1plants/animals etc 植物/动物等 [uncountableU] (also Nature)HBHE everything in the physical world that is not controlled by humans, such as wild plants and animals, earth and rocks, and the weather 大自然,自然界
We grew up in the countryside, surrounded by the beauties of nature.
我们在乡村长大,周围是美丽的大自然。
nature conservation
自然保护
the laws/forces of nature
The inhabitants of the island fight a constant battle against the forces of nature.
那座岛上的居民经常和大自然的力量抗争。
in nature
All these materials are found in nature.
所有这些材料都能在自然界中找到。
Disease is nature’s way of keeping the population down.
疾病是大自然控制人口的方法。
nGrammar
Don’t say ‘the nature’ in this meaning. You say:
the power of nature
✗Don’t say: the power of the nature
2SB’s character 某人的性格 [countableC, uncountableU]CHARACTER/PERSONALITY someone’s character 本性,天性
a child with a happy, easy-going nature
个性开朗、容易相处的孩子
somebody’s nature
It’s just not in Jane’s nature to lie.
简天生不会撒谎。
by nature
She was by nature a very affectionate person.
她生性就是个非常亲切的人。
I tried appealing to his better nature (=his feelings of kindness) but he wouldn’t agree to help us.
我想唤起他的善良本性,但他就是不同意帮助我们。
Of course she’s jealous – it’s only human nature (=the feelings and ways of behaving that all people have).
她当然嫉妒——这是人的天性。
3qualities of STH 某物的特征 [singular, uncountableU]CHARACTER OF something the qualities or features that something has 特点,性质
nature of
They asked a lot of questions about the nature of our democracy.
他们询问了很多关于我们民主制度本质的问题。
He examined the nature of the relationship between the two communities.
他调查了那两个社区之间关系的特点。
exact/precise/true nature
The exact nature of the problem is not well understood.
大家还未弄清楚该问题的确切本质。
different/political/temporary etc in nature
Any government funding would be temporary in nature.
任何政府资助终究都是暂时性的。
Capitalist society is by its very nature unstable.
从本质而言,资本主义社会是不稳定的。
4type 类型 [singular]TYPE a particular kind of thing 类别,种类
of a personal/political/difficult etc nature
The support being given is of a practical nature.
提供的支援是实用性的。
of this/that nature
I never trouble myself with questions of that nature.
我从不自寻烦恼考虑那类问题。
5in the nature of thingsNORMALaccording to the natural way things happen 按照事物的规律
In the nature of things, there is bound to be the occasional accident.
按照事物的规律,偶尔发生事故是必然的。
Examples from the Corpus
in the nature of things• In the nature of things, a shrinkingeconomy means less job security.• Disputes over authorship are fiercely fought, and in the nature of things, frequently impossible to resolve with finality.• But, in the nature of things, old people spend much more time indoors.• His extraordinaryrevenue came, in the nature of things, in irregularbursts, mostly concentrated in his first ten years.• That is in the nature of things.• Anyhow, something dreadful in the way of retribution had occurred, in the nature of things.• It was in the nature of things, for time and tide would wait for no man.
6be in the nature of somethingformal to be similar to a type of thing 类似某事物
The enquiry will be more in the nature of a public meeting than a formal hearing.
调查将更像是一次公众会议而不是正式的听证会。
Examples from the Corpus
be in the nature of something• As you said, it is in the nature of young men to be foolhardy and impetuous.• It is in the nature of Forester's aim that he does not.• It is in the nature of the law, however, to be couched in abstractterms.• It was in the nature of love that JohnWade went to the war.• It was in the nature of things, for time and tide would wait for no man.• It was in the nature of things.• It would be in the nature of a liaisonvisit.• But she knew Ellen would write and that the letter would be in the nature of both a declaration and a justification.
7against naturenot natural, and morally wrong 违背天性;不道德
They believe that suicide is against nature.
他们认为自杀违背天性。
8let nature take its courseNOT DO somethingto allowevents to happen without doing anything to change the results 顺其自然,任其自然发展
The best cure for a cold is to let nature take its course.
治感冒最好的办法就是顺其自然。
Examples from the Corpus
let nature take its course• Staycalm and let nature take its course.• Just relax and let nature take its course.• The best is to obtainjuveniles from a number of sources, rear them together and let nature take its course.• I meant that, in the case of any other industry, we probably would have let nature take its course.• Should I just let nature take its course or stop it now?• With a cold, it's better to just let nature take its course.• I think we should let nature take its course.
9back to natureNATURALa style of living in which people try to live simply and not use modernmachines 〔生活方式的〕返璞归真,回归自然
city workers who want to get back to nature in their holidays
休假时想回归自然的城市上班族
Examples from the Corpus
back to nature• He longed to explore, to take the wildadventure of going completely back to nature.• Such languageglancesback to natureworship.• When people talk of going back to nature, do they really know what they are asking for?
the laws/forces of nature• Some people say that grips should be individual but I believe that it is impossible to change the laws of nature.• It was one of man's more successfulattempts at curbingthe forces of nature.• In a way, all of us dislikethe laws of nature.• It is the laws of nature, not the local manifestations of them, that are universal.• After looking at me carefully, they decided that I was a creatureoutsidethe laws of nature.• Everything has been turned into pleasure, euphoria, the ecstasy of seeing the laws of naturecrumble before your eyes.• But they were not willing to see one acre of irrigated land succumb to the forces of nature, regardless of cost.
It’s ... in ... nature• It's in my nature to work very hard.• But they always do ripen; it's in their nature.
nature of• Information technology has changed the nature of work.
of a personal/political/difficult etc nature• She didn't think anything of a personal nature had entered the conversation.• Mahmoud had been unable to uncover anything of a personal nature which might have prompted the attack.• There are, however, several decreesof a political natureworthy of consideration, not previously discussed.• No donationsof a political nature were made.• If Richard was not at home with words, still less was he at home with questions of a personal nature.