UNDERSTAND/NOT UNDERSTAND1 to understand a situation, idea, or what someone is telling you2 to understand how someone feels3 to understand each part of a story, explanation etc4 to understand new facts after studying them5 to understand the meaning of something in a particular way6 to begin to understand something7 when you understand something8 easy to understand9 to not understand something correctly10 to not understand11 difficult or impossible to understandRELATED WORDSsee alsoREALIZELEARNKNOW/NOT KNOWCLEAR/NOT CLEAR1 to understand a situation, idea, or what someone is telling you 明白某种情况、想法或某人对你说的话understand /ˌʌndəʳˈstænd/ [intransitive/transitive verb not in progressive] She spoke slowly and clearly so that everyone could understand. 她说得又慢又清楚，好让每个人都听得懂。 I didn't understand the teacher's instructions. 我不明白老师的指令。 When he's old enough to understand, we'll tell him he's adopted. 等到他长大懂事的时候，我们会告诉他，他是领养的。understand what/why/how etc Ben asked a few questions to make sure he understood what to do. 本问了几个问题，确保自己明白要怎么做。 You don't need to understand how a computer works to use it. 使用电脑不需要知道电脑是如何工作的。understand that The witness said he understood that he was swearing to give true and correct information. 证人说他明白他是在发誓要提供真实无误的资料。easy/difficult to understand Computer manuals should be written in a way that is easy to understand. 电脑使用手册应该写得简单易懂。understand perfectlyunderstand completely 完全明白 Don't worry. I understand perfectly. 不用担心，我完全明白。fully understandunderstand completely 完全了解 Doctors still do not fully understand the process by which the disease is transmitted. 医生仍然没有完全了解这种疾病传播的过程。know what somebody means /ˌnəʊ wɒt somebody ˈmiːnz/ [verb phrase not in progressive]to understand what someone is telling you, especially if they have not expressed it very clearly 知道某人的意思〔尤指如果他们表达得不清楚时〕 I don't think your audience is going to know what you mean by this. 我觉得你这样说观众是不会明白你的意思的。you know what I mean?say this to check that someone understands you 你明白我的意思吗？ He seems really sad, you know what I mean? 他看上去非常难过，你明白我的意思吗?I know what you meansay this to show that you understand 我明白你的意思 ‘It's a thing you hold pieces of wood in when you're doing woodwork.’ ‘Oh, I know what you mean -- a vice.’ “是做木工活时用来夹木块的一样东西。”“噢，我知道你的意思了—是虎钳。”see /siː/ [intransitive/transitive verb]especially spokento understand the truth about a situation, or understand the reasons for something 【尤口】了解，明白see what somebody means Try it for yourself, and you'll see what I mean. 你自己试试就会明白我的意思。see why/how/what etc I can see why people don't like him. 我明白人们为什么不喜欢他。I seesay this when you understand what someone has told you 我明白了〔用于表示听懂别人所说的话〕 ‘It goes in the red box, here.’ ‘Oh, I see.’ “它放在红盒子里，在这里。”“噢，我明白了。”you seesay this when you are explaining something 你看〔用于对别人解释某事〕 Well, you see, he's not really ready to read a book this difficult. 好了，你看，他还看不懂这种难度的书。see (that) Well, I can see that the logic is somehow wrong, but I don't know why exactly. 嗯，我意识到这个逻辑有纰漏，却不知道具体错在哪里。see any reason Can you see any reason why it shouldn't work? 你知道这为什么不管用吗？see the pointunderstand why something is important 明白要点 At fourteen, he couldn't see the point of staying in school. 他14岁时还不懂上学的意义。see somebody's pointunderstand the main idea or importance of what someone is saying 懂某人的意思 I didn't like his attitude, but I could see his point. 我不喜欢他说话的态度，不过我明白他的意思。see the jokeBritishunderstand why something is funny 【英】理解有趣之处 He's just one of those people who never seem to see the joke. 他就是那种好像从来不懂幽默的人。get /get/ [transitive verb not in progressive or passive]spokento understand what someone says, what is happening, or why or how something happens 【口】懂得，理解〔某人的话、发生的事或某事发生的原由或过程〕get it ‘Do you understand?’ ‘Yeah, we've got it,’ one of the drivers replied. “你们明白了吗?”“是的，我们明白了。”其中一个司机回答说。 Barbara Howell and her husband, Kenneth (Barbie and Ken, get it?) run a bed-and-breakfast inn. 芭芭拉·豪厄尔和她的丈夫肯尼思〔也就是芭比和肯，明白吗？〕开了一家提供早餐和住宿的小旅馆。I don't get it Why did you turn down such a fantastic job? I don't get it. 你为什么不接受这么好的一份工作？我真不明白。get a/the jokeunderstand why something is funny 听懂有趣之处 John told me one of his stupid jokes, and it took me about five minutes to get it. 约翰给我讲了一个他常讲的那种愚蠢的笑话，过了五分钟我才明白过来。get the pointunderstand the main idea or importance of something 明白要点 I don't think you get the point. Legally, you must give us this information. 