2start happening 开始发生 [intransitiveI, transitiveT] if something begins, or you begin something, it starts to happen or exist from a particular time (使)开始〔发生或存在〕
It was the coldest winter since records began.
那是有史以来最寒冷的冬天。
begin at
The meeting begins at 10.30 am.
会议上午10点半开始。
3do first 首先做 [intransitiveI] if you begin with something or begin by doing something, this is the first thing you do 以…开始
begin with
Shall we begin with a prayer?
我们先做个祷告好吗?
begin by doing something
I’ll begin by thanking you all for being here tonight.
首先我要感谢大家今晚来到这里。
4book/word etc 书/单词等 [intransitiveI] if a book, film, or word begins with something, it starts with a particular event or letter 〔书、电影或单词〕以…开始,以…开头
begin with
‘Psychosis’ begins with a P.
单词 psychosis的第一个字母是p。
Register
In everyday English, people usually say start rather than begin: 在日常英语中,人们一般说start,而不说begin
The movie starts at 7.45.
电影7点45分开始。
Let’s start by introducing ourselves.
我们首先自我介绍吧。
Not many English names start with X.
以X开头的英语名字不多。
5speech 话语 [intransitiveI, transitiveT] to start speaking 开始(说话)
‘Ladies and gentlemen, ’ he began. ‘I am delighted to be here.’
“女士们,先生们,”他开始发言说,“我很高兴来到这里。”
6to begin with
a)spoken used to introduce the first and most important point you want to make 首先〔用于引出首先想说的、最重要的内容〕
Well, to begin with, he shouldn’t even have been driving my car.
好吧,首先他本来就不应该开我的车。
b)NOWused to say that something was already in a particular condition before something else happened 原来
I didn’t break it! It was like that to begin with.
不是我弄坏的!它原来就是这样的。
c)FIRSTduring the first part of a process or activity 起初,开始的时候
The kids helped me to begin with, but they soon got bored.
开始时孩子们都来帮忙,但他们很快就厌烦了。
Examples from the Corpus
to begin with• It might be on sale, but it was way overpriced to begin with.• You don't need a complex system for that - just time and some simplelogicto begin with.• Your first effort may well look like a ragdoll, but this is quite adequateto begin with.• If the bonds were ours to begin with..• It was totally unnecessary, to begin with.• They were Hale and Paceto begin with.• But there is too little water to begin with, and water in rivers is phenomenally-expensive to move.• To begin with, much of this new housing is not affordable.• To keep from going into debtto begin with, set a budget and stick to it.• The trick is to begin with the empty set, which has no members.• Hopefully, the testitems gave you some ideas about where to begin with your positiveplot.
7can’t begin to understand/imagine etcspokenDIFFICULT used to emphasize how difficult something is to understand etc 根本无法理解/想象等
I can’t begin to imagine how awful it was.
我简直无法想象情况有多糟。
8begin (something) as somethingphrasal verbphr vto be a particular thing at the start of your existence, working life etc 〔指生活、工作等〕从…开始,从…做起
Roger began his career as an office boy.
罗杰的事业是从办公室打杂开始的。
Examples from the Corpus
begin as • Jones, a registerednurse, began working as a centervolunteer in 1983 and became director of operations in 1989.• The daughter of a distinguished Cambridge mathematics tutor, she began work as a Sunday school teacher in the 1850s.• Gary, 26, left school with just four CSEs and began working as an engineer.• Men of industry and commercebegan to emerge as men of some wealth.• Melissa's heart began to thump as she peered round to see what was causing the obstruction.• My head began to pound as soon as I got there.• The formerbegan to subside as the managersprogressed through the year; the latter, however, would remain.
nGrammar
Begin belongs to a group of verbs where the same noun can be the subject of the verb or its object.
You can say:
They began the meeting at 9.
In this sentence, ‘the meeting’ is the object of begin.
You can also say:
The meeting began at 9.
In this sentence, ‘the meeting’ is the subject of begin.
5FREQUENCY 使用频率
Examples from the Corpus
begin• Once the children were quiet, the teacherbegan.• Casting for the play will begin next week.• Several new businesses beganoperating during the year and are already trading profitably.• The audience suddenly beganshouting and cheering.• And when he begins that breathing, he automatically feels calm and in control.• They began their holiday in Italy, and then went on to Greece.• Peter came in and began to chat me up.• More and more people are beginning to do their shopping on-line.• As the meatbegins to firm from cooking, it will be less likely to stick to the grill.• "What do you mean?" she said, beginning to laugh.• I held the stare until my eyes began to water.