SOLVEto solve a problem1 to successfully deal with a problem2 a solution to a problem3 when a problem or difficult situation is solved by itself4 not solved or difficult to solveto find the answer or explanation to something5 to find the answer or explanation to something6 when something is difficult to solve7 something that has never been solvedRELATED WORDSsee alsoDEAL WITH1 to successfully deal with a problem 成功处理问题solve /sɒlvǁsɑːlv, sɔːlv/ [transitive verb] They thought money would solve all their problems. 他们以为钱能解决他们所有的问题。 The roof used to leak but last week I fitted some new tiles and that seems to have solved the problem. 屋顶以前漏水，不过上星期我安装了几片新的瓦片，问题好像就解决了。 The government is to launch a new building programme in an attempt to solve the housing crisis. 政府即将推出一个新的建房方案，试图解决住房危机。find/come up with a solution /ˌfaɪnd, kʌm ˌʌp wɪð ə səˈluːʃən/ [verb phrase]to think of a way to solve a problem, especially a complicated political or social problem 〔尤为复杂的政治或社会问题〕找到解决的办法 Crime is rapidly increasing in our inner cities. We must find a solution. 我们旧城区的犯罪活动在迅速增长，我们必须找到解决的办法。 Civil war seems increasingly likely unless the government comes up with a solution. 政府若不想出办法来解决，内战似乎越来越有可能发生。find/come up with a solution to European governments are working together to find a solution to the problem of nuclear waste. 欧洲各国政府正在联手寻求解决核废料问题的方案。resolve /rɪˈzɒlvǁrɪˈzɑːlv, rɪˈzɔːlv/ [transitive verb]formalto successfully deal with a problem or unpleasant situation so that it no longer exists 【正式】解决〔问题或令人不快的情况〕 Talking is the only way to resolve your differences. 沟通是解决你们之间分歧的唯一办法。 It is difficult to see how this conflict can be resolved without taking the matter to court. 如果这事不诉诸法律，就不知道怎么解决这个冲突。put right /ˌpʊt ˈraɪt/ [verb phrase]to deal with an unsatisfactory situation, especially by making sure that any damage that has been caused is paid for, removed, stopped etc 纠正；解决put something right There seems to be something wrong with the computer but we hope to put it right before too long. 电脑好像出问题了，不过我们希望很快就能修好，不至于拖得太久。 If there is bullying in the classroom, it is the teacher who should put the problem right. 如果班级里有恃强欺弱的现象，就应该由老师来摆平。put right something This government intends to put right everything that the last government did wrong. 前届政府凡有不当之处，本届政府立志改之。cure /kjʊəʳ/ [transitive verb]to permanently solve a practical problem so that it does not happen again 消除，根治 If your computer stops working, re-booting might cure the problem. 如果电脑死机，重新启动或许能解决问题。 Beveridge believed that unemployment could be cured by state intervention. 贝弗里奇认为，失业问题可以由政府干预来解决。remedy /ˈremɪdi, ˈremədi/ [transitive verb]to deal with an unsatisfactory situation, especially an unfair one, so that the situation no longer exists or is greatly improved 消除；补救〔尤指不公平的情况〕 There have been several tragic rail accidents. The government must act quickly to remedy this situation. 铁路惨剧多次发生，政府必须立即采取行动消除这种情况。 Equal rights for women were necessary to remedy the injustices done to them over the centuries. 女性必须享有平等的权利，以消除数百年来她们所遭遇到的不公正待遇。sort out /ˌsɔːʳt ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]to remove any problems or difficulties from a situation, especially before doing something else 〔尤在做其他事之前〕解决，处理sort something out I'm afraid I can't help you until I've sorted my own problems out. 恐怕我要解决了自己的问题才能帮你。sort things out There's been a serious misunderstanding; I'll try to sort things out and then I'll phone you back. 有个很大的误会，我先想办法处理好了再给你回电话。sort out something You can't possibly start decorating yet. We haven't sorted out the roof yet. 你现在还不能开始装修，我们还未弄好屋顶呢。get something sorted out I want to get everything sorted out before I leave. 