我觉得你没有明白。按照法律规定，你必须向我们提供这些资料。get the idea The students should get the idea that this is a complex issue, with no easy answers. 学生应该明白，这是个复杂的问题，没有简单的解决办法。get what/why/how etc I just couldn't get what he meant. 我就是不懂他是什么意思。comprehend /ˌkɒmprɪˈhendǁˌkɑːm-/ [transitive verb]formalto understand something that is complicated or difficult to understand 【正式】理解〔复杂或难以理解的东西〕 Take the time to read, comprehend, and evaluate the report. 这篇报告要慢慢地阅读、理解，然后作出评价。 God cannot truly be seen or comprehended by the human mind. 上帝是凡人不能亲见或理解的。fully comprehendunderstand something completely 完全理解 The significance of the disappearance of the buffalo and the passenger pigeon was not fully comprehended until much later. 水牛和旅鸽消失这个问题的重要性直到很久以后才被完全理解。grasp /grɑːspǁgræsp/ [transitive verb not in progressive]to fully understand a fact or an idea, especially one that it is important or difficult to understand 完全理解，全面领会〔尤指重要或复杂难懂的事情或观点〕 Obviously, she had barely grasped the subject. 显然她只勉强理解主题。 Science lessons should be taught in a way that makes the material easier to grasp. 自然科学应该使用让材料更容易理解的方法来授课。hard to grasp Fame has come suddenly, and Peyton is finding it hard to grasp. 突然成名，佩顿一下子还未明白过来。grasp that The army had failed to grasp that their mission was to protect the navy's ships, not vice versa. 陆军没有明白他们的任务是保护海军战舰，而不是反过来让它们来保护自己。grasp [uncountable noun]beyond somebody's grasptoo difficult to understand 超出某人的理解力 Some of the historical nuances are beyond the grasp of most children. 一些历史事件的微妙变化超越了大部分孩子的理解力。have a grasp of something Cordell had an impressive grasp of military issues. 科德尔对军事问题有着深刻的理解。make sense of /ˌmeɪk ˈsens ɒv/ [verb phrase]to understand something that is not clear or easy to understand, especially by spending time thinking about it 弄懂…的意思〔尤指花时间思考〕 Police are trying to make sense of a bizarre note left by the murderer. 警方正试图弄懂凶手留下的一张奇怪的字条。 There is so much information that it is difficult to make sense of it all. 信息太多，难以全部理解。get the message /ˌget ðə ˈmesɪdʒ/ [verb phrase]informalto understand what someone is telling you or what they want you to do, especially after they have told you several times 【非正式】〔尤指经过多番提醒后〕明白意思 Even the Democrats got the message: voters are concerned about taxes. 甚至连民主党也明白到选民关心的是税收问题。get the message that He doesn't seem to get the message that he's not welcome here. 他似乎没有明白到自己在这儿不受欢迎。get the picture /ˌget ðə ˈpɪktʃəʳ/ [verb phrase]spokento understand a situation or arrangement, especially one that someone is explaining to you 【口】明白，理解〔尤指某人在向你解释的某一情形或安排〕 I get the picture. You want me to say you were at my house last night. 我明白了，你想让我说你昨晚是在我家。 We don't want any trouble tonight. Do you get the picture? 今晚我们不想找麻烦，你明白了吗？get your head round /get jɔː ˈhed raʊnd/ [verb phrase]British informalto understand something that is difficult or complicated 【英，非正式】理解〔困难或复杂的事〕 I just couldn't get my head round geometry at school. 上学时，我就是没法理解几何学。2 to understand how someone feels 理解别人的感受understand /ˌʌndəʳˈstænd/ [intransitive/transitive verb]tounderstand how someone feels, and feel sympathy for them, especially when they are upset or have problems 理解；谅解；同情〔尤指当某人感到烦恼或有困难时 I'm sure your teacher will understand. 我相信你的老师会体谅的。understand how/what/why etc I understand how you feel, but I still think you should apologize to her. 我理解你的心情，但我还是觉得你该向她道歉。see /siː/ [intransitive/transitive verb]especially spokento understand how someone feels and why they feel that way, especially because the reasons are very clear 【尤口】理解〔尤指原因是非常清楚的〕see why/how/what You can see why Clare was so annoyed, can't you? 你知道克莱尔为什么这么生气，是吗?see that I can see that you'd find that upsetting. 我知道你会觉得那种事情让人不高兴。appreciate /əˈpriːʃieɪt/ [transitive verb]formalto understand clearly how someone feels or what problems they have 【正式】领会，清楚理解〔某人的心情或困难〕 Congress did not appreciate the amount of anger that people felt about this issue. 国会没有理解人们在这问题上的愤怒程度。 Parents have to find ways to show their children that they appreciate their feelings and reactions. 父母得想办法让孩子明白，父母是理解他们的心情和反应的。appreciate (that) I appreciate that it's not easy for you, but you must try to get here on time. 我知道这对你来说不容易，但是你必须设法准时到达。