impediment

名词 impediment:

1. something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress
   同义词：hindrance, hinderance, deterrent, balk, baulk, check, handicap
2. any structure that makes progress difficult
   同义词：obstruction, obstructor, obstructer, impedimenta

1. Mr. Gorbachev, on the other hand, recognized that his sluggish and authoritarian bureaucracy was the worst impediment to modernization. That is why the Soviet leader came more quickly to the view that political and economic change must go hand in hand.
   在另一方面，戈尔巴乔夫承认，他的既迂腐又专权的官僚政府是现代化最大的阻碍。因此这位苏联领袖迅速意识到，政治与经济改革必须齐头并进。
2. The main impediment to growth is a lack of capital.
   影响发展的主要障碍是缺乏资本。
3. The main impediment to development is the country's large population.
   发展的主要障碍是这个国家人口太多。

im.ped.i.ment

n.（名词）
Something that impedes; a hindrance or an obstruction.See Synonyms at obstacle
妨碍物；阻碍或障碍参见 obstacle
An organic defect preventing clear articulation:
结巴：妨碍清楚表达的器官缺陷：
例句：
a speech impediment.
语言障碍

Law Something that obstructs the making of a legal contract.
【法律】 缔结合法合同的障碍

来源：
Middle English
中古英语
from Old French
源自 古法语
from Latin impedomentum
源自 拉丁语 impedomentum
from impedore [to impede] * see impede
源自 impedore [阻止] *参见 impede

【引伸】
imped.imen.tal