- the matter[singular]
used (to ask) if somebody is upset, unhappy, etc. or if there is a problem （用于询问某人的情况） What's the matter? Is there something wrong? 怎么了？出了什么事儿吗？ Is anything the matter? 有什么问题吗？ - matter with somebody/something
Is something the matter with Bob? He seems very down. 鲍勃有什么事儿吧？他好像情绪很低落。 There's something the matter with my eyes. 我的眼睛出了点毛病。 ‘We've bought a new TV.’ ‘What was the matter with the old one?’ “我们买了台新电视。” “那台旧的怎么了？” What's the matter with you today (= why are you behaving like this)? 你今天是怎么了？ What on earth was the matter with her, she wondered. She’d come here to enjoy herself and here she was, stuck on her own in the hotel. 她想知道她到底是怎么了。她来这里是为了玩得开心，而她却独自被困在酒店里。
- [countable]
a subject or situation that you must consider or deal with 课题；事情；问题 It's a private matter. 这是件私事儿。 They had important matters to discuss. 他们有些重要的问题要讨论。 She may need your help with some business matters. 她也许需要你帮助处理一些生意方面的事情。 financial/legal/political matters 财务/法律/政治事务 They've agreed in theory, but now we need to discuss practical matters. 他们在理论上是同意了，但现在我们需要讨论实际问题。 The matter should be referred to a senior manager. 这件事应该提交给高级经理。 Do I have any choice in the matter? 在这件事情上我有选择吗？ I always consulted him on matters of policy. 我总是向他咨询一些政策问题。 - matter for somebody
It's a matter for the police (= for them to deal with). 这事须由警方处理。 - matter of something (formal)
It was a matter of some concern to most of those present (= something they were worried about). 这是当时在场的多数人关心的问题。 It should have been a simple matter to check. 检查核对本来应该是件简单的事情。 It was no easy matter getting him to change his mind. 让他改变主意可不是件容易的事儿。 Let's get on with the matter in hand (= what we need to deal with now). 我们继续解决手头的问题吧。 I wasn't prepared to let the matter drop (= stop discussing it). 我没打算把这件事搁下不提。 We have sent these concerns to Professor Tribe, and now consider the matter closed (= it is finished). 我们已经将这些问题发送给了部落教授，现在认为此事已经结束。 I did not feel that we had got to the heart of the matter (= the most important part). 我认为我们还没有触及问题的关键。 And that is the crux of the matter (= the most important thing about the situation). 这就是问题的症结所在。 - (ironic)
And then there's the little matter of the fifty pounds you owe me. 还有件小事儿，你欠我五十英镑呢。
Extra ExamplesThe involvement of the king in legal matters was threatened by the civil war. 国王卷入法律事务受到内战的威胁。 Dr Bell holds traditional views on a variety of matters. 贝尔博士对各种问题持有传统观点。 That's a matter for you to take up with your boss. 这个问题你得去和你的老板进行交涉。 He left, saying he had pressing matters to attend to. 他走了，说有些紧急的事情要去处理。 His lawyer advised him to drop the matter. 他的律师建议他别再追究这件事。 I don't have much experience in these matters. 在这些事情上我没有多少经验。 I don't really want to go into this matter now. 我现在真不想谈这个问题。 It is then a simple matter to print off the data you have collected. 然后只要把你收集的数据打印出来就行了。 It's a relief to have the matter settled. 这个问题得到解决，让人舒了一口气。 She was a great source of knowledge on matters relating to nutrition. 有关营养的问题上，从她那里可以获得丰富的知识。 The matter will be raised at our next meeting. 这个问题将在我们下次的会议上提出。 The question of his innocence is a weighty matter for this court. 他是否清白是本庭所要解决的关键问题。 The rest of the meeting was taken up by routine matters. 会议剩下的内容就全是一些例行程序了。 They talk mostly about work and related matters. 他们谈的主要是工作和与之相关的问题。 I wasn't sure how to approach the delicate matter of pay. 我不确定该怎样解决工资这个微妙的问题。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- important
- pressing
- serious
- …
- bring up
- broach
- raise
- …
- be related to
- pertain to
- relate to
- …
- in a/the matter
- on a/the matter
- matter for
- …
- the crux of the matter
- the heart of the matter
- let the matter drop
- …
- matters[plural]