know how somebody feels /ˌnəʊ haʊ somebody ˈfiːlz/to understand how someone feels, because you have had the same feelings or experiences yourself 〔因有相同的感受或经历而〕理解某人的感受 I know how you feel. I couldn't watch either - it was too upsetting. 我理解你的心情。我也不忍心看—太令人难受了。know how it feels (to do something) Believe me, I know how it feels to lose. 相信我，我知道失败的感受。put yourself in somebody's place /ˌpʊt jɔːʳself ɪn somebodyˈs ˈpleɪs/ [verb phrase]say this when you want someone to imagine they are in the same situation as another person, so that they can understand how the other person feels 设身处地 Well, put yourself in her place. Would you like it if someone did that to you? 嗯，设身处地为她想想，你会喜欢别人那么对你吗？understandable /ˌʌndəʳˈstændəbəl/ [adjective]feelings or attitudes that areunderstandable, especially feelings of anger, annoyance, or fear, do not surprise you because you can see that there are good reasons for them 〔情绪或态度〕可以理解的〔尤指生气、恼怒或害怕等情绪〕 That teachers are annoyed about having so much extra paperwork is understandable. 有这么多额外的文书工作要做，那些老师感到生气是可以理解的。 There is understandable anger among the victims’ families. 被害者家属的愤怒是可以理解的。it is understandable that It's understandable that she doesn't want to see Bill again. 她不想再看到比尔，这是可以理解的。understandably [adverb] Understandably, she just wants to leave as soon as possible. 可以理解，她只想尽快离开。 They were, quite understandably, annoyed by the delay. 这次耽搁使他们很恼火，这完全可以理解。3 to understand each part of a story, explanation etc 理解故事、解释等的每一部分follow /ˈfɒləʊǁˈfɑː-/ [transitive verb]to understand a story, explanation, or talk that continues for a long time 理解，听懂〔持续了一段长时间的故事、解释或说话〕 I had difficulty following the story - there are so many different characters. 我不太理解这个故事—人物太多太杂了。difficult/hard/easy to follow The lecture was very hard to follow. 这个讲座非常难懂。be with /biː ˈwɪð/ [verb phrase]informalto have understood everything so far in an explanation that someone is giving 【非正式】理解〔某人的解释〕 I'm sorry but I'm not with you. Could you explain that part again? 对不起我没有听懂，你能把那部分再解释一遍吗？ Then you press this button. Are you with me so far? 然后按这个按钮，目前为止你都懂吗？keep up /ˌkiːp ˈʌp/ [intransitive phrasal verb]to manage to understand each part of something, especially a very long or complicated explanation or story 跟上〔尤指非常长或复杂的解释或故事〕 She covers so much in these lectures -- I don't know how you manage to keep up. 这几堂课她讲了那么多内容—我不知道你是怎么跟得上的。keep up with It's a complicated film, and some people may find it hard to keep up with the plot. 这部电影复杂难懂，一些观众可能难以跟上情节的发展。4 to understand new facts after studying them 学习之后掌握新事物digest /daɪˈdʒest/ [transitive verb]to understand new information, especially when there is a large amount of it or when it is difficult to understand, by thinking about it carefully for a fairly long time 〔花颇长时间〕领会，理解，消化〔尤指大量新信息或难以理解的信息〕 The pub went silent as the villagers digested the news. 小酒馆静了下来，村民们都在琢磨这条新闻。 By the end of the day, I had a lot of new information to digest. 一天下来，我有大量资料需要消化。take in /ˌteɪk ˈɪn/ [transitive phrasal verb]to understand and remember new facts or information 领会；记住take something in I'm not going to my next class. I'm too tired to take anything in. 我不去上下堂课了，我累得什么都听不进去。take in what/why/how etc I don't think she really took in what I was telling her. 我觉得她没有把我的话听进去。take in something She listened attentively, taking in every word he said and asking questions. 她专心地听，把他说的每句话都听进去，并提了不少问题。absorb /əbˈsɔːʳb, əbˈzɔːʳb/ [transitive verb]to understand a large amount of new information 理解，掌握，吸收〔大量新信息〕 Most people need to read something more than once to absorb all the ideas. 大多数人都需要阅读一遍以上才能理解所有的意思。 He appeared to understand, but whether he absorbed every detail I cannot say. 他好像是懂了，但是不是每个细节都理解，我就说不准了。 A new baby has an enormous capacity for absorbing new information. 新生婴儿吸收新事物的能力非常强。assimilate /əˈsɪmɪleɪt, əˈsɪməleɪt/ [transitive verb]to understand and use new information or ideas quickly and easily 〔迅速〕理解，掌握〔新信息或新思想〕 The person we are looking for must be flexible, creative, and able to assimilate new ideas. 我们要找的人必须灵活，富有创造力，能够很快地吸收新思想。 When a child is learning something new, they try to assimilate it in terms of what they already know. 孩子学习新事物时，会根据已有的知识来吸收和理解。sink in /ˌsɪŋk ˈɪn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]if a fact, information etcsinks in, you gradually understand it 〔事情、信息等〕逐渐被理解 He paused to let this news sink in. 他停下来想弄清楚这个消息是什么意思。 