on·ly1 /ˈəʊnli $ ˈoʊn-/ ●●● S1 W1 adverbadv 1 ONLYnot more than a particular number, age etc 仅仅,才 Naomi was only 17 when she got married. 娜奥米结婚时才17岁。
There are only a few cars on the island. 这个岛上只有几辆汽车。
It’s only eight o'clock. 才8点钟。
2 ONLYused to say that something or someone is not very important, serious etc 只是,不过〔表示不重要、不严重等〕 It was only a joke. 这只是个玩笑。
It’s an interesting job, but it’s only temporary. 这工作很有意思,但只是临时性的。
They’re only small cuts, nothing life-threatening. 这些只不过是轻微的割伤,不会危及生命。
3 ONLYnothing or no one except a particular person or thing 只限,只有 Only the president can authorize a nuclear attack. 只有总统才能授权发动核攻击。
We use only the best ingredients. 我们只选用最佳的食材。
women/men/residents etc only The car park is for staff only. 这个停车场只限员工使用。
4 ONLYused to say that something happens or is possible in one particular situation or place and no others, or for one particular reason 只有(在…的情况下才…) I’ll tell you, but only if you don’t tell anyone else. 我告诉你,但条件是你不告诉别人。
I ate the food, but only because I was starving. 我吃了这些食物,但只是因为我饿极了。
The transfer takes place only when the data is complete. 唯有当数据完整后才可以开始传输。
5 GRAMMAR 语法You can put a phrase or clause beginning with only first, to emphasize it. You put the subject after an auxiliary in the main clause. 可将only置于短语或从句前,表示强调,主句中的主语置于助动词后
Only in London did I find a purpose in life.只有在伦敦我才找到了生活的目标。
Only by changing themselves can organizations continue to succeed.机构只有自我变革才能继续成功。
n Only usually comes between the subject and the main verb: I only saw two people.
Only usually comes between an auxiliary verb and a main verb: I can only see two people.
When you want to emphasize what you are saying, you sometimes use only at the beginning of a sentence, and put the auxiliary verb before the subject: Only later did I understand what she meant.
Only by improving social and economic conditions can good health be achieved.
5 TIME/AT A PARTICULAR TIMEno earlier than a particular time 不早于,才,刚only yesterday/last week/recently ‘When did you email her?’ ‘Only yesterday.’ “你什么时候给她发电子邮件的?”“昨天刚发的。”
only then did/would/could etc somebody do something (=at that moment and not before) 直到那时某人才/才会/才可以等做某事 Only then did she tell him about the attack. 直到那时她才把袭击的事告诉他。
6 only just British EnglishBrE a) SHORT TIMEa very short time ago 才,刚刚 She’s only just got up. 她刚起来。
b) ALMOSTalmost not 差点没 SYN barely I only just finished my essay in time. 我差点来不及把文章写完。
7 can only hope/wait etc used to say that it is not possible to do more than hope etc 只能希望/等待等 We can only hope it won’t rain on the day. 我们只能希望那天别下雨。
8 I can only think/suppose/assume (that) spoken used when you are giving a reason for something, to say that you do not know something for certain but think that this is the only possible reason 我只能认为/假定/假设〔用于说明唯一可能的理由〕 I can only assume that it was a mistake. 我只能假设这是一个错误。
I can only think/suppose/assume (that)• As for an Iguana Air, I can only assume it's a tropical airline.• Now if I can only think of their name. 9 I only wish/hope spokenHOPEWANT used to express a strong wish or hope 但愿/希望 ‘What’s happening?’ ‘I only wish I knew.’ “发生什么事?”“但愿我能知道。”
10 if only spoken used to express a strong wish 但愿,如果…就好了 If only he’d call! 但愿他会来电话!
if only• He may have survived if only he could have found it.• Oh, if only he were different!• Oh ma'am if only I had shown myself strong in the face of temptation!• She was certain that if only they could get away, he'd go superbly over this country.• Women needed men, if only to get out of the company of other women.• I am setting off next Wednesday ... Ah, if only we had clarinets too!• A compelling performance consequence can always be found, if only you choose to find, communicate, and manage toward it.
11 you’ll only spokenBAD used to tell someone that what they want to do will have a bad effect 你只会〔用于告诉某人其所做的事只会带来坏结果〕 Don’t interfere – you’ll only make things worse. 别插手,你只会把事情搞得更糟。
12 you only have to read/look at/listen to etc something spokenPROVE used to say that it is easy to know that something is true because you can see or hear things that prove it 你只要读一读/看一下/听一听等某事物〔用于表示要了解事实真相很容易〕 You only have to look at the statistics to see that things are getting worse. 你只要看一看统计数据就能知道情况在变糟。
13 only to SURPRISEDDISAPPOINTEDused to say that someone did something, with a disappointing or surprising result 结果只是〔用于表示结果令人失望或感到意外〕 I arrived only to find that the others had already left. 我到了之后却发现别人都已走了。
14 only too very 很,非常 Prices have risen sharply, as we know only too well. 我们都很清楚价格已经急剧上涨。
Mark was only too happy to agree with her. 马克完全赞同她。
→ not only ... but (also) at not(4), → only have eyes for somebody at eye1(32), → for somebody’s eyes only at eye1(25)