SERIOUSserious situation1 when a situation, problem accident etc is bad2 a bad situation that might get worseserious/not joking3 to really mean what you say4 to believe someone really means what they say5 used to tell someone that you are serious, or to ask if someone is serious6 someone who is quiet and does not laugh or joke much7 behaving in a serious way8 to look serious when you are joking9 to tell someone to stop being too seriousRELATED WORDSsee alsoBADIMPORTANTACCIDENTILLNESS/DISEASEILLNESS/DISEASECRIMESITUATION1 when a situation, problem accident etc is bad 不好的情况、问题、事故等serious /ˈsɪəriəs/ [adjective]very bad - use this about problems, accidents, illnesses, or crimes 严重的，重大的〔问题、事故、疾病或罪行〕 The recent storms have caused serious damage. 最近的几次暴风雨造成了重大的损害。 The climbers got into serious difficulties and had to be air-lifted to safety. 登山队员遇到重大麻烦，只得用空中救援的办法把他们送到安全的地方。 In the last two weeks, the situation has become more serious, with riots and strikes spreading across the country. 在过去两周内，情况越来越严重，暴乱和罢工向全国各地蔓延。 Violent crime is a serious problem in and around the capital. 暴力犯罪是首府一带的严重问题。 The boy was taken to hospital with serious head injuries. 那男孩头部严重受伤，被送到了医院。seriously [adverb] The collapse in coffee prices has seriously affected the economies of Brazil and Colombia. 咖啡价格的暴跌严重影响了巴西和哥伦比亚的经济。seriously ill/injured Her father is seriously ill in hospital. 她父亲病重住院。seriousness [uncountable noun] The public are beginning to realize the seriousness of drunk driving. 公众已开始意识到酒后驾车的严重性。bad /bæd/ [adjective]a problem, illness, or accident that isbad is severe, and makes you feel worried 〔问题、疾病或事故〕严重的，厉害的，糟糕的 The pain was really bad. 实在是痛得很厉害。 Paul's off work - he's got a bad cold. 保罗没有上班，他得了重感冒。 Judy had been in a bad car crash several years before, and was still too nervous to drive. 朱迪几年前遭遇过一次严重车祸，现在还是怕得不敢开车。things are bada situation is bad 【口】情况非常糟糕spoken Things are bad in York - some people's houses have been flooded three times. 约克镇的情况很糟糕，有些人家里被淹了三次。badly [adverb]badly injured/damaged/affected etc Two of the passengers were killed, and the driver was badly injured. 乘客中有两人死亡，司机受重伤。 The front of the shop had been blown away, and the roof was badly damaged. 商店前部被炸掉了，屋顶也遭到严重破坏。grave /greɪv/ [adjective]formalagrave situation or mistake is very serious and worrying because people are in danger and because the situation seems likely to get worse 【正式】〔情况或错误〕严重的，重大的，严峻的 The situation is grave -- war now seems inevitable. 形势很严峻—战争现在看来是不可避免的了。 The ambassador declared that there would be grave consequences if the hostages were not released. 大使声称如果不释放人质，将会产生严重的后果。grave danger A thick fog descended on the mountain, and I knew that we were in grave danger. 山上浓雾笼罩，我就知道我们处在极大的危险中。grave risk There was a grave risk that the operation would leave him partly paralysed. 手术风险很大，可能会使他落得半身瘫痪。grave mistake/error ‘It would be a grave mistake,’ said the president, ‘to ignore the problem, and pretend that it will go away.’ “对这个问题不闻不问，谎称它会自行解决，”总裁说道，“这将是一个重大的错误。”gravely [adverb]gravely ill Leopold's mother was gravely ill, and he returned to Vienna as quickly as he could. 利奥波德的母亲病情严重，他尽快赶回了维也纳。gravity /ˈgrævɪti, ˈgrævəti/ [uncountable noun]when something is grave 严重性 He didn't seem to realize the gravity of the situation. 他好像没有意识到情况的严重性。critical /ˈkrɪtɪkəl/ [adjective]acritical situation is very serious and dangerous and might get worse very suddenly - use this especially when people will die if it does not improve 危急的，紧要关头的〔尤用于指若情况不改善便会造成死亡〕 The situation is said to be critical and the army has been brought in to disperse the mob. 