I've been revising all day but I don't think much of it has sunk in. 我复习了一整天，但是觉得没有理解了多少东西。5 to understand the meaning of something in a particular way 以某一方式理解某事物的含义make of /ˈmeɪk ɒv/ [transitive phrasal verb not in progressive; usually in questions or negative sentences]to believe that something strange, difficult, or unusual has a particular meaning 明白，理解〔某奇怪、困难或不寻常的事〕 Have you read Dawson's letter? What do you make of it? 你看过道森的信吗？你对此有什么看法？ Tom could see that McCarron didn't know what to make of the information. 汤姆知道麦卡伦不理解这则信息。read /riːd/ [transitive verb]to think that a remark, an action, an event etc shows that someone has a particular opinion or feeling even though they do not say this directly 解读，理解〔某句话、某一行动或事件等的意思，尽管那个意思没有直接表明〕 Good managers are usually able to read a situation quickly and take the right action. 称职的经理一般都能迅速理解形势，并采取恰当的措施。read something as something Men shouldn't be surprised if women read this behaviour as threatening. 如果女性把这种行为视为威胁的话，男性不应感到惊奇。take something to mean /ˌteɪk something tə ˈmiːn/ [verb phrase]to choose to understand a particular meaning in someone's words or actions without being sure that this is the correct meaning 〔没有确定意思是否正确而〕把某事理解为 There was a pause, which he took to mean she was angry. 一阵沉默，他以为她是生气了。 Television producers should not take low ratings to mean failure. 电视制作人不应该把收视率低看作是失败。see something as /ˈsiː something æz/ [transitive phrasal verb]to understand a remark, a piece of writing, an event etc as having a particular meaning, especially because of your own feelings, opinions, or situation 〔尤因本身的感受、意见或形势而〕把某事看作是，认为某事是 I see this poem as an attack on social injustice. 我认为这首诗是对社会不公平现象的抨击。 Young children often see the birth of a new brother or sister as a great threat. 小孩子常认为弟弟妹妹的出生是个很大的威胁。interpret /ɪnˈtɜːʳprɪt, ɪnˈtɜːʳprət/ [transitive verb]to choose to understand a piece of information or group of facts in one of several possible ways 把…解释为 Fairy tales can be interpreted in several different ways. 童话故事可以从不同的角度去解释。interpret something as something The statement was interpreted as a threat against the United States. 该项声明被视为对美国的恐吓。interpretation /ɪnˌtɜːʳprɪˈteɪʃən, ɪnˌtɜːʳprəˈteɪʃən/ [countable noun]interpret of The interpretation of laboratory data is often difficult. 解读实验室数据通常很难。understand by /ˌʌndəʳˈstænd baɪ/ [verb phrase]to find a particular meaning in an expression or in the name of something, even though other people may understand it differently 理解〔尽管看法跟别人不同〕 What do you understand by the term ‘alternative medicine’? “替代医学”一词你怎么理解？ He spoke of profits, by which I understood profits for his company, not for us. 他谈到了利润，我的理解是他公司的利润，而不是我们的利润。understand something/somebody to mean /ʌndəˌstænd something/somebody tə ˈmiːn/ [verb phrase]to think that someone's remarks, a word, a piece of writing etc means something or has a particular message, even though this is not stated directly 领会某事/某人的含义 ‘It's very good. You'll like it,’ their mother said, and gave them a look that they understood to mean they must eat it whether they liked it or not. “这个很好吃，你们肯定会喜欢的。”妈妈说着，并看了他们一眼，他们会意这个眼色就是不喜欢吃也得吃。construe something as /kənˈstruː something æz/ [verb phrase]formalto understand a remark or action in a particular way, when there are other possible ways of understanding it 【正式】将某事解释〔理解〕为 Such activities by the Americans could be construed as an act of war. 美国人的这种活动可以被理解为战争行为。 Films that could be construed as offensive are shown after nine o'clock. 被认为令人反感的电影是在9点以后播放的。6 to begin to understand something 开始理解某事begin to understand /bɪˌgɪn tʊ ʌndəʳˈstænd/ [verb phrase]to slowlybegin to understand a situation or someone's feelings, because you get more information or because you experience something for yourself 开始理解 I think it will be a long time before we even begin to understand how damaging the effect has been. 我觉得我们要过很长时间才会开始意识到后果的危害性。 Patients are given written information and videos so that they can begin to understand more about their condition. 病人获得书面资料和录像，这样他们就可以逐渐多了解一点自己的病情。begin to understand that I was beginning to understand that being alone could be terribly depressing. 我开始明白独居的生活会令人极度消沉。begin to understand why/how/what etc As we walked up the narrow staircases, we began to understand why the Dutch haul their furniture up the outside of the buildings and through the windows. 