名詞 impediment:

1. something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress
   同義詞：hindrance, hinderance, deterrent, balk, baulk, check, handicap
2. any structure that makes progress difficult
   同義詞：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，戈爾巴喬夫承認，他的既迂腐又專權(quán)的官僚政府是現(xiàn)代化最大的阻礙。因此這位蘇聯(lián)領(lǐng)袖迅速意識到，政治與經(jīng)濟改革必須齊頭并進。
2. The main impediment to growth is a lack of capital.
   影響發(fā)展的主要障礙是缺乏資本。
3. The main impediment to development is the country's large population.
   發(fā)展的主要障礙是這個國家人口太多。

im.ped.i.ment

n.（名詞）
Something that impedes; a hindrance or an obstruction.See Synonyms at obstacle
妨礙物；阻礙或障礙參見 obstacle
An organic defect preventing clear articulation:
結(jié)巴：妨礙清楚表達的器官缺陷：
例句：
a speech impediment.
語言障礙

Law Something that obstructs the making of a legal contract.
【法律】 締結(jié)合法合同的障礙

來源：
Middle English
中古英語
from Old French
源自 古法語
from Latin impedomentum
源自 拉丁語 impedomentum
from impedore [to impede] * see impede
源自 impedore [阻止] *參見 impede

【引伸】
imped.imen.tal