我想把事情都安排好了才走。sort /sɔːʳt/ [transitive verb]British informalto successfully deal with a problem 【英，非正式】处理好，安排好 Don't worry about the money. I'll sort it, OK? 不要担心钱，我来处理，好吗? You should be able to sort this without my help. 这事不用我帮忙，你自己也能处理的。iron out /ˌaɪəʳn ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]to remove any small problems or difficulties before you start something, especially by discussing them, so that they do not cause problems later 〔在开始做某事之前〕解决；排除〔一些小的问题或困难，尤指通过讨论〕iron something out We need to iron a few things out before we move in together. 我们需要先解决几项事情再搬到一起住。iron out something We decided it was best to iron out our differences at an early stage in the production. 我们决定最好在生产的前期阶段先统一分歧。2 a solution to a problem 问题的解决办法solution /səˈluːʃən/ [countable noun] One possible solution might be to borrow the money. 一个或许可行的办法是去借钱。 A dentist could put in a temporary filling, but that's not the perfect solution. 牙医可能会放入一些临时的填料，但这不是最理想的办法。solution to/for Sleeping tablets are not the best solution to insomnia as they upset the natural rhythm of sleep. 吃安眠药不是解决失眠的最好办法，因为安眠药会打乱自然的睡眠规律。find/come up with a solution We can help you find a solution to all your financial problems. 我们可以帮助你想办法解决所有的财务问题。answer /ˈɑːnsəʳǁˈæn-/ [countable noun]a way of dealing with a problem or unsatisfactory situation, especially one that has been worrying you for a long time 〔尤指困扰你已久的问题的〕解决办法 The city council has to find a better way of dealing with domestic waste. One answer is to burn it. 市议会必须想出更好的办法来处理家居垃圾问题，其中一个办法就是焚烧。answer to A bank loan seemed like the answer to all our problems. 银行贷款似乎是解决我们所有问题的办法。there are no easy answers There are no easy answers to today's environmental problems. 当今的环境问题没有简单的解决办法。cure /kjʊəʳ/ [countable noun]a way of dealing with a problem, especially a practical problem, so that it does not happen again 〔尤指处理某一实际问题的〕对策，措施 The experts believe they know the causes of the crime wave but they cannot agree on a cure. 专家相信他们都知道犯罪浪潮的成因，但在处理对策上就是无法取得一致意见。cure for Adding a little oil into the mechanism is one of the best cures for a noisy engine. 在机器里加入少许油，这是消除引擎噪音的最好办法之一。miracle/wonder curea very effective cure 极有效的解决办法 It's not a miracle cure, but moisturiser can make your skin less dry. 润肤霜不是有奇效，但是可以缓解皮肤的干燥症状。remedy /ˈremɪdi, ˈremədi/ [countable noun]a way of dealing with a problem or unsatisfactory situation by improving it or getting rid of it completely 〔问题或令人不满之情形的〕纠正办法，解决办法 If you find it hard to live on your present salary, the best remedy would be to change jobs. 如果你觉得靠现时的工资难以维持生计，那最好的办法就是换工作。remedy for One remedy for racial attacks would be to educate our children more about social issues. 消除种族袭击的一个办法就是对我们的孩子多进行一些社会问题方面的教育。panacea /ˌpænəˈsɪə/ [countable noun]formalsomething that people hope will solve all their problems 【正式】万全之策，万能之计 Electoral reform is not a panacea. It causes almost as many problems as it solves. 改革选举制度不是个万能之计，它能解决一些问题，但一样也会带来许多问题。panacea for Librarians welcomed computerization as the panacea for all their cataloguing problems. 图书馆管理员欢迎实行电脑化，他们认为电脑化是帮助他们解决所有的图书编目问题的万全之策。way out /ˌweɪ ˈaʊt/ [countable noun]a way of dealing with an unpleasant situation so that it no longer exists 出路，解决办法 We are faced with a very difficult situation, but there must be a way out. 我们正面临一个非常困难的局面，不过肯定是有办法解决的。way out of I don't see any way out of the present deadlock. 目前这个僵局，我看不出出路在哪里。3 when a problem or difficult situation is solved by itself 问题或困难的局面自动化解sort itself out /ˌsɔːʳt ɪtself ˈaʊt/ [verb phrase]if a problem or unsatisfactory situationsorts itself out, it either stops happening or is solved without you having to do anything 〔问题或令人不满之情形〕自行解决〔消除〕 This situation is not going to sort itself out. We have to do something. 