1[intransitiveI always + adverbadv/prepositionprep, transitiveT]TTW to travel on or across an area of water in a boat or ship (乘船)航行
sail across/into/out of etc
the first Europeans to sail across the Atlantic
乘船横渡大西洋的首批欧洲人
Three tall ships sailed past.
三艘大船驶了过去。
She always wanted to sail around the world.
她一直想要乘船环游世界。
sail the Pacific/the Atlantic etc
We’re taking two months off to sail the Caribbean.
我们要请两个月假去加勒比海航行。
2[intransitiveI]TTW to start a journey by boat or ship 起航
We sail at dawn.
我们在黎明时起航。
sail for
They’re sailing for Antigua next week.
他们下星期要起航前往安提瓜岛。
3[intransitiveI, transitiveT]TTW to direct or control the movement of a boat or ship that has a sail 驾驶(船只)
Blake sailed the ship safely through the narrow passage.
布莱克驾船安全驶过这条狭窄的航道。
My father taught me to sail.
我父亲教过我驾船。
4[intransitiveI always + adverbadv/prepositionprep]TTA to move quickly and smoothly through the air 飘过;飞过
sail through/over/into etc
A ball came sailing over the fence.
一只球飞过围栏。
5[intransitiveI always + adverbadv/prepositionprep]WALK to move forwards gracefully and confidently 优雅而自信地走
She sailed into the room.
她翩然走进房间。
6.sail close to the windBritish EnglishBrERISK to do or say something that is nearly wrong, illegal, or dishonest 近乎违法;几乎逾规;近乎说谎
Examples from the Corpus
sail close to the wind• They had quite a reputation for sailing close to the wind.• With his own property, it was perhaps easier too for a baron to take risks or sail close to the wind.
7sail through somethingphrasal verbphr vSEPASS A TESTto succeed very easily in a test, examination etc 顺利通过〔考试等〕
sail• The ship sailed at dusk.• She sailed by without looking at him.• We had crossed over to Mykines early in the day, sailing down the long fiord from the village of Sørvágur.• We sail first thing in the morning• We'll sail from Miami to Nassau.• He sailed from Southampton on May 6th.• There was a picture of Dicksailing his boat in the Caribbean.• Are you capable of sailing in the prevailingconditions?• Clearly the 49ers are sailing in uncharted waters.• I sail past a little development of off-the-shelfranch homes.• Jeff ducked as the ballsailed past his head.• I just want to quit my job and sail the SouthPacific.• He could sail this water drunk and blindfolded.• The Pequod sailed toward the island.• I sail up the hill and along Hyde Hill Lane as if I were a balloon.
sail around the world• Yachtsmen, too, after sailing around the world with only the wind as a companion.
sail for• What year did Columbus sail for the New World?
sail through/over/into etc• But the relatively small civil service portion could sail through, if Republicans sign on to them.• The United States insists it has the right to sail through the international waters of the strait.• The prospect of sailing into the late autumn was itself the majorworry.• Philip Jimeno offered the bill, expecting it to sail through the legislature.• Here it probably happened by sailing into the steepwave resulting in a suddenloss of speed.• Marie Brown thought she was one of the fortunate ones to sail throughunaffected.• I stood back and she went past me like a ship sailing intowar.• The imaginarycentral point in the sail through which the power of the sail acts.