a)[uncountableU]BREATHE the air that you send out of your lungs when you breathe 呼出的气
Leo could smell the wine on her breath.
利奥闻到她呼吸中有葡萄酒的味道。
Let your breath out slowly.
慢慢地呼气。
b)[uncountableU]BREATHE air that you take into your lungs 吸入的气
When he reached the top of the stairs, his heart was pounding and he was gasping for breath.
他爬到楼梯顶端时,心怦怦直跳,大口地喘着气。
c)[countableC] an amount of air that you take into your lungs 吸气量,一口气
Shaun took a deep breath and dived in.
肖恩深深地吸了口气,然后一头扎入水中。
Do not confuse the noun breath /breθ/ with the verb breathe /briːð/: She took a deep breath and continued. | I can’t breathe in here!
不要混淆名词breath /breθ/和动词breathe /briːð/: She took a deep breath and continued.她吸了一口气,然后继续。 | I can’t breathe in here!我在这里都没法呼吸!
2a breath of fresh air
a)NEWsomething that is new and different in a way you think is exciting and good 一股新的气息,新的活力
Osborne’s play brought a breath of fresh air to the British theatre.
奥斯本的戏剧给英国戏剧带来一股新的气息。
b)COLDcleanairoutside, that you feel you need after being inside for a long time 新鲜空气
I’m going outside for a breath of fresh air.
我要出去透透气。
Examples from the Corpus
a breath of fresh air• I'm going outside for a breath of fresh air.• You really want to turn around and get a breath of fresh air.• Moving to this bigapartment was like a breath of fresh air.• As I say, we mustintroduce a breath of fresh air into the inspectionsystem.• Comes to corner of the street for a breath of fresh air.• His condition is fine and he went out for a breath of fresh air.• Lawrence has proved a master of communication and a breath of fresh air to North-East sportswriters.• Steve Forbes is a breath of fresh air to the process.• Undoubtedly to the disappointment of the leakers, Inman came through the wholeaffair like a breath of fresh air.• We need a breath of fresh air in school inspections.
3don’t hold your breathinformal used to say that something is not going to happen soon 不会很快,有你等的
The system’s due for an update, but don’t hold your breath.
系统应该要更新了,不过有你等的。
Examples from the Corpus
don’t hold your breath• If you're waiting for the Cubs to win the series, don't hold your breath.
4catch your breath (also get your breath back) to startbreathing normally again after running or making a lot of effort 喘口气,恢复正常呼吸
5don’t waste your breath (also save your breath) spoken used to say that someone will not be able to persuade someone else, so there is no point in trying 别浪费口舌
Save your breath. She’s already made up her mind.
别浪费口舌了,她已经打定主意了。
Will he listen to me or will I just be wasting my breath?
6take somebody’s breath awayBEAUTIFUL/GOOD-LOOKINGto be extremely beautiful or exciting 令某人惊叹,令某人叫绝
The view from the top will take your breath away.
从山顶眺望,景色美得令人窒息。
Examples from the Corpus
take somebody’s breath away• The volatility of the top performers can take your breath away.• Middle Earthtook your breath away.• She had taken his breath away when she appeared at the door.• Some of it was charmingly primitive, some of it so exotically painted it took your breath away.• The smoke took your breath away.• And if they don't take your breath away the scenery certainly will.• There are sunsets in hugeskies to take your breath away.• Just a white-hotbonding with the words and feelings in the song, a rawpurity that will take your breath away.
7under your breathQUIETin a quietvoice so that no one can hear you 低声地,压低嗓门地
‘Son of a bitch, ’ he muttered under his breath.
“畜生。”他压低声音说。
Examples from the Corpus
under your breath• And, as he played, he seemed to talk to himself under his breath.• Sitting back, hummingunder his breath, he scanned the waters for anything that might present itself.• "Son of a bitch, " Billmutteredunder his breath.• Greatly relieved, he muttered under his breath and crossed himself several times.• Major Roland Tuckswore peaceably under his breath.• Quietly, under my breath, I began humming Handel.• Peter muttered something resentfulunder his breath, but did as she asked.• He swore under his breath and then quickly thrust the sack back into the water.• He hissed those words under his breath, your friend, his fingersdigging mindlessly into the clear plasticpackets of prophylactics.
8in the same breath
a)TIME/AT THE SAME TIME (also in the next breath) used to say that someone has said two things at once that are so different from each other they cannot both be true 但紧接着,但同时〔指说自相矛盾的话〕
He criticized the film, then predicted in the same breath that it would be a great success.