走在狭窄的楼梯上，我们开始明白为什么荷兰人要把家具通过窗户从屋外吊进来。catch on /ˌkætʃ ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]informalto begin to understand something that is not easy to understand 【非正式】〔开始〕明白，理解〔不容易理解的事〕 Thomas isn't catching on as quickly as some of the other children. 托马斯的领悟能力没其他孩子强。catch on to It took Jennifer a long time to catch on to the fact that Mary was taking advantage of her. 珍妮弗过了很久才意识到玛丽是在利用她。catch on fast/quickly She catches on fast and will soon be promoted. 她领悟能力强，很快会获得提升。get it /ˈget ɪt/ [verb phrase]spokento finally understand something, especially after it has been explained to you several times 【口】终于明白〔尤指反复解释之后〕 Okay, I get it. You only get paid if you sell at least ten copies. 好了，我明白了，你只有在卖出十份之后才能领到工钱。 ‘So the plant takes in carbon dioxide and gives out oxygen.’ ‘That's it. You've got it.’ “就是说植物吸进二氧化碳吐出氧气。”“对，你懂了。”figure/work out /ˌfɪgəʳ, ˌwɜːʳk ˈaʊtǁˌfɪgjər-/ [transitive phrasal verb]to think about something until you understand it, especially something complicated 弄清楚，理解〔尤指复杂的东西〕 Horgan thought he had it all figured out, but he hadn't. 霍根以为自己全部懂了，其实他没有。figure/work something out In case you haven't figured it out yet, we've been tricked. 你可能到现在仍没有明白，我们被骗了。figure/work out how/why/what etc Detectives are still trying to work out what happened. 侦探们仍在努力调查事情的真相。twig /twɪg/ [intransitive/transitive verb]British informalto begin to understand a situation by what you see and hear around you, and not by being told directly 【英，非正式】突然明白〔指自己领悟〕 Oh, I get it, I've twigged at last. How much do you want? 噢，我知道了。我终于明白了。你要多少钱?twig that At last I twigged that I was pregnant 我终于明白，我是怀孕了。twig why/where/what etc It took him about two minutes to twig what I was going on about! 大约两分钟以后，他总算明白我在抱怨什么了！cotton on /ˌkɒtn ˈɒnǁˌkɑːtn-/ [intransitive phrasal verb]informalto begin to understand a situation by what you see and hear around you, and not by being told directly 【非正式】开始明白〔指自己领悟〕cotton on to It took him a while to cotton on to what was happening. 他好一会才开始明白发生了什么事。 Large stores have at last cottoned on to the fact that mothers with pushchairs can't cope with stairs. 大商店终于认识到，手推婴儿车的妈妈们没法上下楼梯。click /klɪk/ [intransitive verb]if somethingclicks, especially something you are learning, you suddenly begin to understand it 突然明白〔尤指你正在学的东西〕 Just keep working at it, and suddenly it will all click. 只要坚持学下去，一切就会豁然开朗的。fall into place /ˌfɔːl ɪntə ˈpleɪs/ [verb phrase]if several factsfall into place, you begin to understand how they are connected and why each one is important, so that you understand a whole situation or subject 〔整个形势或问题〕变得清清楚楚 Once the police received this new evidence, things began falling into place. 警方一找到这个新的证据，事情就开始明朗了。7 when you understand something 理解某事comprehension /ˌkɒmprɪˈhenʃənǁˌkɑːm-/ [uncountable noun]when you understand something, especially a piece of spoken or written language, or the ability to do this 〔尤指对语言的〕理解；理解力 The teacher gave us a comprehension test. 老师给我们作了一次理解力测试。 We tried to explain the causes of the war at a child's level of comprehension. 我们试图从孩子能理解的角度来解释战争的缘由。reading comprehensionability to understand what you read 阅读理解力 You need to practise your reading comprehension more. 你需要多锻炼你的阅读理解能力。beyond somebody's comprehensiontoo difficult to understand 无法理解 He was caught up in frightening events far beyond his comprehension. 他被迫卷入了一些他根本无法理解的可怕事情里。understanding /ˌʌndəʳˈstændɪŋ/ [uncountable noun]when you understand a situation, subject, idea etc, or someone's ability to do this 〔对某一情形、主题、思想等的〕理解；理解力 A much greater level of understanding is required to carry out more complex experiments. 要进行更复杂的实验就需要更高层次的理解能力。understanding of He seems to have very little understanding of economics. 他好像对经济学所知极少。 The research may lead to a better understanding of how the disease develops. 这项研究或许让人们更清楚地了解这种疾病是如何发展的。insight /ˈɪnsaɪt/ [countable/uncountable noun]the ability to understand or realize something new about a subject or to more clearly understand the nature of a problem, situation, or subject etc 洞察力；领悟力 Crick soon established himself as a scientist of great insight and creativity. 克里克很快就成为一名极具洞察力和创造力的科学家。insight into We help troubled teenagers gain some insight into their own problems. 我们帮助烦恼的青少年认识到他们自己的问题。