the present situation, or the situation that you are talking about 事态；当前的状况 Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to improve matters. 很遗憾，我们无力改善目前的状况。 I'd forgotten the keys, which didn't help matters. 我忘记带钥匙了，这让我情况更糟。 And then, to make matters worse, his parents turned up. 接着，更糟糕的是，他的父母亲来了。 I decided to take matters into my own hands (= deal with the situation myself). 我决定亲自处理问题。 Matters came to a head (= the situation became very difficult) with his resignation. 随着他的辞职，局面恶化得难以收拾。
Extra ExamplesOxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + matters- complicate
- confuse
- make worse
- …
- [singular]
a situation that involves something or depends on something 关乎…的事情 - matter of something
Learning to drive is all a matter of coordination. 学开车主要是靠协调。 Some people prefer the older version to the new one. It's a matter of taste. 有些人喜欢老版本而不喜欢新版本。这只是个趣味问题。 She resigned over a matter of principle. 她因为原则问题而辞职。 The government must deal with this as a matter of urgency. 政府必须将此事当作紧急的事情来处理。 Just as a matter of interest (= because it is interesting, not because it is important), how much did you pay for it? 我只是感兴趣，你这是花多少钱买的？ ‘I think this is the best so far.’ ‘Well, that's a matter of opinion (= other people may think differently). “我认为这是迄今为止最好的。” “唔，仁者见仁，智者见智嘛。” It's not pure fantasy ! It's a plain matter of fact. 这不是纯粹的幻想！这是显而易见的事实。 Getting the effect you want is a matter of trial and error. 要得到想要的效果需要反复试验。 - matter of doing something
That's not a problem. It's simply a matter of letting people know in time. 这没问题，不就是及时通知大家吗。 Planning a project is just a matter of working out the right order to do things in. 规划一个项目就是要设计出正确的工作顺序。
- matter of something
- [uncountable] (
physics 物理 physical substance that everything in the world is made of; not mind or spirit （统称）物质 to study the properties of matter 研究物质的属性 This swirling mass of energy and matter is classed as a spiral galaxy. 这种旋转的能量和物质被归类为螺旋星系。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- solid
- organic
- vegetable
- …
- [uncountable] (formal)
a substance or things of a particular sort （某种）东西，物品，材料 Add plenty of organic matter to improve the soil. 施用大量的有机肥料以改良土壤。 elimination of waste matter from the body 体内废物的排除 She didn't approve of their choice of reading matter. 她不赞同他们选用的阅读材料。 There were small lumps of matter floating on the surface. 表面漂浮着小块物质。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- solid
- organic
- vegetable
- …
problem问题
subject/situation课题；情况
a matter of (doing) something
substance物质
Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin materia ‘timber, substance’, also ‘subject of discourse’, from mater ‘mother’.
Idioms
as a matter of fact
used to add a comment on something that you have just said, usually adding something that you think the other person will be interested in 事实上；其实；说真的 used to disagree with something that somebody has just said （表示不同意）事实上，其实 ‘I suppose you'll be leaving soon, then?’ ‘No, as a matter of fact I'll be staying for another two years.’ “我想你快要离开了吧？” “不。事实上，我还要再待两年呢。”
see also matter-of-fact
be another/a different matter
be no laughing matter
to be something serious that you should not joke about 不是开玩笑的事；严肃的事
the fact (of the matter) is (that)…
for that matter
it’s just/only a matter of time (before…)
used to say that something will definitely happen, although you are not sure when 早晚的事；只是时间问题 It's only a matter of time before they bring out their own version of the software. 他们推出自己的软件只是个时间问题。
(as) a matter of course
a matter of hours, minutes, etc. | a matter of inches, metres, etc.
a matter of life and/or death
used to describe a situation that is very important or serious 生死攸关的事；成败的关键 You mustn't let anyone know— it's a matter of life and death. 你千万别告诉任何人－这可是件生死攸关的事。 These talks are a matter of life or death for the factory. 这些谈话对工厂来说是生死攸关的事情。
a matter of record
- (formal)
something that has been recorded as being true 有案可查的事
no matter
used to say that something is not important 没关系；不要紧；不重要 If that doesn't work out, no matter, I'll rent for another year or two. 如果不行，没关系，我再租一两年。
no matter who, what, where, etc.