IMPOSSIBLE1 when something cannot be done2 when something cannot happen, exist, or be true3 impossible to get4 to make something impossibleRELATED WORDSoppositePOSSIBLEsee alsoCAN/CAN'T1 when something cannot be done 某事不可能被做成impossible /ɪmˈpɒsɪbəl, ɪmˈpɒsəbəlǁɪmˈpɑː-/ [adjective]something that is impossible cannot be done 不可能的，办不到的 We're supposed to do all this work by tomorrow, but it's impossible. 我们应该到明天就要完成所有工作的，但这是不可能的。 It's a seemingly impossible task. 这是一项似乎无法完成的工作。it is impossible (for somebody/something) to do something The twins are so alike that it's impossible to tell them apart. 这对双胞胎长得那么像，不可能把他们区分开来。 The street was narrow and it was impossible for the two buses to pass. 这条街很窄，两辆公共汽车不可能同时通过。make it impossible Her back injury has made it impossible for her to play tennis anymore. 她的背伤使她再也无法打网球了。find it impossiblediscover that you cannot do something 发现无法〔做某事〕 When people leave prison, they often find it impossible to get a job. 从监狱里释放出来的人常常发现找不到工作。not possible /nɒt ˈpɒsbəlǁ-ˈpɑː-/ [adjective]impossible or extremely difficult to do 不可能的，很难办到的 We can't buy a new computer for every student - it's just not possible. 我们不能为每个学生买一台新电脑，这是办不到的。it is not possible (for somebody/something) to do something It is not possible, in a book of this size, to cover every aspect of the subject. 这么大小的一本书不可能把这一课题讲得面面俱到的。 She's in a meeting, so I'm afraid it's not possible for you to see her now. 她正在开会，所以恐怕你现在要见她是不可能的。there's no way /ðeəʳz ˌnəʊ ˈweɪ/especially spokensay this when you strongly believe that something is impossible 【尤口】根本不可能there's no way (that) There's no way we can get to the airport in less than an hour. 在一小时之内我们要赶到机场是绝无可能的。there's no way of knowing something There's no way of knowing when the volcano will erupt again. 根本无法知道这座火山何时再度爆发。impractical /ɪmˈpræktɪkəl/ [adjective]an idea, suggestion, or action that isimpractical is not really possible because it would cost far too much money, waste too much time, be much too difficult etc 〔主意、建议或行动〕不切实际的；无法实现的 Officials stated that building a dam for irrigation purposes was hopelessly impractical. 官员表示为了灌溉而建一座水坝是完全不切实际的。 Telling people to avoid any exposure to the sun is impractical advice. 告诉人们要完全避免暴露在阳光下是不切实际的建议。it is impractical to do something It would be impractical to attempt to review all the types of multimedia technology in this study. 试图在此项研究中评述所有种类的多媒体技术是不切实际的。out of the question /ˌaʊt əv ðə ˈkwestʃən/ [adjective phrase]if an idea or suggestion isout of the question, it is completely impossible or it cannot be allowed 〔主意、建议等〕完全不可能的；是不允许的 I'd love to come with you, but with all the work I have to do it's out of the question. 我很想和你一起去，但我有这么多工作要做，所以是不可能的。 The cost would be over $5000, which is quite out of the question. 费用将超过5,000美元，这当然是办不到的。it's out of the question for somebody (to do something) I'm afraid it's out of the question for you to go alone. 恐怕你独自一个人去是不可以的。can't possibly /ˌkɑːnt ˈpɒsbliǁˌkænt ˈpɑː-/especially spokenuse this in order to emphasize that you think something is impossible 【尤口】不可能〔用于强调〕 You know we can't possibly pay as much as that in rent. 你知道我们支付不起那么高的租金。 That was delicious but I couldn't possibly eat another thing! 那确实很美味，但我一点也吃不下了！hopeless /ˈhəʊpləs/ [adjective]if something that you try to do ishopeless, there is no possibility of it being successful 没有希望的；无法做到的 Police now face the hopeless task of trying to find the bombers. 