8 easy to understand 容易理解的easy to understand/follow /ˌiːzi tʊ ʌndəʳˈstænd, ˈfɒləʊ ǁ-ˈfɑː-/ [adjective phrase] The instructions are easy to follow. 说明书明白易懂。 On cards are five easy to follow recipes for you to cut out and keep. 卡片上有五个简易的食谱可供剪下保存。 We try to write it in language that is easy to understand. 我们尽量用简单易懂的语言写。clear /klɪəʳ/ [adjective]instructions, explanations etc that areclear are explained in easy language or stages and are therefore easy to understand 〔指示、解释等〕易懂的，明白的 Most of the ‘help’ messages you get on computers aren't at all clear to ordinary home users. 电脑上的大部分“帮助”信息在普通家庭用户看来不知所云。 Thanks for your directions to the apartment - they were really clear and we had no problems finding it. 谢谢你告诉我们到公寓怎么走—你讲得很清楚，我们很容易就找到了。 Perhaps I didn't make myself clear - there won't be a penny of extra money for this project. 可能我没讲清楚——这个项目不可能再拿到一分钱。comprehensible /ˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪbəl, ˌkɒmprɪˈhensəbəlǁˌkɑːm-/ [adjective]something that iscomprehensible is easy to understand because it does not contain any complicated information and is expressed in very clear language 容易理解的〔因内容不复杂而且表达清楚〕 Visual aids can make lessons much more interesting and comprehensible. 直观教具可以让课堂更加有趣和容易理解。 Each entry in the guide is brief and immediately comprehensible. 指南中的每一条目都简明扼要、一目了然。comprehensible to The music was experimental, and not comprehensible to the average concert-goer. 这是实验性音乐，不是普通的音乐会听众所能理解的。intelligible /ɪnˈtelɪdʒəbəl, ɪnˈtelədʒəbəl/ [adjective]something that isintelligible, such as a subject you study or a piece of writing or speech, is fairly easy to understand 〔研究的课题、文章或演讲等〕明白易懂的 Her English was strongly accented but quite intelligible. 她说的英语口音很重，不过还是听得懂的。intelligible to It is sometimes difficult to discuss medical issues in a way that is intelligible to ordinary people. 有时候，很难用一般人能明白的方式来讨论医学问题。accessible /əkˈsesɪbəl, əkˈsesəbəl/ [adjective]books, films, information etc that areaccessible are written or made in a way that is easy to understand even though they may concern subjects that are complicated 〔书、电影、信息等〕易懂的 Philip Glass has produced something very rare -- an accessible modern opera. 菲利普·格拉斯写了一部非常难得的东西——一部通俗易懂的现代歌剧。 I don't find James Joyce's writing very accessible. 我不觉得詹姆斯·乔伊斯的作品容易明白。accessible to He was specifically asked to write a play that would be accessible to the local community. 他被明确要求给当地社区写一个通俗易懂的剧本。coherent /kəʊˈhɪərənt/ [adjective]a piece of writing or speech that iscoherent is easy to understand because it is clear and well-planned, so that all the parts fit well together 〔文章或演说〕条理清楚的；连贯的 I was so confused that I could not give a coherent answer. 我糊涂得很，回答问题语无伦次。 Rescuers found Campbell, who was conscious and coherent. 营救队员找到了坎贝尔，他还是清醒的，而且思路清晰。 History could be defined as a coherent account of an event. 历史可以被定义为是对历史事件的清晰论述。9 to not understand something correctly 没有正确理解某事misunderstand /ˌmɪsʌndəʳˈstænd/ [intransitive/transitive verb]to think that someone means one thing when in fact they mean something else 误解，误会 I think she misunderstood you. 我觉得她误会你了。 I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood. 对不起，我肯定误会了。 According to Bennett, you misunderstood the reason you were dropped from the list. 据贝内特说，你误解了你没有被列入名单的原因。misunderstanding /ˌmɪsʌndəʳˈstændɪŋ/ [countable/uncountable noun]a problem caused when someone does not understand something correctly 误解，误会 There seems to have been a misunderstanding. I didn't order steak. 好像搞错了，我没有点牛排。 Cultural differences between people from different countries can sometimes lead to misunderstandings. 来自不同国家的人之间的文化差异有时候会造成误解。misinterpret /ˌmɪsɪnˈtɜːʳprɪt, ˌmɪsɪnˈtɜːʳprət/ [transitive verb]to not understand the true meaning of someone's actions or words, so that you believe something that is not in fact true 误解，误释〔某人的行为或话语〕 Your friendliness could easily be misinterpreted. 你的友好容易被人误解。 A lot of people misinterpreted what I was saying, and have called me a racist. 很多人误解了我的话，称我为种族主义者。misread /ˌmɪsˈriːd/ [transitive verb]to wrongly believe that someone's actions show that they have a particular opinion or feeling 误解〔某人的行为〕，对…判断错误 Unfortunately, we misread the situation and lost a lot of sales. 遗憾的是，我们看错形势，失去了很多生意。 The intelligence community was criticized for misreading Iraq's intentions. 情报机构被指责误解了伊拉克的意图。