情景對話

Jane: Does our car break down again?

Grant: I'm afraid so. Perhaps we need a new car.

簡：我們的小汽車又拋錨了嗎？

格蘭特：恐怕是。或許我們需要買一輛新車了。

觸類旁通

· break down in tears 嚎啕大哭

· break down barriers 消除隔閡

· sb breaks down 某人感情失控∕放聲痛哭起來

例句再現

We can break the task down into small steps． 我們可以將任務分為若干步驟。

Their marriage broke down two years later． 兩年后他們的婚姻破裂了。

The reason why we fail to meet the deadline is that the machine broke down at the busy hour.

我們沒能趕上最后期限的原因是，機器在正忙的時候壞了。

The aim is to break down barriers between departments． 目標是消除部門之間的隔閡。

情景對話

Smith: Let's break for coffee and continue with it later.

Tony: Good idea. I'm all tired out.

史密斯：我們去喝杯咖啡休息一會兒再繼續吧。

托尼：好主意。我快累死了。

觸類旁通

· take/have a break 休息一會兒

· Give me a break． 饒了我吧。

例句再現

May I suggest we break for a snack？ 我建議我們休息一會兒，吃點點心。

We're about to break for lunch. Do you want to join us？ 我們要去吃午飯了，你要和我們一起去嗎

What about breaking for tea？ 休息一會兒喝杯茶怎么樣？

Now let's take a short break． 現在我們休息一小會兒吧。

Give me a break. I have no taste for rock music． 饒了我吧。我不喜歡搖滾音樂。

情景對話

Steven: A thief broke in when I was away yesterday.

Thomas: Sorry to hear that. Did you lose anything?

史蒂文：昨天我不在家的時候，小偷闖進了我家。

托馬斯：聽到這消息我很難過。有沒有丟什么東西？

觸類旁通

· break sb in 使某人適應新的工作或環境

· break sb/sth in 訓練某人∕某物

· break into 打斷；闖入；把……分成

例句再現

There are signs of somebody trying to break in． 存在有人試圖闖入的痕跡。

The robber broke in through the unlocked window． 盜賊從未上鎖的窗戶闖了進來。

Never break in when he is talking． 他講話時，千萬不要打斷他。

Is it impolite to break in when someone is talking？ 別人正在講話時插嘴是否不禮貌？

At that moment he arrived and broke in on my thought． 正在那時他到了，打斷了我的思路。

情景對話

Jack: You think somebody broke off the branch?

Julia: It's possible. But I'm not sure.

杰克：你認為是有人把樹枝折斷？

茱莉婭：有可能。但是我不確定。

觸類旁通

· break off with與……斷絕交往

· break it off with sb與某人中斷關系

· break off sth 突然結束某事

例句再現

Little pieces break off from rocks． 碎片從巖石上脫落。

When the boss came in, she had to break off． 老板進來時，她不得不停下來。

They decided to break off negotiation since neither side was willing to make concessions.

由于雙方都不愿做出讓步，他們決定停止談判。

She decided to break it off with him after that． 從那之后她決定與他斷絕來往。

情景對話

Kate: How could he do such things to deliberately break her heart?

Linda: I believe he must have some secret sorrow.

凱特：他怎么能做這些事故意傷她的心呢？

琳達：我相信他一定是有難言之隱。

觸類旁通

· It breaks my heart to... ……真讓我傷心。

例句再現

The death of her pet dog broke her heart． 她為寵物狗的去世而傷心。

It broke her heart when he said goodbye． 他說再見時她心都碎了。

We were certain that it would break his heart． 我們確定這件事會讓他傷心。

She decided to leave the man who had broken her heart． 她決定離開那個令她心碎的男人。

情景對話

Owen: I hear Rose met with a car accident. How did it happen?

Shelley: Well, she was knocked over by an oncoming car and broke her leg.

歐文：聽說羅絲出車禍了，到底是怎么回事？

雪萊：嗯，她被迎面駛來的一輛車撞到，摔斷了腿。

觸類旁通

· break a leg （祝愿演員演出成功）祝好運

· break one's neck 折頸而死；拼命做某事

· break one's arm 折斷胳膊

例句再現

He fell off the tree and broke his leg． 他從樹上掉了下來，摔斷了腿。

Jessica broke her leg when skiing． 杰西卡滑雪時摔斷了腿。

He didn't go because he broke his leg a week ago． 他沒有去是因為他一周前摔斷了腿。

I broke my neck trying to finish the work before the deadline． 我拼命想在截止日期前完成工作。

情景對話

Jones: I should not have trusted them.

Lucy: I told you they would certainly break their promise.

瓊斯：我不應該相信他們。

露西：我告訴過你他們肯定會違背諾言的。

觸類旁通

· broke silence 打破沉默

· break the record 打破記錄

· break the rules 違反規定

· break the law 違法

例句再現

It's likely he will break his promise． 他有可能會食言。

You have my word; I would never break my promise． 我向你保證，我絕不違背諾言。

He is a person who never breaks his promise． 他是一個從不違背諾言的人。

I'm sorry to break my promise． 很抱歉我要違背我的承諾了。

Will you sit by when other people break the law？ 當其他人犯法時，你會坐視不管嗎？

情景對話

Jim: A fire broke out last night in this building.

Lily: I've heard about that. But fortunately, no one got hurt.

吉姆：昨天晚上這棟樓突然著火了。

莉莉：我聽說了。不過幸運的是沒有人受傷。

觸類旁通

· break out of 逃出

· break out of an encirclement 突圍

· break out in sth 突然被布滿某物

· break out in cold sweat 冒出一身冷汗

例句再現

Do you know when the Cold War broke out？ 你知道冷戰爆發的時間嗎？

A fight broke out in the middle of the night on that street． 半夜的時候那條街上發生了斗毆事件。

When fire broke out, nobody was in the room． 火災發生時，房間里沒有人。

She has been trying to break out of this way of life． 她一直都試圖擺脫這種生活方式。

Embarrassed, the woman broke out into curses． 那女人感到尷尬，突然就咒罵起來。

情景對話

Martin: When do you plan to break the news to your family?

Newman: I don't know. At least not right away.

馬丁：你打算什么時候告訴你家人這件事？

紐曼：我不知道，至少不是現在。

觸類旁通

· break news 新聞快訊

· breaking news 突發新聞

· break the news of 透露關于……的消息

例句再現

Are you going to break the news to her or not？ 你會不會把這個消息告訴她？

I really don't know how to break the news to them． 我真的不知道該如何告訴他們這個消息。

At this point, we have to break the news． 現在，我們不得不透露這個消息了。

He broke the news that he was leaving for greener pastures． 他透露他要另謀高就的消息。

Considering her poor health, they dare not break the news to her.

考慮到她身體不好，他們不敢向她透露這個消息。

情景對話

Kate: What happened between you and Mike?

Louise: We broke up, for he didn't want to get married.

凱特：你和麥克之間發生了什么事？

路易絲：他不想結婚，所以我們分手了。

觸類旁通

· break up into 分成

· break up the meeting 散會

· break up the fight 制止斗毆

例句再現

Tear gas is used to break up the demonstration． 催淚瓦斯被用來驅散示威人群。

Her boyfriend has just broken up with her． 她男朋友剛和她分手。

I heard you broke up last month． 我聽說你們上個月分手了。

Why does he want to break up with you？ 他為何想要和你分手？