1DESCRIBEto say what something or someone is like by giving details about them 描述,描写,叙述,形容
The police asked her to describe the man.
警察叫她描述一下那名男子。
Another approach to the problem is described in Chapter 3.
这个问题的另一种解决方法在第三章有所阐述。
describe somebody/something as (being/having) something
After the operation her condition was described as comfortable.
手术后她的身体状况被描述为良好。
The youth is described as being 18 to 19 years old.
据描述这名青年有十八九岁。
describe how/why/what etc
It’s difficult to describe how I feel.
很难形容我的感受。
describe somebody/something to somebody
So describe this new boyfriend to me!
那么,和我说说这位新男友吧!
describe doing something
He described finding his mother lying on the floor.
他叙述说发现他妈妈躺在地板上。
2describe a circle/an arc etcformalSIGN/GESTURE to make a movement which forms the shape of a circle etc 画出[形成]一个圆形/一道弧线等
Her hand described a circle in the air.
她用手在空中画了一个圆圈。
Examples from the Corpus
describe a circle/an arc etc• Chen saw the knifedescribe an arc through the air and felt himself flinch.
THESAURUS
describe to talk or write about a person, place, event etc, in order to show what they are like 描述;叙述
Could you try and describe the man you saw?
你能不能试着描述一下你看见的那名男子?
In her book, she describes her journey across the Sahara.
在书中,她描写了她的穿越撒哈拉沙漠之旅。
Police described the attack as particularly violent.
警方说这次袭击极其暴力。
tell somebody about somebody/something to describe someone or something to someone. This phrase is more commonly used than describe in everydayspoken English 告诉某人有关某人/某事物的情况〔在日常口语中比describe常用〕
So, tell me about your holiday!
那么,给我讲讲你的假期吧!
My friends have told me all about you!
我的朋友已经把你的一切都告诉给我了!
depict formal to describe someone or something in a piece of writing 〔以文字〕描绘
His stories depict life in Trinidad as seen through the eyes of a young boy.
他的小说以一个小男孩的视角描绘了特立尼达的生活。
In this new biography she is depicted as a lonely and unhappy woman.
在这部新的传记中,她被描绘成一个孤独、忧郁的女人。
portray/represent formal to describe someone or something in a particular way 刻画
College teachers are often represented on television shows as slightly eccentric.
大学老师在电视节目里常常被刻画成有点古怪的样子。
The magazine has been criticized for the way it portrays women.
这本杂志因为它描绘女性的方式而受到抨击。
nThe treatment has been portrayed as a painless way of curing cancer, which is simply not true.
nPolice have represented her as a willing participant in the crimes.
characterize somebody/something as something formal to describe someone or something by emphasizing one particular quality or feature about them 把某人/某事物描绘成…〔以凸显某种特性〕
He characterized himself as ‘an average American’.
他形容自己是 “一个普通的美国人” 。
The successful schools were characterized as innovative and creative.
成功的学校被描述成富有创新精神。
paint somebody/something as something to describe someone or something, especially in a way that makes people believe something that is not true 〔尤指误导性地〕把某人/某事物描绘成…
Not all young people are as bad as they’re painted in the press.
不是所有的年轻人都像新闻报道描绘的那样坏。
We won, yet the media is painting it as a victory for our opponents.
我们赢了,然而媒体却把这说成是我们对手的胜利。
nThe woman was painted as having only a slight grasp of reality.
paint a picture to describe a situation, so that people can get a general idea of what it is like 描述,概述〔情况〕
Can you paint a picture of life in Japan for us?
你能为我们描述一下日本的生活吗?
My uncle’s letters generally painted a rosy picture of how things were.
我叔叔的来信几乎都是说事事如意。
nThe report painted a bleak picture of the management’s failures.
Examples from the Corpus
describe• The need for time-cues to produce a body clock with a stable 24-hourperiod has already been described.• Piaget described and accounted for the change of schemata with accommodation.• In her book, she describes her journey across the Sahara.• It would be impossible to list them all or to describe how at different times they have been better or worse.• It's difficult to describe how I felt.• Our other project for this year - the Glenburrell bridge - was described in detail in the last Journal.• Many of the players to whom we spoke described in some detail their own experiences of playing when injured.• The brokerage we just described is but one example of an enterprise at odds with itself.• To describe myself as Black in a situation where most people shared my complexion was absurd.• Police described the attack as particularly violent.• This Navajofolktaledescribes the creation of the Earth.• I tried to describe the feeling to my doctor, but she didn't understand.• Could you try and describe the man you saw?• I will also try to describewhy, after a decade of using Macintosh, I still find it exhilarating.• How would you describe yourself?