let¹ ◙ (letting; past and past participle let) 1. [with obj. and infinitive] not prevent or forbid;allow • 允许,让 »my boss let me leave early. 我老板允许我早些离开。 »you mustn't let yourself get so involved. 你不能让自己陷得太深。 [with obj. and adverbial of direction] allow to pass in a particular direction • 允许通过 »could you let the dog out? 把狗放出去好吗? »a tiny window that let in hardly any light. 几乎透不进光的小窗户。 2. [with obj. and infinitive] used in the imperative to formulate various expressions • [用在祈使句中表达多种意思] (let us或 let's)used as a polite way of making or responding to a suggestion, giving an instruction, or introducing a remark • [用以礼貌地表达建议、命令和引出下文]让我们…吧 »let's have a drink. 我们来喝一杯吧。 »‘Shall we go?’ ‘Yes, let's.’. “咱们是不是该走了?”“好,走吧。”。 (let me 或 let us)used to make a polite offer of help • [表示礼貌地提供帮助]让我(或我们)…(好吗?) »‘Here, let me,’ offered Bruce. “来,让我来帮你,”布鲁斯说。 used to express one's strong desire for something to happen or be the case • [表示很希望某事能发生或就是那种情况]要是…多好啊,但愿 »‘Dear God,’ Jessica prayed, ‘let him be all right.’. “慈爱的上帝,”杰西卡祷告说,“但愿他一切平安。”。 used as a way of expressing defiance or challenge • [表示抗拒或挑衅] »if he wants to walk out, well let him!. 他要是想不干,就让他走!。 used to express an assumption upon which a theory or calculation is to be based • [作为理论或计算的基础或出发点]假设,设 »let A and B stand for X and Y respectively. 假设A与B分别代表X和Y。 3. [with obj.] allow someone to have the use of (a room or property) in return for regular payments • 出租(房屋) »homeowners will be able to let rooms to lodgers without having to pay tax. 业主可以出租房屋而不必付税。 »they've let out their flat. 他们已经把自己的公寓租出去了。 award (a contract for a particular project) to an applicant • (将工程)承包给 »preliminary contracts were let and tunnelling work started. 初步的承包合同已经签好,隧道已经开挖。 ◙ noun 1. [Brit.] a period during which a room or property is rented to someone • [英] 租期 »I've taken a month's let on the flat. 那公寓我租下一个月。 a property available for rent • 待租房,可出租房产 »an unfurnished let. 不含家具的待租房。
【IDIOMS】
◘ let alone 1. used to indicate that something is far less likely, possible, or suitable than something else already mentioned • [表示某事比刚提到的更不可能或更不恰当]更别提 »he was incapable of leading a bowling team, let alone a country. 他连带领保龄球队的本事都没有,更别提领导国家了。 ◘ let someone/thing alone --› seealone ◘ let someone/thing be 1. stop disturbing or interfering with • 别打扰,不干预 »let him be—he knows what he wants. 随他去吧——他知道自己要做什么。 ◘ let someone down gently 1. seek to give someone bad news in a way that avoids causing them too much distress or humiliation • 委婉告诉,给…台阶下 ◘ let something drop (或 fall) 1. casually reveal a piece of information • 无意中说出,不经意透露 »from the things he let drop I think there was a woman in his life. 从他随口说出的话里,我听出他身边有一个女人。 ◘ let fall 1. [Geometry] draw (a perpendicular) from an outside point to a line • [几何] 向一直线作垂线 ◘ let fly 1. attack, either physically or verbally • 对…进行(身体或语言)攻击 »the troops let fly with shells loaded with chemical weapons. 军队用化学武器炮弹进行攻击。 ◘ let oneself go 1. act in an unrestrained or uninhibited way • 率性而为 »you need to unwind and let yourself go. 你该放松下来,干点自己想干的事。 2. become careless or untidy in one's habits or appearance • 不修边幅,邋遢 »he's really let himself go since my mother died. 自从妈妈去世之后,他变得越来越邋遢。 ◘ let someone/thing go 1. allow someone or something to escape or go free • 放,释放 »they let the hostages go. 他们放了人质。 dismiss an employee • 解雇员工 2. (也作 let go 或 let go of)relinquish one's grip on someone or something • 放开,释放 »Adam let go of the reins. 亚当脱手缰绳。 »you must let the past go. 你必须摆脱过去。 ◘ let someone have it 1. [informal] attack someone physically or verbally • [非正式] 揍,教训;痛骂 »I really let him have it for worrying me so much. 他老是烦我,我好好教训了他一顿。 ◘ let in (或 out) the clutch 1. engage (or release) the clutch of a vehicle by releasing pressure on (or applying it to) the clutch pedal • 咬合(或放开)离合器 ◘ let it drop (或 rest) 1. say or do no more about a matter or problem • 到此为止 ◘ let it go (或 pass) 1. choose not to react to an action or remark • 不搭理 »the decision worried us, but we let it go. 这决定让我们担心,不过我们没去理它。 ◘ let someone know 1. inform someone • 告诉某人 »let me know what you think of him. 告诉我你怎么看他。 ◘ let someone/thing loose 1. release someone or something • 放开,放松(某人或某物) »let the dog loose for a minute. 把狗放开一会儿吧。 allow someone freedom of action in a particular place or situation • (在某场合)给予自由 »people are only let loose on the system once they have received sufficient training. 只有当人们有足够训练之后,才允许他们脱离体制自由发展。 suddenly utter a sound or remark • 突然说出 »he let loose a stream of abuse. 他突然破口大骂。 ◘ let me see (或 think) 1. used when one is pausing, trying to remember something, or considering one's next words • [暂时停下,回想某事或考虑下面的话]让我想想 »now let me see, where did I put it? 