据说情况非常危急，已调动军队来驱散暴民。 Things are now critical. Hospitals have no medicine, and people are running out of food. 现在情况危急，医院里没有药，人们也没有食物了。be in a critical conditionBritish /be in critical conditionAmericanso ill or badly injured that you could die 〔病情或伤势〕十分危急 Eight people were killed and four are still in a critical condition. 八人死亡，四人情况仍然危殆。critically [adverb]critically ill/injured A police officer is critically ill after being shot in the chest. 一名警察胸部中弹，生命危在旦夕。desperate /ˈdespərɪt, ˈdespərət/ [adjective]adesperate situation or problem is very serious or dangerous, and it does not seem possible that it will improve - use this especially when people will die if it does not improve 〔情况或问题〕危急的，极严重的，没有希望的〔尤用于指若情况不改善便会造成死亡〕 Refugees on the border are living in appalling conditions with desperate shortages of food, medicine and water. 边境上的难民生活条件骇人，食物、药品和水严重短缺。 The situation was desperate. The enemy were now only a mile away. 情况万分危急，敌人现在只有一英里远了。be in desperate need of something The hospital is full of people in desperate need of medical attention. 医院里全是急需治疗的病人。acute /əˈkjuːt/ [adjective]anacute illness, problem, or situation is one that has become very serious or dangerous, and needs to be dealt with quickly 〔疾病〕急性的；〔问题或情形〕严重的 She was taken to the hospital suffering from acute appendicitis. 她得了急性阑尾炎，被送到医院去了。 Patients suffering from acute depression may well need medication. 患严重抑郁的病人可能很需要药物治疗。 Nowhere is the problem more acute than Los Angeles County, where gang-related homicide is on the increase. 没有哪个地方比洛杉矶的问题更为严重，那里与黑帮牵连的凶杀事件有增无减。 In San Diego, the shortage of skilled workers is acute. 在圣迭戈，熟练工严重短缺。grim /grɪm/ [adjective]a situation or piece of news that isgrim is serious and unpleasant, and people think it will not get better 〔情况或消息〕严酷的，严峻的；令人担忧的 The situation is grim for the innocent people, caught up in this conflict. 这些无辜的老百姓遭遇这场冲突，处境十分艰难。 Rescue workers are continuing the grim task of searching for bodies. 救援人员继续着搜寻尸体这个严峻任务。grim news The next few weeks brought more grim news, as the economic crisis began to deepen. 接下来的几个星期里，随着经济危机开始加深，消息更加令人沮丧。grim prospectsomething bad that will probably happen 严峻的前景 Two thousand car workers face the grim prospect of redundancy. 两千名汽车工人面临着可能被裁员的严峻前景。things look grimthe situation seems grim 情况看来很严峻 Things look pretty grim for farmers at the moment. 目前农民的情况很严峻。be no laughing matter /biː nəʊ ˈlɑːfɪŋ ˌmætəʳǁ-ˈlæf-/ [verb phrase]spokenuse this to say that something is serious and not something you should joke about 【口】不是开玩笑的事，不是闹着玩的 Getting up for work at 5am every day is no laughing matter, especially in winter. 每天早上5点钟就起来上班，那可不是开玩笑的，尤其是在冬天的时候。 English teachers often joked that they could not pass the exam, but for the students it was no laughing matter. 英语老师经常开玩笑说他们不能通过这次考试，可是对学生来说那可不是说着玩的。be a matter of life and death/be a matter of life or death /biː ə ˌmætər əv ˌlaɪf ən ˈdeθ, biː ə ˌmætər əv ˌlaɪf ɔːʳ ˈdeθ/ [verb phrase]if a situationis a matter of life and death, it is very serious, and what you do will affect whether the situation ends well or not - use this especially when it is possible that someone will die 是生死攸关的事，关乎生死 People grow their own food, and the success of their harvest is literally a matter of life or death. 人们吃的东西都是自己种的，所以收成的好坏确实是关乎生死的事。 