复合形式：
a | A |
| a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush expr | proverb (sth that you already have is better than the promise of sth better) 谚语 | 一鸟在手胜于二鸟在林 expr
|
| | I'm told I can do better if I keep looking for opportunities, but I'll stay at this job for now: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. |
| a bit adv | (a small amount) | 一点儿，少量地 adv
|
| | I don't just like it a bit – I like it a lot! |
| a bit adv | (slightly) | 些微地，稍微地 adv
|
| | It's a bit cold in here! |
| | He was a bit too polite to be honest. |
| a bit n | informal (a short while) 非正式用语 | 一会儿 n
yí huì er |
| | I'll see you in a bit. |
| a bit long adj | colloquial (slightly too long) 口语 | 有点长
|
| | My hair is getting a bit long; it's time to have it trimmed. |
| a bit of adj | (a small amount of) | 少量的 adj
shǎo liàng de |
| | I like a bit of cream in my coffee. |
| a bit thick adj | colloquial (slightly too thick) 口语 | 有点厚
|
| | The gravy seems a bit thick; I can stand a spoon in it! |
| | He's a bit thick though the waist. |
| a bit thick adj | (not very intelligent) | 有点笨，有点愚钝
|
| | He's a bit thick, but really nice all the same. |
| a bit thin adj | colloquial (slightly too thin) 口语 | 有点薄
|
| | 口语 | 有点瘦
|
| | 口语 | 有点稀薄
|
| | The gravy seems a bit thin, so I think I'll add some more flour to thicken it up. |
| a bit thin adj | (with limited resources) | （资源）有点缺乏
|
| | My budget is a bit thin, so I won't be going to Africa this year. |
| a bit too adv | colloquial (slightly excessively) 口语 | 有点太过…
|
| | His hair was a bit too long for me. |
| | She seemed a bit too calm. Something must be wrong. |
| a cappella adv | music (without instrumental accompaniment) 音乐 | 无乐器伴奏地 adv
|
| | The piece is usually orchestral but they performed it a cappella. |
| a cappella adj | (singing: without music) 合唱 | 无乐器伴奏的 adj
|
| | Gregorian chant is usually a cappella singing. |
| a couple n | (a pair, two) | 一对儿，一双 n
|
| | I have a couple of sweaters in my suitcase. |
| | There was a couple holding hands as they walked down the road. |
| a couple adj | informal (a pair of, two) 非正式用语 | 一对儿的，成双的 adj
|
| | I was hungry so I made myself a couple sandwiches. |
| a couple of adj | colloquial (two, a pair of) 口语 | 两个，一双
|
| | I'll take a couple of donuts, please. |
| a couple of adj | US, colloquial (two or three of) 美国用法，口语 | 两三个…
|
| | A couple of days ago, I saw your brother at the supermarket. |
| a cut above adj | (superior to) | 优于，比…更好，比…略胜一筹
|
| | He is a cut above the rest. |
| a cut above adj | (superior) | 优于，更胜一筹
|
| a dime a dozen adj | US, informal (very common, not rare) 美国用法，非正式用语 | 一毛钱一打，不值钱
|
| | In Hollywood, aspiring young actresses are a dime a dozen. |
| a dozen or so adj | informal (around twelve) 非正式用语 | 大约十二个，十二个左右
|
| | Can you please bring me back a dozen or so eggs from the grocery store? |
| a drop in the bucket n | US, informal (sth relatively trivial) 美国用法，非正式用语 | 九牛一毛，沧海一栗 n
|
| | The U.S. needs to redevelop passenger rail; Amtrak funding is just a drop in the bucket. |
| a drop in the bucket n | (sth with no material consequences) | 杯水车薪 n
|
| a drop in the ocean n | UK (a negligible amount) 英国用法 | 沧海一栗 n
|
| | The money I give to charity is a drop in the ocean compared to some people. |
| a far cry from adj | (very different from) | 与…大不相同
|
| | Life in Canada is a far cry from her homeland of Haiti. |
| a few | | 少数几个
shǎo shù jǐ gè |
| Note: a few 用于可数名词之前，a little 用于不可数名词之前。 |
| | Could you spare a few minutes of your time? |
| a fine mess n | informal (complicated or awkward situation) 非正式用语 | 一团糟，一团乱麻 n
|
| | The lies we told got us into a fine mess when everyone found out the truth. |
| | Now you've done it. Look at the fine mess you've gotten us into. |
| a fortiori adv | (law, logic: with stronger reason) | 更加，更不必说，更有理由 adv
|
| a ghost of a chance n | (a very slight possibility) | 渺茫的机会，一丝机会 n
|
| | My husband might run for office, but he really doesn't stand a ghost of a chance. |
| a great deal | | 大量，很多
dà liàng , hěn duō |
| | | 很，非常
hěn, fēi cháng |
| | It will take a great deal of effort on everyone's part to meet this goal. |