让我想想,我把它放哪儿了? ◘ let me tell you 1. used to emphasize a statement • [表示强调]告诉你吧 »let me tell you, I was very scared!. 告诉你吧,我吓坏了。 ◘ let off steam --› seesteam ◘ let rip --› seerip ◘ let's face it (或 let's be honest) 1. [informal] used to convey that one must be realistic about an unwelcome fact or situation • [非正式] [表示应面对现实]老实说,说实在的 »let's be honest, your taste in men is famously bad. 老实说,你看男人的眼光简直差极了。 ◘ let slip --› seeslip ◘ let's pretend 1. a game or set of circumstances in which one behaves as though a fictional or unreal situation is a real one • 模拟游戏;逢场作戏 ◘ let's say (或 let us say) 1. used as a way of introducing a hypothetical or possible situation • [引出假设或可能情况]假设 »let's say we agreed to go our separate ways. 假设我们同意分道扬镳。 ◘ to let 1. (of a room or property) available for rent • (房屋)可供出租的
【语源】
1. Old English lǣtan 'leave behind, leave out', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch laten and German lassen, also to late
【PHR V】
◘ let down 1. (of an aircraft or a pilot) descend prior to making a landing • (飞机或飞行员着陆前)下降 ◘ let someone down 1. fail to support or help someone as they had hoped or expected • 不支持,辜负,拆台 (let someone/thing down)have a detrimental effect on the overall quality or success of someone or something • 使功亏一篑,影响大局 »the whole machine is let down by the tacky keyboard. 整个机器就被这个破键盘给搞坏了。 ◘ let something down 1. lower something slowly or in stages • 放下,放低 »they let down a basket on a chain. 他们用链子把篮子放了下去。 2. make a garment longer by lowering the hem • 放出(褶边),放长(衣服) 3. [Brit.] deflate a tyre • [英] 给车胎放气 ◘ let oneself in for 1. [informal] involve oneself in (something likely to be difficult or unpleasant) • [非正式] 陷入,卷入(麻烦) »I didn't know what I was letting myself in for. 我不知道自己会卷入什么样的麻烦之中。 ◘ let someone in on/into 1. allow someone to know or share (something secret or confidential) • 让(某人)知道(内情) »I'll let you into a secret. 我告诉你一个秘密。 ◘ let something into 1. set something back into (the surface to which it is fixed), so that it does not project from it • 把…嵌入,插入 »the basin is partly let into the wall. 洗手盆部分嵌入墙内。 ◘ let someone off 1. punish someone lightly or not at all for a misdemeanour or offence • (对错误或非法行为)从轻处理,放过 »he was let off with a caution. 他受了警告就轻松逃脱了。 2. excuse someone from a task or obligation • 允许不必(工作) »he let me off work for the day. 他允许我这天不干活。 ◘ let something off 1. cause a gun, firework, or bomb to fire or explode • 放(枪,爆竹,炸弹) ◘ let on [informal 非正式] 1. reveal or divulge information to someone • 放口风,泄漏秘密 »she knows a lot more than she lets on. 她知道的比透露出来的多得多。 »[with clause] I never let on that he made me feel anxious. 我从未告诉别人他让我担心的秘密。 2. pretend • 假装 »[with clause] they all let on they didn't hear me. 他们都假装没听见我的话。 ◘ let out 1. [N. Amer.] (of lessons at school, a meeting, or an entertainment) finish, so that those attending are able to leave • [北美] (课程,会议,娱乐)结束 »his classes let out at noon. 他的课中午结束。 ◘ let someone out 1. release someone from obligation or suspicion • 不再让(某人)负责,不再猜疑(某人) »they've started looking for motives—that lets me out. 他们已经开始寻找动机了——我的嫌疑也因此被排除了。 ◘ let something out 1. utter a sound or cry • 发出声音或喊叫 »he let out a sigh of happiness. 他愉快地舒了口气。 2. make a garment looser or larger, typically by adjusting a seam • (尤指改缝)放大(衣服) 3. reveal a piece of information • 透露消息 »[with clause] she let out that he'd given her a lift home. 她透露说他开车送她回家。 ◘ let up 1. [informal] (of something undesirable) become less intense or severe • [非正式] (不快之事)减小,缓和 »the rain's letting up—it'll be clear soon. 雨越下越小,马上就会放晴。 relax one's efforts • 停止(努力) »she was so far ahead that she could afford to let up a bit. 她遥遥领先,所以她完全可以放松一点。 ◘ let up on 1. [informal] treat or deal with in a more lenient manner • [非正式] 宽容对待,放…一马 »she didn't let up on Cunningham. 她没有放坎宁安一马。let² ◙ noun 1. (in racket sports) a circumstance under which a service is nullified and has to be taken again, especially (in tennis) when the ball clips the top of the net and falls within bounds • (网拍式运动)触网重发 ◙ (letting; past and past participle letted或let) 1. [with obj.] (archaic)hinder • [古] 妨碍,阻碍 »pray you let us not; we fain would greet our mother. 莫阻吾辈,吾唯愿致意母亲。
【IDIOMS】
◘ let or hindrance 1. [formal] obstruction or impediment • [正式] 妨碍,阻碍 »the passport opened frontiers to the traveller without let or hindrance. 这一护照使旅行者可以无阻碍地入境。 ◘ play a let 1. (in tennis, squash, etc.) play a point again because the ball or one of the players has been obstructed • (网球运动等)触网重发
【语源】
1. Old English lettan 'hinder', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch letten, also to late