警方现在面临着找出爆炸元凶这样一个不可能完成的任务。it is hopeless ‘Please let me go to the party’ Ali begged her mother, but she knew it was hopeless. “让我去参加晚会吧。”阿里恳求她的母亲，可心里明白这是不可能的。it is hopeless to do something It's hopeless to try to persuade him while he's in this mood. Let's talk to him tomorrow. 他心情这样想劝说他是不可能的，我们明天和他谈吧。a hopeless causesomething that cannot possibly succeed 无望的事 ‘I do not believe that working to block the movement of cocaine into the US is a hopeless cause,’ McCaffrey told the panel. “我就不相信想办法阻止可卡因进入美国是做不到的事。”麦卡弗里对专家小组说。not stand a chance/not have a hope /nɒt ˌstænd ə ˈtʃɑːnsǁ-ˈtʃæns, nɒt ˌhæv ə ˈhəʊp/ [verb phrase not in progressive]informalto not have any chance of doing what you want, for example because it is much too difficult, someone else will do it first etc 【非正式】根本就没有希望 Everyone in the town votes Republican. The Democrats don't stand a chance. 镇里的每个人都投共和党的票。民主党根本没希望获胜。 There's no point in me applying for the job. I wouldn't have a hope. 我去申请这份工作是无意义的，我根本就没有希望。not stand a chance of doing something ‘The driver of the train didn't stand a chance of stopping in time,’ a Railtrack spokesman said. “这趟火车的司机根本没有及时停车的可能。”铁路网公司的一名发言人说。not have a hope/have no hope of doing something The bank said that it will no longer lend to enterprises that have no hope of making a profit. 这家银行说它将不再向无望赢利的企业贷款。impossibility /ɪmˌpɒsɪˈbɪləti, ɪmˌpɒsəˈbɪlətiǁɪmˌpɑː-/ [singular noun]something that is impossible to do 不可能的事 At first they thought that building a bridge across to the island was an impossibility. 起初他们认为造一座连接大陆与该岛的桥梁是不可能办到的事。 The equal division of all roles is a practical impossibility for many parents. 对许多做父母的来说，要平均分担所有的角色实际上是做不到的事。 I was suddenly struck by the impossibility of achieving our aims. 我忽然间意识到要达到我们的目标是不可能的事。2 when something cannot happen, exist, or be true 某事不可能发生、存在或属实impossible /ɪmˈpɒsɪbəl, ɪmˈpɒsəbəlǁɪmˈpɑː-/ [adjective]use this to say that you are sure that something cannot happen, exist, or be true 不可能的 ‘Did you know that I can hold my breath for three minutes?’ ‘Impossible!’ “你知不知道我可以屏气三分钟？”“这不可能！” ‘The police suspect John.’ ‘But that's impossible. He was with us the whole day.’ “警方怀疑是约翰干的。”“但那不可能啊。他整天和我们在一起。”it is impossible (that) It was impossible that anyone could have survived the crash. 这次车祸不可能有人生还。be not possible /biː nɒt ˈpɒsbəlǁ-ˈpɑː-/ [verb phrase]impossible use this especially when you are very surprised about something 不可能的〔尤用于对某事非常惊讶〕 ‘Abigail won't give us the money,’ said Jim. ‘But that's not possible,’ replied Ben, ‘she told me only this morning that she would.’ “阿比盖尔不肯把钱给我们，”吉姆说道。“但那不可能，”本答道，“她今天早晨还说她会给的。”it is not possible that It's not possible that Kate was at the party too. I would have seen her. 凯特不可能也在聚会上，不然我会看见她的。can't/couldn't /kɑːntǁkænt, ˈkʊdnt/ [modal verb]use this to say that it is not possible for something to have happened or for someone to have done something 不可能 They can't have gone out because all the windows are open. 他们不可能已经出去了，因为所有的窗户都开着。 What you're saying can't possibly be true. I don't believe it. 你说的不可能是真的。我不相信。 New evidence proved that the accused couldn't have been at the scene of the crime. 新的证据证明被告不可能在案发现场。there's no way /ðeəʳz ˌnəʊ ˈweɪ/spokensay this when you strongly believe that something is impossible 【口】根本不可能there's no way (that) There's no way we can possibly get the bed up those stairs. 