In this town football isn't just a game - it's a matter of life and death. 在这个镇上，足球不仅仅是一种体育比赛，它是关乎生死荣辱的一件大事。be no joke /biː ˌnəʊ ˈdʒəʊk/ [verb phrase]informalif you say that a situation or eventis no joke, it is difficult or unpleasant 【非正式】不是闹着玩的事 It's no joke if you have an accident in the mountains -- it's fifty miles to the nearest hospital. 在山上出意外那可不是开玩笑的，最近的医院也要50英里呢。 Crossing the road was no joke with all the early morning traffic. 一大早有那么多的车，过马路可不是闹着玩的。2 a bad situation that might get worse 可能会恶化的不好的情形crisis /ˈkraɪsɪs, ˈkraɪsəs/ [countable noun]a very bad situation in which there is a risk that serious problems will become suddenly worse - use this about political or economic affairs or personal or emotional problems 危机，危急情况〔用于指政治或经济事务，或个人或情绪问题〕 Their marriage was going through a crisis which almost ended in divorce. 他们的婚姻经历了一场危机，差一点就离婚了。 The Cuban missile crisis in 1960 was probably the closest we have been to nuclear war. 1960年的古巴导弹危机可能是我们距离核战争最近的一次事件。 In recent years, the country has suffered a profound political and economic crisis, and deprivation is acute. 最近几年中，该国遭遇了巨大的政治和经济危机，物资极度匮乏。in crisis The Health Service is in crisis. 保健制度正面临危机。 a charity set up to help families in crisis 为帮助处于水深火热的家庭而成立的一个慈善机构in a crisis We need someone who can stay calm in a crisis. 我们需要一个临危不乱的人。spark a crisiscause a crisis to start 引发危机 The President announced his resignation, sparking a crisis in the government. 总统宣布辞职，在政府里引发了一场危机。emergency /ɪˈmɜːʳdʒənsi/ [countable noun]a very serious situation, such as an accident, that happens suddenly and needs to be dealt with immediately 紧急情况 Staff are trained to deal with any emergency. 员工都要接受如何处理紧急情况的培训。 A fire started in the cargo area, and the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing. 货舱起火，飞行员被迫紧急降落。 The victim was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery. 伤者被立即送往医院进行紧急手术。in an emergencyif there is an emergency 遇到紧急情况 In an emergency, dial 911 for police, the fire department or an ambulance. 如有紧急情况就拨打911报警，叫消防队或救护车。the emergency servicesBritishthe organizations that come to help you if there is an emergency 【英】紧急应变机构 The emergency services in this area simply couldn't cope if there were a major accident or terrorist attack. 如有重大事故或恐怖袭击发生，这个区的紧急应变部门根本应付不了。3 to really mean what you say 所说的话是当真的be serious /biː ˈsɪəriəs/ [verb phrase]to really mean what you say or really intend to do something 是认真的；是严肃的 Do you think she was serious when she said she used to be an actress? 她说她以前当过演员，你觉得她是认真的吗? Listen! I'm serious! I'm not lending you any more money! 听着！我是认真的！我再也不会借钱给你了！be serious about Tina's quite intelligent, but she's not really serious about her schoolwork. 蒂娜挺聪明的，但她学习不是很认真。serious about doing something I hope Jeff's serious about giving up smoking. 我希望杰夫说戒烟是认真的。get serious about somethingstart dealing with a problem in a determined way 开始认真处理某事 Car manufacturers should get serious about making security a design priority. 汽车制造商应认真地把安全性作为设计上的首要问题来考虑。deadly seriousextremely serious 非常认真的 Her voice suddenly sounded deadly serious. 她的声音突然变得非常严肃。be perfectly/absolutely seriousbe serious in a situation where it is hard to believe that someone could be 完全/绝对是当真的 ‘Look!’ he said, ‘I am perfectly serious. I'm willing to give you $10,000 for your land.’ “听好！”他说。“我绝对是当真的，我愿意出10,000美元买你的地。”mean /miːn/ [verb phrase not in progressive]if someonemeans what they say, they are being serious when they say it, and they are not pretending or lying 当真mean itespecially spoken I mean it - I'll scream if you don't let me go. 