miss the point /ˌmɪs ðə ˈpɔɪnt/ [verb phrase]if youmiss the point, you think you understand what someone says or what is important about a situation, but in fact you are wrong 没有领会要点 I soon realised that he had completely missed the point. 不久我就意识到他完全领会错了。 He's so caught up in the rules that he's missing the point of the game, which is just to have fun. 他太注重规则，因而弄错了游戏的意义：游戏只是娱乐。take something the wrong way /ˌteɪk something ðə ˌrɒŋ ˈweɪǁ -ˌrɔːŋ-/ [verb phrase]to be offended or upset by a remark that was not intended to offend or upset you, because you understood it wrongly 误解某句话〔因而恼火〕 Don't tell Simon that -- he might take it the wrong way. 这话别跟西蒙说—他可能会误解的。 No, that's not what I meant. You take everything the wrong way. 不，这不是我的意思，你完全误会了。don't take this the wrong waysay this when you want to give advice or ask something that you think might offend someone 别误会〔用于想给意见或提出也许会使某人恼火的要求时〕 Don't take this the wrong way, but could I stay at your place tonight? 你不要误会啊，但今晚我能在你这里过夜吗？get the wrong end of the stick /get ðə ˌrɒŋ end əv ðə ˈstɪkǁ-ˌrɔːŋ-/ [verb phrase]Britishan informal expression meaning to make a mistake about one part of something that you are told, so that you understand the rest of it in completely the wrong way 【英】〔对听到的话〕完全误解〔非正式用语〕 Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick. I thought she was leaving him, not the other way round. 也许是我弄错了，我以为是她要离开他，而不是他要离开她。be at cross-purposes /biː ət ˌkrɒs ˈpɜːʳpəsz ǁ-ˌkrɔːs-/ [verb phrase]if two peopleare at cross-purposes, each of them thinks that they understand what the other is talking about, when in fact they are talking about two different things 〔两人〕互相误会 I think we're at cross purposes -- I'm talking about John, not Nigel. 我想我们彼此误解了——我说的是约翰，不是奈杰尔。don't get me wrong /ˌdəʊnt get miː ˈrɒŋǁ-ˈrɔːŋ/spokensay this when you do not want someone to understand something wrongly or be upset by what you say 【口】别误会我 I like Jenny, don't get me wrong, but I do think she acts a little childishly at times. 我喜欢珍妮，你别误会，但我确实觉得她有时候有点幼稚。 Don't get me wrong, I love my family, I just don't want to be with them all the time. 别误会我的意思，我爱我的家人，只是不想一直都跟他们待在一起。lose the plot /ˌluːz ðə ˈplɒtǁ-ˈplɑːt/ [verb phrase]British spokento suddenly be unable to understand what is happening in a situation, especially when people expect you to understand and deal with it 【英口】〔对某情况感到〕困惑，不知所措〔尤指人们期望你明白和懂得处理时〕 In the past few days the President seems to have completely lost the plot. 在过去的几天里，总统似乎完全不知所措了。10 to not understand 不理解not understand /nɒt ʌndəʳˈstænd/ [verb phrase] They didn't understand a single word she said. 她的话他们一句也听不懂。 Tell me if you don't understand. 你不明白的话就告诉我。 She thought about getting a divorce, but she knew her children would never understand. 她想过要离婚，但她知道孩子们不会理解的。 He made a few references to the CIA and national security, which Wilson did not understand. 他几次提到了中央情报局和国家安全，对此威尔逊不理解。not understand why/how/what/where I really can't understand why so many people like her music. 我真弄不懂为什么有那么多人喜欢她的音乐。can't make head or/nor tail ofalsocan't makes heads or tails (out) ofAmerican /ˌkɑːnt meɪk ˌhed ɔːʳ, nɔːʳ ˈteɪl ɒv, ˌkɑːnt meɪk ˌhedz ɔːʳ ˈteɪlz (aʊt) ɒvǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase]informalto be unable to understand something at all because it is very complicated or confusing 【非正式】〔由于某事太复杂或混乱而〕完全不理解，对…茫无头绪 I just can't make head or tail of this train timetable. 这张火车时刻表我一点都看不懂。 I couldn't make head or tail of this book, and had real trouble finishing it. 我看不懂这本书，要看完它实在困难。 Consumers can't always make heads or tails out of the way nutrition is labeled on a food package. 消费者不是总能搞得清楚食品包装上标明的营养成分。be over somebody's head /biː ˌəʊvəʳ somebodyˈs ˈhed/ [verb phrase]to be much too complicated or technical for someone to understand 太高深而超越某人的理解力 It was obvious from her expression that what I was saying was over her head. 从她的表情可以明显看出，我的话她理解不了。be way/completely over somebody's head I went to the lecture, but it was way over my head. 我去听讲座了，但是完全不知所云。be out of your depth /biː ˌaʊt əv jɔːʳ ˈdepθ/ [verb phrase]to be involved in a situation or activity which is too difficult for you to understand 超出…的理解能力 She was out of her depth in the advanced class, so they moved her to the intermediate class. 她在高级班学习跟不上，所以他们就把她转到中级班去。be way/completely out of your depth I tried to read the report, but I was way out of my depth. 