他批评这部影片不好,但紧接着又说它会很卖座。
b)LIKE/SIMILARif you mention two people or things in the samebreath, you show that you think they are alike or are related 和...一起〔提及,表示认为二者相似或相关联〕
I became nervous when the doctor mentioned my mother’s name and ‘cancer’ in the same breath.
当医生把我母亲的名字和“癌症”联系在一起时,我就变得紧张了。
in the same breath as/with
a young poet mentioned in the same breath as T.S. Eliot
和T.S.艾略特齐名的一位年轻诗人
Examples from the Corpus
breath as/with• Mostly when they are mentioned they are mentioned in the same breath aslegacies.• Unpredictablerecordings like this one keep him from being mentioned in the same breath as the Rippingtons.• No, perhaps you'd better not mention loopaper in the same breath asEastereggs.
9with your last/dying breathDIEat the moment when you are dying 用最后一口气,临终时
With his last breath, he cursed his captors.
他用最后的一口气诅咒绑架他的人。
Examples from the Corpus
with your last/dying breath• With his last breath, he told me he would always love me.
10[singular] written a very small amount or a sign of something 微量;细微迹象
breath of
They did everything they could to avoid the slightest breath of scandal.
他们想尽一切办法避免有一丝一毫的丑闻传出。
11a breath of air/windliteraryAIR a slightmovement of air 一丝微风
Scarcely a breath of air disturbed the stillness of the day.
几乎没有一丝微风搅扰白日的宁静。
Examples from the Corpus
a breath of air/wind• Scarcely a breath of air disturbed the stillness of the day.• Not a breath of air disturbs the tranquilspectacle.• Ramsey presumably leant out for a breath of air.• There was completesilence and not even a breath of wind disturbed the peace.• The moon was hidden under a veil of clouds, and there was not a breath of wind.• There was not a breath of windblowing, and not a leaf or blade of grassstirred.• There was scarcely a breath of wind.• It had been a very cold but bright morning, without a breath of wind.
Alex took a deep breath, then jumped into the pool.
阿历克斯深深吸了一口气,然后跳入池中。
let your breath out (=breathe out) 吐气,呼气
Let your breath out slowly and relax.
慢慢吐气,放松。
hold your breath (=not breathe out for a few seconds or minutes) 屏住呼吸,憋气
How long can you hold your breath underwater?
你在水里能憋气多长时间?
be out of breath (=have difficulty breathing after running, hurrying etc) 喘不过气来
Andrew hurried in, slightly out of breath.
安德鲁匆匆进来,有点上气不接下气。
be short of breath (=be unable to breathe easily because you are ill, old etc) 〔因疾病、年迈等〕呼吸困难
nNear the top of the mountain I started to feel short of breath.
gasp/fight for breath (=have difficulty breathing) 大口喘气
nHe was lying on the floor gasping for breath.
nget your breath back (also catch your breath) (=start breathing normally again)
He leant against a tree until he had got his breath back.
pause for breath 停下来喘口气
nShe talked solidly for five minutes, hardly pausing for breath.
draw breath written (=breathe) 【书面】吸气
nI hid behind the door, hardly daring to draw breath.
adjectives
bad breath (=that smells unpleasant) 口臭
Smoking gives you bad breath.
吸烟会让你有口臭。
a deep/long breath (=in which you breathe a lot of air in slowly) 深深的吸气
She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
她深吸一口气,敲了敲门。
a shallow breath (=in which you breathe a small amount of air in) 浅短的吸气
nShallow breaths are often a sign of nervousness.
phrases
shortness of breath (=when you are unable to breathe easily) 呼吸急促,气短
Symptoms include dizziness and shortness of breath.
症状包括眩晕和呼吸急促。
an intake of breath (=when you breathe in very quickly and suddenly, especially because you are surprised) 〔尤因吃惊〕倒抽一口气
He gave a sharp intake of breath.
他猛地倒吸一口气。
nHis first response was a sharp intake of breath.
Examples from the Corpus
breath• His teeth were rotten and he had bad breath.• She took a few deepbreaths and told herself that she could handle him.• Two minutes and twenty seconds for Shirley, fourteen minutes for Marylin, and for Virginia, a few breaths.• To get rid of garlicbreath try strong coffee, cloves, honey, yogurt, or parsley.• A slightpopping, as if she had been holding her breath.• Her breathcaught as a strange little frisson of excitementslid from her throat to her toes at the thought.• The boylaughed at them for running and being out of breath for nothing.• I could feel the horse's breath on the back of my neck.• Seconds later, the breath once again hissed into her chest, this time with painfulintensity.• It was so cold they could see their breath.• She tensed; very softy he blew into her ear, until she quivered as his warmbreath passed through her.• How long can you hold your breathunderwater?• I can smellalcohol on your breath.