我说到做到，你如果不让我走我就大叫。 She told me she loved me - but I wasn't sure if she meant it. 她是说爱我的，可我不知道她的话是否当真。mean what you say I meant what I said, I never want to see you again. 我说话是当真的，我再也不想见到你了。not joking /nɒt ˈdʒəʊkɪŋ/ [verb phrase]if you say you arenot joking, you really mean what you say, even though it seems surprising or unlikely 不是开玩笑 There must be about 10 of them in that car - I'm not joking. 那辆车上肯定坐了十来个人，我没有开玩笑。 She told him she'd call the police if he bothered her again, and she wasn't joking. 她对他说，要是再来烦她，她就报警。她不是开玩笑的。seriously /ˈsɪəriəsli/ [adverb]if you say or do somethingseriously, you really mean it, really intend to do it, or really think it is important 当真地，认真地 Are you seriously suggesting that she should give up her job in order to look after her husband? 你当真建议她应当辞职来照顾她丈夫吗？seriously intend/want/attempt etc to do something Those who seriously attempt to kill themselves usually manage to do so. 当真想自杀的人一般都能自杀成功。seriously concerned/interested/worried etc She was talking about children's social education at a time when no one else was seriously concerned with it. 她探讨的是儿童的社会教育，那个时候还没有其他人认真地关心过这个问题。mean business /ˌmiːn ˈbɪzns/ [verb phrase]spokenif someonemeans business, it is very clear that they will definitely do what they say or what they are threatening to do 【口】是认真的，来真的 The man had a gun. It was obvious he meant business. 那人有枪，显然他是来真的。be in earnest /biː ɪn ˈɜːʳnst/ [verb phrase]if someoneis in earnest, they really mean what they say, especially when they are saying what they want or what they intend to do 当真，认真〔尤指在表达意图或愿望时〕 I'm sure he was in earnest when he said he wanted to marry her. 他说想娶她的时候，我肯定他是认真的。be very much in earnest She spoke lightly, but it was obvious that she was very much in earnest. 她说得轻描淡写，但显然是非常认真的。4 to believe someone really means what they say 相信某人是当真的take somebody seriously /ˌteɪk somebody ˈsɪəriəsli/ [verb phrase]to believe that what someone says or does is serious, and worth paying attention to 认真对待某人 Kevin paused for a moment, not sure if Ralph would take him seriously. 凯文停了一会，他不肯定拉尔夫会不会把他当回事。 He said he was going to build a boat in his back yard, but I didn't take him seriously! 他说要在院子里打造一艘船，我哪里会把他的话当真！5 used to tell someone that you are serious, or to ask if someone is serious 告诉某人你是认真的，或问某人是否认真really/seriously /ˈrɪəli, ˈsɪəriəsli/ [adverb]spokensay this to emphasize that something surprising is really true, or to ask whether something surprising is really true 【口】当真地，真的〔用于强调〕really?/seriously? ‘She's quit her job. ’Seriously?" “她辞职了。”“真的?” ‘It took three hours to travel ten miles, the traffic was so bad.’ ‘Really? You must be exhausted.’ “十英里路走了三小时。交通太拥挤了。”“真的？你一定累坏了。”no kidding /nəʊ ˈkɪdɪŋ/especially American, spokensay this when you think other people will not believe that you are telling the truth, or to ask if someone is joking because what they say does not seem true 【尤美，口】不是开玩笑 I'm telling you, this guy's as fast as Carl Lewis -- no kidding! 我告诉你，这家伙跑得跟卡尔·刘易斯一样快—真的，不骗你！ ‘She's getting married again.’ ‘No kidding?’ “她又要结婚了。”“你不是开玩笑吧？”in all seriousness /ɪn ˌɔːl ˈsɪəriəsns/ [adverb]spokensay this when you are telling someone about something that will be hard for them to believe 【口】郑重其事地；煞有介事地 He asked me, in all seriousness, if I would marry him next week. 他一本正经地问我下个星期是不是可以和他结婚。 