| a great deal of effort n | (a lot of effort, much effort) | 大量努力 n
|
| | I put a great deal of effort into this project, and I was really offended when management ignored it. |
| a hair's breadth away adv | (very close) | 毫厘之差
|
| | The house that I bought was a hair's breadth away from the sea. |
| | The election returns so far show that Harry is a hair's breadth away from victory. |
| a heap of adj | literal (an untidy pile of) 本义 | （凌乱的）一大堆
|
| | There's a heap of dirty laundry in the laundry room. |
| a heap of adj | figurative, slang (a lot of) 比喻，俚语 | 很多的，大量的 adj
|
| | Since I retired I've got a heap of time on my hands. |
| a hoot n | figurative, slang (sth funny or fun) 比喻，俚语 | 搞笑的事，可笑的事 n
|
| | The party last night was a hoot! I had so much fun! |
| | We had a hoot at the monster truck rally. |
| a hoot n | literal (owl's cry) 本义 | 猫头鹰的叫声 n
māo tóu yīng de jiào shēng |
| | When camping in the woods, we heard the hoots of owls instead of lullabies. |
| a hoot n | (any care to or for) 用于not give/care a hoot | 毫不在乎
|
| | I don't give two hoots whether or not Sheila comes to the party. |
| | 我对你的看法一点也不在乎。 |
| a la adv | (in the style of) | 按照…的方式 adv
|
| | He swears a lot when he's angry, a la Gordon Ramsay. |
| a la mode adj | (fashionable, in fashion) | 流行的，按照流行款式的 adj
|
| a la mode adj | US (with ice cream) 美国用法，烹饪 | （食物）上面浇着冰激淋的 adj
|
| | I ordered a piece of pie a la mode. |
| a little adv | (a small amount) | 一点儿，少量地 adv
|
| | Okay, I admit it – I did cheat a little on my exam. |
| a little adv | (slightly) | 些微地，稍微地 adv
|
| | She was a little angry with me. |
| | The doctor says your blood pressure is a little high. |
| a little bit n | (a small amount) | 少量 n
shǎo liàng |
| | There wasn't enough salt in the soup so I added a little bit. |
| | Could I please have a little bit of cheese? |
| a little bit adv | (slightly) | 些微地，稍微地 adv
|
| | I'm just a little bit dizzy. |
| | It was a little bit cheeky of me to ask … but I asked anyway. |
| a little thing n | (sth small or trivial) | 小事，微不足道的事情 n
|
| | I know it's just a little thing, but I find the constant tapping of your foot annoying. |
| a long time adv | (a considerable period) | 长期地，长时间地 adv
|
| | It's been a long time since we last met. |
| | It's been a long time since we last met. |
| a long time ago | | 许久以前
xǔ jiǔ yǐ qián |
| a long way off adv | (in the distance) | 在远处，在远方 adv
|
| a long way off adv | (distant, far away) | 遥远地，远方地 adv
|
| | Those birds are swimming a long way off shore, so you'll need a telescope to see them. |
| a long way off adv | US, colloquial (in the distant future) 美国用法，口语 | （时间上）遥远地，在遥远的将来 adv
|
| | My sixtieth birthday is still a long way off. |
| a lot | | 很，非常，极其
hěn, fēi cháng, jí qí |
| | | 经常
jīng cháng |
| | | 大量，很多
dà liàng , hěn duō |
| a lot more n | (a much greater amount) | 多得多
|
| | I need a lot more flour to make this dough. |
| | A banker makes a lot more money than a teacher. |
| a lot more n | (a much greater number) | 更多数量，更大量 n
|
| | A few hundred is a lot more than a couple dozen. |
| a lot of | | 大量的，很多的
dà liàng de , hěn duō de |
| a lot to do with n | (closely related to) | 与…紧密相关
|
| | Bill's continual lying had a lot to do with why no one trusted him. |
| a lot to do with n | (largely due to) | 主要由于，大部分是因为
|
| | His success has a lot to do with his father's business connections. |
| a lot to say about n | (much to contribute on the topic of) | 对…有很多话可说
|
| | Wow, he has a lot to say about my sister's engagement. |
| a mile long adj | (measuring one mile in length) | 一英里长
|
| | The road is about a mile long. |
| a mile long adj | US, colloquial (extensive) 美国用法，口语 | 很大程度上
hěn dà chéng dù shàng |
| | Her grocery list seemed like it was a mile long! |
| a narrow escape | | 勘勘逃脱，幸免于难
kān kān táo tuō, xìng miǎn yú nán |
| a nobody n | (an unimportant person) | 无足重轻的人，没有分量的人 n
|
| | Why would she want to date me? She's a supermodel; I'm a nobody. |
| a novice at n | (a beginner in or at an activity) | …的新手 n
|
| | I'm trying to design an entire website although I'm a novice at HTML. |
| a pack of lies n | informal (a totally untrue account) 非正式用语 | 一派谎言 n
