swim on Saturday will you sponsor me? 星期六我要参加慈善游泳--您愿意出钱赞助吗?