She had heard someone say, in all seriousness, that women would never make good golfers because of the shape of their bodies. 她听到有个人煞有介事地说，女人因为体形的关系永远不可能把高尔夫球打好。joking apart /ˌdʒəʊkɪŋ əˈpɑːʳt/British spokensay this to show that you are now being serious about something, after you and other people have been joking about it 【英口】不开玩笑了，说正经的 Joking apart, I do feel somebody should tell him what we think. It's for his own good. 说正经的，我真的觉得应该有人把我们的想法告诉他，那是为了他自己好。6 someone who is quiet and does not laugh or joke much 安静严肃的人serious /ˈsɪəriəs/ [adjective]someone who isserious is quiet and sensible, and does not seem to enjoy laughing and joking 严肃的；认真的 Friends described him as a serious and thoughtful man. 朋友们说他是一个严肃沉着的人。serious about Laura was always very serious about her work. 劳拉在工作上一向非常认真。earnest /ˈɜːʳnɪst, ˈɜːʳnəst/ [adjective]someone who isearnest is very serious or too serious, and believes that what they say or do is very important - use this especially about someone who is young or not very experienced 认真的，严肃的〔尤指不是很有经验的人或年轻人〕 One earnest young man asked De Mille about the philosophical meaning of his films. 一位年轻人一脸认真地问德米尔，他的电影有什么哲理。 a group of earnest musicians dressed completely in black 一群身着黑衣、认真严肃的音乐家earnestly [adverb] The men began to talk earnestly about protecting the Earth for future generations. 男人们郑重其事地谈起了如何为后代子孙保护好地球。sober /ˈsəʊbəʳ/ [adjective]someone who issober is very serious and thinks carefully about things, and does not laugh or joke very often 认真的，严肃的，审慎的 I went to see Professor Dandavate, a sober and respected academic. 我去见了丹达维特教授，他是一位严肃、受人尊敬的学者。 a sober-looking man in a grey suit 一名身穿灰色套装、表情严肃的男子have no sense of humourBritish/have no sense of humorAmerican /hæv ˌnəʊ sens əv ˈhjuːməʳ/ [verb phrase not in progressive]someone whohas no sense of humour does not understand jokes, funny situations, etc - use this especially when you think someone like this is annoying or boring 没有幽默感〔尤当认为这样的人是令人烦厌或沉闷的〕 He didn't laugh at any of my jokes. Maybe taxi drivers just don't have a sense of humor. 我说什么笑话他都不笑，也许出租车司机就是没有幽默感。 My grandmother didn't have much of a sense of humour, and she could never understand what we were laughing about. 我的祖母没有什么幽默感，她从来都不知道我们在笑什么。stuffy /ˈstʌfi/ [adjective]someone who isstuffy does not laugh or smile at things that other people think are funny, because they are a little formal and have old-fashioned attitudes 一本正经的，古板的 Victor was as old-fashioned as his father, and equally stuffy. 维克托跟他父亲一样的守旧，一样的古板。 Come on Dad. Don't be so stuffy! 得了，爸爸，别那么古板了！humourlessBritish/humorlessAmerican /ˈhjuːməʳləsǁˈhjuː-, ˈjuː-/ [adjective]someone who ishumourless never laughs at anything and never tries to be funny or tell jokes 缺乏幽默感的 I knew Deaver at college, and remember him as cold, humorless, and aloof. 我是在大学时认识迪弗的，还记得他是一个冷淡、没有幽默感的人，喜欢独来独往。 Since the death of his wife he has become isolated, defensive and humorless. 妻子死后他变得很孤僻、很有戒心，没有了幽默感。7 behaving in a serious way 行为严肃认真的serious /ˈsɪəriəs/ [adjective]if someone says or does something in aserious way, they think that what they are saying or doing is important and should not be joked about 严肃的，认真的 All the other people in the office seemed to have a very serious attitude towards their work. 办公室里所有的人对待工作似乎都非常认真。serious about The band are only young, but they're very serious about their music. 该乐队成员只是还年青，但他们对待音乐却非常认真。take something seriously /ˌteɪk something ˈsɪəriəsli/ [verb phrase]to think that something is important, and spend a lot of time and effort on it 把某事当一回事，认真地对待某事 I wish Dan would take his work more seriously. 