这种局面不会自行消失，我们得采取一些措施。 Childhood problems and anxieties have a habit of sorting themselves out. 儿童期的一些问题和焦虑症状一般都会自己好起来。resolve itself /rɪˈzɒlv ɪtselfǁ-ˈzɑːlv-/ [verb phrase]if a complicated problemresolves itself, it either stops being a problem or is solved without you having to do anything 〔复杂的问题〕自动化解 Fortunately, our employee problem resolved itself when two workers moved house and resigned voluntarily. 幸好，有两名工人搬家并自动辞职，使我们的员工问题得以自然化解。 If we are patient the whole problem will resolve itself in due course. 只要我们耐心等待，到适当的时候所有问题都会自动化解的。work out /ˌwɜːʳk ˈaʊt/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]if a problem or bad situationworks out orworks itself out, it gradually gets solved without you having to do anything 〔问题或恶劣的情形〕渐渐有转机；得到解决 Try not to worry. I'm sure everything will work out in the end. 不要担心，我相信最后问题总会解决的。 I've found that major problems tent to either go away or somehow work themselves out. 我发觉严重的问题一般都不是自行消失，就是自动解决的。4 not solved or difficult to solve 没有解决或难以解决unresolved /ˌʌnrɪˈzɒlvd◂ǁ-ˈzɑːlvd◂, -ˈzɔːlvd◂/ [adjective]anunresolved problem still exists because it has not been dealt with successfully 未解决的 A number of problems are still unresolved. 还有几个问题尚未解决。 The design of the new shopping mall is almost complete, although there are still some unresolved difficulties. 新购物中心的设计尽管仍有难题尚未解决，但差不多已完成了。insoluble /ɪnˈsɒljɑbəlǁɪnˈsɑːl-/ [adjective]formalaninsoluble problem is very difficult or impossible to solve 【正式】难以解决的，不能解决的 The government has to deal with what seems like an insoluble political problem -- racial harmony within the community. 政府必须处理好这个看似无法解决的政治问题—社区内种族和谐问题。 The cleaning-up operation after the oil spill will be difficult but not insoluble. 泄油事件的善后清理工作很困难，但也不是解决不了的。intractable /ɪnˈtræktəbəl/ [adjective]formalanintractable problem is one that is so difficult and complicated that it is impossible to solve it however hard you try 【正式】棘手的，难解决的 The disposal of toxic wastes is one of the most intractable problems facing industrialized societies. 有毒废料的处理是工业化社会所面临的最棘手的问题之一。5 to find the answer or explanation to something 为某事找到答案或解释solve /sɒlvǁsɑːlv, sɔːlv/ [transitive verb]to find the explanation to something that is difficult to understand, for example a crime or a mystery 解答，解释 The role of the press is to sell newspapers, not to solve crime. 媒体的职责是卖报纸，不是破案。 At last astronomers have solved the mystery of the rings encircling the planet Saturn. 最后天文学家解开了土星光环之谜。 These games encourage children's ability to solve puzzles using their mathematical skills. 这些游戏可以增进儿童运用数学技巧来解开难题的能力。figure out/work out /ˌfɪgər ˈaʊt, ˌwɜːʳk ˈaʊtǁˌfɪgjər-/ [transitive phrasal verb]to find the explanation for something that is difficult to understand, by thinking carefully about it and using the information available to you 搞清楚；弄清figure out/work out how/why/what etc My husband bought me a knitting machine for Christmas but I still haven't figured out how it works. 圣诞节时丈夫给我买了台编织机，可我现在还没弄明白它怎么用。 From the evidence gathered from witnesses we should be able to work out what happened that night. 根据从证人那里搜集到的证据来看，我们应该能搞清楚那晚发生什么事了。figure/work out something The police haven't even managed to figure out a motive. 警方甚至还没有搞清楚作案动机。figure/work something out Don't tell him the answer - let him work it out for himself. 不要告诉他答案，让他自己摸索。find an explanation /ˌfaɪnd ən ekspləˈneɪʃən/ [verb phrase]to find a way of explaining something, especially after trying for a fairly long time 找到解释〔尤指通过长久的努力〕 Sheena has had these stomach pains before, but the doctors think they have found an explanation this time. 希娜以前也这样肚子痛过，但这一次医生相信他们已经找到原因了。