a)UNDERSTAND#to be involved in a situation or activity that is too difficult for you to understand or deal with 不能理解,超出本身的能力
I felt completely out of my depth at the meeting.
我在会上感到自己一点都听不懂。
b)WATERBritish EnglishBrE to be in water that is too deep for you to stand in 【英】在水深没顶的地方
Examples from the Corpus
be out of your depth• All went through him, and the hapless McCann, theoretically marking him, was out of his depth.• But he is out of his depth.• I tried to read the report, but I was way out of my depth.• I was hopelessly out of my depth in collegechemistry classes.• While the old hands somehow muddle through, novicesare out of their depth within minutes.• She was out of her depth in the advancedclass, so they moved her to the intermediate class.
5the depths of somethingwhen a bad feeling or situation is at its worst level 〔坏情绪或坏情况〕最强烈的时刻,最糟糕的时候
She was in the depths of despair.
她处于绝望的深渊之中。
The country was recovering from the depths of recession.
这个国家正在从最严重的经济衰退中恢复过来。
Examples from the Corpus
the depths of something• In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaksbelong to him.• A tidalwave, coming from the depths of the waters, shook those coasts violently while the burial was going on.• From the depths of my patchy education, I recalled that Shelley had drowned in a storm on a lake.• The central attraction is the TropicalSwimmingParadise, which claims to maintain a sub-tropical climate even in the depths of mid-winter.• There were some joints in the depths of the freezer, but he didn't like to attack these.• The Trummelbach Falls are nearby, spectacularwaterfalls which plunge into the depths of the mountain.• It was Amy who correctly assessed her brother, although not even she plumbedthe depths of his duplicity.• This detail in the story shows that the son was driven to the depths ofdespair.
6the depths of the ocean/countryside/forest etcDNMIDDLEthe part that is furthest away from people, and most difficult to reach 海洋深处/偏远的乡村/森林深处等
Astronomers may one day travel to the depths of space.
天文学家也许有一天可以到太空深处去。
Examples from the Corpus
the depths of the ocean/countryside/forest etc• The sporadicgunfire, explosions and shouting in the depths of the forest, seemed to belong to a different world.• So the depths of the oceans are full of lights moving rhythmically around and continually turning off and on.• Illegalactivity is not limited to the depths of the forest.
7.the depths of winterTMCPERIOD OF TIMEthe middle of winter, especially when it is very cold 隆冬
Examples from the Corpus
the depths of winter• Sexy underwear's got nothing on thermalbritches and vests when it comes to keeping you cosy in the depths of winter.• Even in the depths of winter the sea ice is never a complete cover.• Always try to see a prospective home in the depths of winter.• This lightningcampaignundertaken in the depths of winter while most people were still celebrating Christmas had the desired effect.• All the windows were shuttered as if we were in the depths of winter.• Besides I don't think the gondoliers work in the depths of winter.
8.the depthsliteraryDEEP the deepest parts of the sea 海洋深处,深海
depth of knowledge/understanding/experience• He talks about them non-stop, rapid-fire, revealing a depth of knowledge that contradicts the simplicity of the subject.• The demands for higher testscores seem to emphasizespeed and coverage, not depth of understanding or commitment.• I know of no-one else who has the same depth of knowledge of the subject and who can write with such articulation.• Over-familiarity with a particular area may lead to an assumption that others have the same depth of knowledge.• But the depth of experience on which children can rely when they encounter a new topic varies from one topic to another.• In all cases the depth of knowledge required should be more advanced than that required for ProfessionalExaminations.• But they can not gain the depth of knowledge and analysis required for sound and reasoneddecision making.