我希望丹工作更认真一些。 She certainly takes her politics seriously -- she's always out at meetings. 她当然认真对待她的政治事业一她总是外出开会。take life seriouslythink that everything in life is very important and serious 对待生活的态度很认真 He seemed much older than he was, and took life a little too seriously. 他显得比实际年龄老很多，对待生活的态度也有点过分认真。grave /greɪv/ [adjective]writtenquiet and very serious, especially because something important or worrying has happened 【书面】严肃的〔尤因发生了重要或令人担心的事〕 Holmes looked grave, and stood deep in worried thought for a minute or two. 福尔摩斯表情严肃，忧心地站着一两分钟，深深地陷入了沉思。 His expression became very grave when we told him what had happened. 我们把发生的一切告诉了他，他的表情变得非常严肃。gravely ‘We might be too late,’ she said gravely. “我们可能太迟了。”她严肃地说。solemn /ˈsɒləmǁˈsɑː-/ [adjective]very serious because of an important or sad occasion or ceremony 庄重的，严肃的〔因身处重要或令人哀伤的时刻或仪式中〕 Everyone stood respectfully, and looked solemn throughout the funeral service. 追悼会上大家都恭敬地站着，表情严肃。 The judge read the verdict in a clear and solemn voice. 法官用清楚、庄严的声音宣读了判决书。solemnly [adverb] They listened solemnly as the list of those missing at sea was read out. 他们严肃地听着海上失踪人员名单宣读出来。sombreBritish/somberAmerican /ˈsɒmbəʳǁˈsɑːm-/ [adjective]sad, quiet, and serious because something unpleasant or worrying has happened or is going to happen 忧郁的；严肃的；严峻的〔因已经发生或将要发生不愉快或令人担心的事〕 They sat in somber silence. 他们严肃地坐着，一言不发。 The sun was shining brightly, but the mood was sombre. 阳光灿烂地照耀着，可这里的气氛却是严肃的。grim /grɪm/ [adjective]serious and not smiling, because you are angry, upset, or worried about something 严肃的〔因为生气或担心什么事情〕 She looked grim and upset, standing silently in the corner. 她看上去神色凝重烦恼，默默地站在角落里。 A grim-faced diplomat read out the declaration of war. 一位神情严肃的外交官宣读了宣战书。grimly [adverb] This is going to be an awful week, he thought grimly. 他心情沉重地想，这个星期可要倒霉了。8 to look serious when you are joking 开着玩笑但看上去很严肃keep a straight face /kiːp ə ˌstreɪt ˈfeɪs/ [verb phrase]to stop yourself from laughing or smiling when you are joking or when you think something is funny 故意绷着脸，故意板起面孔 Barbara tried to keep a straight face, but in the end she just couldn't help laughing. 芭芭拉想板起脸，可最后还是忍不住笑了。 He looked so ridiculous -- I don't know how I managed to keep a straight face. 他看上去非常可笑，我真不知道我怎么还能板着脸装正经。straightfaced /ˌstreɪtˈfeɪst◂/ [adverb]if you say somethingstraightfaced, you do not show by your expression that it is just a joke and is not really true 表情一本正经地 Lea told him, completely straightfaced, that sunglasses are called moonglasses in Canada. 李装得一本正经的样子告诉他说，在加拿大太阳眼镜叫月亮眼镜。deadpan /ˈdedpæn/ [adjective/adverb]if you do or say something funny in adeadpan way, you deliberately do or say it without smiling or laughing 不笑的〔地〕，面无表情的〔地〕 Laurel and Hardy played all their great comic roles completely deadpan. 劳雷尔和哈迪所有出色的喜剧角色都是以冷面滑稽的方式演的。 the deadpan humour of TV comic Paul Merton 电视喜剧演员保罗·默顿的冷面幽默 His tone was completely deadpan, and it was difficult to tell if he was joking or not. 他的语调完全是一本正经的，难以分辨他是在开玩笑还是当真的。9 to tell someone to stop being too serious 叫某人不要太认真lighten up /ˌlaɪtn ˈʌp/spokenuse this to tell someone not to be so serious about something and to relax about it 【口】轻松起来，别认真 Hey, lighten up! It's only a game, you know! 嗨，别认真！这只是游戏，你知道！ ‘But we're not supposed to leave campus at lunchtime, we'll get into trouble.’ ‘Lighten up, it'll be fine.’ “我们午饭时间是不应该离开校园的，否则会有麻烦。”“放松点，没事的。〕》