我们不可能把床抬上那些楼梯。 If the computer system is working properly, there's no way that it could make a mistake. 如果电脑系统运转正常，它就不可能出错。inconceivable /ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbəl/ [adjective]impossible or very difficult to imagine 无法想象的，难以置信的 When I was a boy, having a bath every day was an inconceivable luxury. 在我小时候，每天洗个澡是不可想象的奢侈。 The slaughter thousands of innocent US citizens would have been inconceivable until recently. 直到发生了最近的事件为止，屠杀数千名无辜的美国公民是难以想象的事。it is inconceivable that Many people thought it was inconceivable that the crash could have been an accident. 许多人认为无法想象那次失事会是一次意外。unthinkable /ʌnˈθɪŋkəbəl/ [adjective]if something isunthinkable, it seems impossible because it is so shocking, nasty, difficult etc 无法想象的，难以置信的 The amount of sex on television that we see today would have been unthinkable in previous decades. 如今我们在电视上看到的大量有关性的内容在过去几十年里是无法想象的。it is unthinkable that It is unthinkable that anyone would dare to enter the Control Area without permission. 很难想象有人未经同意胆敢进入控制区域。unthinkable for somebody to do something In those days it was unthinkable for a lady to work outside the home. 那时候妇女出门去工作是无法想象的事。by any/by no stretch of the imagination /baɪ ˌeni, baɪ ˌnəʊ ˌstretʃ əv ði ɪmædʒˈneɪʃən/ [adverb]if something is not possibleby any orby no stretch of the imagination, you cannot even imagine it being possible 无论如何，不管怎么说 The new software program is not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. 这套新软件程序无论怎么讲都不能算是完美的。 By no stretch of the imagination could Carl ever be called good-looking. 无论如何卡尔都算不上英俊。3 impossible to get 不可能得到的unattainable /ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbəl/ [adjective]impossible to achieve 无法得到的，无法达到的 Television can create deep dissatisfaction by portraying lifestyles that are unattainable. 由于展示了无法企及的某些生活方式，电视可能引发人们强烈的不满情绪。 The new exams have been designed for weaker students who, until now, have been set unattainable targets. 新的考试是针对那些到目前为止无法达到所订目标的较差的学生的。 For many young people in rural areas, a university education seems like an unattainable dream. 对边远地区的许多青年而言，大学教育似乎是一个不可企及的梦想。out of reach /ˌaʊt əv ˈriːtʃ/ [adjective phrase]impossible to get or achieve - use this about your aims and things you want very much 〔指目标或想要的东西〕无法得到的，不能实现的 A cure for the HIV virus may not be out of reach for much longer. 消灭艾滋病病毒的疗法在不远的将来可能不再是无法实现的了。 Peace in the region remained the goal, but a permanent solution still seemed out of reach. 这一地区的和平仍是努力的目标，但永久性的解决办法似乎仍难以找到。4 to make something impossible 使某事不可能rule out /ˌruːl ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]to make something impossible, especially something that you had already planned or decided to do 使〔某事〕成为不可能〔尤已计划或决定做的事〕 Mark's serious physical condition ruled out our trip to Hungary that year. 马克严重的身体状况使那年的匈牙利之旅无法成行。 Severe weather conditions ruled out any rescue operation until the following day. 恶劣的天气情况使得救援工作无法进行，要等到明天再继续。preclude /prɪˈkluːd/ [transitive verb]formalto make it impossible for someone to do something 【正式】阻止，杜绝，禁止 Lack of evidence may preclude a trial. 缺乏证据可能使审判无法进行。preclude somebody from doing something These regulations may preclude newspapers from publishing details of politicians’ private lives. 这些规定可能禁止报纸发表详细报道政治家私生活的文章。