我试图读懂这份报告，但是完全看不懂。be none the wiser /biː ˌnʌn ðə ˈwaɪzəʳ/ [verb phrase]to still not understand something after someone has tried to explain it to you 〔经解释〕仍不明白，依然不懂 I've read the manual but I'm still none the wiser. 我看了说明书，可还是不懂。leave somebody none the wiser His explanations of how it worked left me none the wiser. 听了他对工作原理的解释我仍不明白。don't/can't see /ˌdəʊnt, ˌkɑːnt ˈsiːǁ -ˌkænt-/ [verb phrase]spokento not understand the reason for something 【口】不明白〔原因〕don't/can't see why/how/what/where I didn't see how they could sell it so cheaply. 我不明白他们怎么能卖得这么便宜。 I can't see why you think it's any of your business. 我不明白这事跟你有什么关系。be a mystery to me/be beyond me/beats me /biː ə ˌmɪstəri tə ˈmiː, biː bɪˌjɒnd ˈmiːǁ-ˌjɑːnd-, ˌbiːts ˈmiː/ [verb phrase]spokensay this when you cannot understand why something happens or how someone does something, and you find it very surprising 【口】对我来说是个谜/我不明白/我弄不懂be a mystery to me/be beyond me/beats me how/what/why etc It's a mystery to me how he can get so much work done in such a short time. 真搞不懂他怎么能在这么短的时间里干这么多的事。 Why anyone would willingly do that job is beyond me. 我不明白为什么有人心甘情愿干这工作。it beats me/it's beyond me etc. ‘Why does she stay with her husband then?’ ‘It beats me.’ “那么她为什么要跟她丈夫在一起呢？”“我也觉得费解。”I can't think/can't imagine /aɪ ˌkɑːnt ˈθɪŋk, ˌkɑːnt ɪˈmædʒnǁ -ˌkænt-/you sayI can't think orI can't imagine how or why someone does something when you cannot think of any reasonable explanation why someone should do it, and are very surprised that they do 我想不通/我想不出来I can't think/can't imagine why/how etc He wants to join the army -- I can't think why. 他想参军—我想不出为什么。 How such a stupid man ever got to be a politician, I just can't imagine. 这么愚蠢的人居然成了政治家，我就是想不通。11 difficult or impossible to understand 难以理解或不可能理解的puzzling /ˈpʌzlɪŋ/ [adjective]apuzzling situation makes you feel confused, because you have tried to understand it or explain it, but you cannot 令人迷惑的，令人费解的 The police are investigating the puzzling death of a man found on the freeway. 警方正在调查在高速公路上发现的一名男子离奇死亡的原因。 Alzheimer's disease is one of medicine's most puzzling and feared illnesses. 阿尔茨海默病是医学界最疑难、最可怕的病症之一。 The fact that many people still do not understand this basic concept is both puzzling and troubling. 很多人仍然不明白这基本的概念，这真令人费解和忧心。baffling /ˈbæflɪŋ/ [adjective]extremely difficult or impossible to understand, and therefore making you feel extremely confused 令人困惑的，难倒的 To an ordinary person, the legal arguments were baffling. 对于普通人来说，法律论据令人费解。 New evidence has provided a clue to one of the most baffling crimes the police have had to deal with. 新的证据给这桩罪案提供了线索，这是警方所遇到最棘手的案子之一。incomprehensible /ɪnˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪbəl, ɪnˌkɒmprɪˈhensəbəlǁ-ˌkɑːm-/ [adjective]impossible to understand 无法理解的，难懂的 His English was incomprehensible. 他的英语很难听懂。it is incomprehensible that It is incomprehensible that a tragedy like this could be joked about. 这样的悲剧居然有人拿它开玩笑，让人难以理解。incomprehensible to The leaflet was written in jargon that would have been totally incomprehensible to anyone outside the profession. 传单里用的是行业术语，业外人士完全无法理解。unintelligible /ˌʌnɪnˈtelɪdʒəbəl◂, ˌʌnɪnˈtelədʒəbəl◂/ [adjective]speech or writing that isunintelligible is impossible to understand because it is not clear, simple, or well planned 演说或文章〕难以理解的 Joe muttered something unintelligible, clasping his head in his hands. 乔双手抱头，含糊不清地说了些什么。 Radio transmissions were often cut off or unintelligible. 无线电传送经常会出现中断或信号模糊。incoherent /ˌɪnkəʊˈhɪərənt◂/ [adjective]incoherent speech is very difficult to understand, especially because the person who is speaking is drunk, ill, or very angry 语无伦次的〔尤因喝醉酒、生病或非常生气〕 Harris gave rambling, incoherent answers to questions about the case. 哈里斯在回答涉及此案的问题时东拉西扯，语无伦次。 She was clearly very ill, and at times her speech was incoherent. 她显然病得非常重，有时话也说不清。incoherently [adverb] Rochester was banging his fists on the wall, raging incoherently. 罗切斯特挥拳往墙上猛击，气得语无伦次。obscure /əbˈskjʊəʳ/ [adjective]a statement, joke, or idea that isobscure is very difficult to understand because the meaning is not clear unless it is carefully explained to you 晦涩难懂的 Best's art is eccentric and obscure. 贝斯特的艺术作品怪异，而且晦涩难懂。 Publishers would not print his earlier poetry because they felt it was too obscure. 出版商都不会出版他早期的诗作，觉得它们太晦涩了。