|
| | Instead of being honest, he told his mother a pack of lies. |
| a pain n | figurative, informal (an annoyance) 比喻，非正式用语 | 招人烦的人，讨厌的人 n
|
| | 比喻，非正式用语 | 令人讨厌的事，烦人的事 n
|
| | These stupid new regulations are such a pain! |
| | Your little brother is a pain in the behind. |
| a pain n | literal (physical discomfort) 本义 | 疼痛 n
téng tòng |
| a pat on the back n | informal (congratulations, praise) 非正式用语 | 夸奖，夸赞，祝贺 n
|
| | His year-end bonus was a pat on the back for his hard work that year. |
| a piece of the action n | informal (involvement, participation) 非正式用语 | 活动的一部分，参与活动 n
|
| | If I'm to help you, I want a piece of the action. |
| a posteriori adv | (law, logic: from experience) | 来自经验地，凭经验地 adv
|
| a pretty penny n | informal (a high price) 非正式用语 | 一大笔钱，可观的价格 n
|
| | I bet that dress cost a pretty penny. |
| a priori adj | (hypothetical, deductive) | 假定的，推理的 adj
|
| a priori adv | (by deduction) | 通过推理，通过演绎 adv
|
| a priori adj | (accepted without question) | 假定的，未经质疑便接受的 adj
|
| a quarter past | 时间，比如三点一刻 | …过一刻
… guò yí kè |
| a quarter till | | 岗位部署表
gǎng wèi bù shǔ biǎo |
| a quarter to | 时间 | 差一刻到…
chà yí kè dào … |
| a tall order | | 过高要求
guò gāo yāo qiú |
| a thing for n | (a liking for: sth) 常用于have a thing for | 喜欢，喜爱 n
|
| | I have a thing for chocolate . |
| a thing for n | (an attraction to: sb) 常用于have a thing for | 对（某人）有意思，（为某人所）吸引
|
| | She has a thing for her boss. Unfortunately, he's married. |
| a time n | (a period, a while) | 一会儿，一段时间 n
|
| | Come and sit with me for a time. |
| a try n | (an attempt) | 尝试 n
cháng shì |
| | If you don't have a try at speaking English, you will never improve. |
| a try n | (rugby: a touchdown, goal) 橄榄球 | 带球触地得分 n
|
| | Wales managed to score a try in the last few minutes of the game. |
| a while n | (a period of time) | 一会儿，一段时间 n
|
| | I thought it over a while before answering. |
| | She's been gone a while now. |
| a word to the wise n | colloquial (used before a warning: pay careful attention to what follows) 口语 | 明白人用不着多说，聪明人一点就明白
|
| | A word to the wise: do not visit this neighborhood alone after dark. |
| a-plenty adj | (in abundance) | 充裕的，充足的 adj
|
| | There are vegetables a-plenty. |
| | There are heroes aplenty in the armed forces, but most of them are unsung heroes. |
| a-plenty adv | (more than a little) | 大量地，充裕地 adv
|
| | She screamed aplenty when they called out her name. |
| a-whirl adj | (spinning) | 旋转着的 adj
|
| | He set the music world a-whirl with his new hit song. |
| a.m. adv | abbr (before 12 noon) 正午12时之前 | 早上，上午，午前，中午之前 adv
|
| a.m. adv | abbr (period: midnight to noon) 时段：半夜12时至正午12时 | 上午，午前 adv
|
| after a fashion adv | (in a way) | 还过得去，勉勉强强，马马虎虎 adv
|
| after a long absence adv | (after being away for a long time) | 缺席很久后，离开很久后 adv
|
| | He returned home after a long absence and found everything had changed while he was gone. |
| after a while | | 一会儿以后，过了一会儿
yí huì er yǐ hòu, guò le yí huì er |
| all of a sudden adv | (suddenly) | 忽然，突然 adv
|
| | All of a sudden a dark cloud blotted out the sun. |
| an arm and a leg n | slang (high price, high cost) 俚语 | 昂贵，大价钱 n
|
| | It cost me an arm and a leg. |
| | No, the price is too high, he wants an arm and a leg for that old car. |
| answer to a problem | | 问题的答案
wèn tí de dá àn |
| apply for a job | | 申请工作
shēn qǐng gōng zuò |
| as a bonus adv | (in addition) | 作为意外收获 adv
|
| | We're going on a hike in the mountains today, and as a bonus we'll have a picnic. |
| as a child adv | (during childhood) | 童年时，小时候 adv
|
| | As a child Henry was scared of dogs, but he later went on to become a vet. |
| as a consequence adv | (so, therefore) | 因此 adv
yīn cǐ |
| | The boy failed his math test. As a consequence, he cannot visit his friends this weekend. |
| as a friend adv | (preface to giving difficult news or advice) 告诉别人不好消息等时的开场白 | 作为朋友 adv
|
| | You know I say this as a friend, but I don't think that you should date him. |
| as a joke adv | (for humorous effect) | 开玩笑
kāi wán xiào |
| | Don't be upset, that comment was meant as a joke. |
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