find an explanation for No one has been able to find a rational explanation for the ship's sudden disappearance. 轮船突然失踪，没有人能找出一个合理的解释。clear up /ˌklɪər ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]to find the whole explanation for something that is strange and difficult to understand, so that it is completely solved 解答；弄清楚clear up something I was hoping that your research would clear up a question that has been bothering me. 我希望你的研究能解答一直困扰我的一个问题。clear something up Can you clear something up for us? How old are you? 回答我们一些问题好吗？你多大岁数了？ The Dreyfus case was never completely cleared up. It remains a mystery. 德赖弗斯案从未解破，现在仍然是个谜。crack /kræk/ [transitive verb]informalto find the explanation for something such as a crime or something that is difficult to understand, especially after trying for a long time 【非正式】解开；侦破〔疑案或难以理解的事物〕 It's a tough case but I'm determined to crack it. 这是个棘手的案子，但我一定要侦破它。 Give Tom a mathematical puzzle and he'll just keep on trying till he cracks it. 给汤姆一道数学难题，他就会一直解下去，直到解出来为止。unravel /ʌnˈrævəl/ [transitive verb]to gradually find the explanation for something that is difficult to understand because it is very complicated 解开，揭开，弄清〔因十分复杂而难以理解的事物〕 We are only just beginning to unravel the mysteries of the human brain. 揭开人类大脑之谜，我们还只是刚刚起步。 Can scientists unravel the complex interactions of chemicals within foods? 科学家能把食物中各种化学物复杂的相互作用解释清楚吗？6 when something is difficult to solve 某事物难以解决puzzle /ˈpʌzəl/ [transitive verb]to be difficult for someone to explain or understand 使迷惑 There are things that still puzzle me about this new computer system. 关于这个新电脑系统，我还有些地方搞不懂。 What puzzles me about the robbery, is how they managed to enter the building unseen. 这次盗窃案令我不解的是，他们是怎么偷偷地进入大楼的。puzzling [adjective] It's puzzling that no-one saw her leave. 令人费解的是没有人看见她离开。mystify /ˈmɪstɪfaɪ, ˈmɪstəfaɪ/ [transitive verb]if somethingmystifies you, it is impossible for you to understand or explain 使困惑不解 Why you want to leave such a good job mystifies me. 你怎么会放弃这么好的一个工作，真是叫我想不通。 Detective Oakley was mystified. He had never seen such a strange set of evidence in the whole of his career. 奥克利探长糊涂了，他从事侦探工作以来还没见过如此怪诞的一套证据。mystifying [adjective] The way adults behave is sometimes mystifying to children. 大人的行为有时令小孩子费解。baffle /ˈbæfəl/ [transitive verb]if somethingbaffles you it is very confusing and impossible for you to understand 使困惑，难住 What baffles me is how anyone could escape from the jail in broad daylight. 令我百思不得其解的是，光天化日之下怎么可能会有人越狱出逃。 We've spent weeks investigating this case and it's got us completely baffled. 这个案子我们调查了好几个星期，把我们彻底难倒了。baffling [adjective] I found the whole episode quite baffling. 我觉得整件事都令人很费解。perplex /pəʳˈpleks/ [transitive verb]formalif somethingperplexes you, it is confusing, worrying, and difficult for you to understand 【正式】使困惑，使费解 The question of how the murderer had gained entry to the house perplexed the police for several weeks. 凶手如何进屋这个问题困扰了警察好几个星期。perplexing [adjective] The deterioration of the ozone layer is a perplexing phenomenon. 臭氧层遭破坏是一个令人费解的现象。7 something that has never been solved 一直没有解决的问题unsolved /ˌʌnˈsɒlvd◂ǁ-ˈsɑːlvd◂, -ˈsɔːlvd◂/ [adjective] All too often, crimes of violence are left unsolved. 悬而未结的暴力犯罪事件太多了。 What happened to the men on the expedition will always be an unsolved mystery. 这些探险队员途中如何遇险永远是个不解之谜。unexplained /ˌʌnɪkˈspleɪnd◂/ [adjective]an event or fact that isunexplained has never been explained so no one knows exactly what happened 〔事件或事实〕原因不明的，无法解释的 For years, Sukhbir's death remained unexplained. 多少年来，苏克布尔的死仍是个不解之谜。 There had been three unexplained fires at the school in the previous six months. 在过去六个月里，学校发生了三次原因不明的火灾。