- [countable]
an object whose name you do not use because you do not need to or want to, or because you do not know it 东西；物 Can you pass me that thing over there? 把那边那个东西递给我好吗？ She's very fond of sweet things (= sweet foods). 她非常喜欢吃甜食。 He's just bought one of those exercise things. 他刚买了一副健身器械。 Turn that thing off while I'm talking to you! 我在跟你说话，把那个玩意儿关掉！
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- basic
- essential
- make
- [countable]
an object that is not alive in the way that people and plants are 物件；物品；事物 Don't treat her like that—she's a person, not a thing! 别那样对待她，她是人，不是物件！ He's good at making things with his hands. 他善于手工制作物品。 She took no interest in the people and things around her. 她对周围的人和事毫无兴趣。 Books may one day become a thing of the past (= something that no longer exists). 图书有一天可能会成为历史。 I need to buy a few basic things like bread and milk. 我需要买一些面包、牛奶之类的必需品。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- basic
- essential
- make
- things[plural] (rather informal)
objects, clothing or tools that belong to somebody or are used for a particular purpose （个人的）用品，衣服；（某种）用具 Shall I help you pack your things? 我帮你打点行装好吗？ Bring your swimming things with you. 随身带上游泳用品。 I'll just clear away the breakfast things. 我这就收拾早餐餐具。 Put your things (= coat, etc.) on and let's go. 把你的衣服穿上，咱们就走。
Extra ExamplesCome on kids, get your things together—we're going. 快，孩子们，把你们的东西收拾好 － 我们要走了。 Hang on a second—I'll just take off my painting things. 等一会儿 － 我把刷油漆穿的衣服脱下来。 He hadn't washed up the dinner things yet. 他还没有洗餐具。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- breakfast
- lunch
- etc.
- …
- get together
- pack
- put on
- …
- [countable]
a fact, an event, a situation or an action; what somebody says or thinks 事实；事件；情况；行为；话语；想法 They talked about many things, like books, music and films. 他们谈论了许多事情，像书、音乐和电影。 There are a lot of things she doesn't know about me. 我有很多情况她都不了解。 There's another thing I need to tell you. 还有一件事我需要告诉你。 Bad things happen to good people. 坏事发生在好人身上。 I've got lots of things to do today. 今天我有很多事情要做。 He has things on his mind. 他有心事。 The most important thing in life is to have fun! 人生最重要的是要有乐趣！ She said the first thing that came into her head. 她想到了什么就说什么。 Forgetting her was the only thing in the world I found I couldn't do. 忘记她是这个世界上我唯一发现自己做不到的事情。 He found the whole thing (= the situation) very boring. 他觉得整件事情非常无聊。 Let's forget the whole thing (= everything). 咱们把所有事情都忘掉吧。 Among other things, I have to deal with mail and keep the accounts. 除了其他的事我还要处理信件和记账。 I like camping, climbing and that sort of thing. 我喜欢露营、爬山之类的活动。 ‘Why did you tell her our secret?’ ‘I did no such thing!’ “你为什么把我们的秘密告诉她？” “我没干过这种事！” There's no such thing as a typical day in this job. 这份工作没有所谓的典型的一天。 One thing is for sure—it will be a memorable evening! 有一点是肯定的——这将是一个难忘的夜晚！ The main thing to remember is to switch off the burglar alarm. 最要紧的是记住关掉防盗报警器的开关。
Vocabulary Building Other words for thingOther words for thing 表示事物的其他词 - aspect
That was the most puzzling aspect of the situation. 那是整个局势中最令人费解的一面。
…the most puzzling thing about… …关于……最令人困惑的是
- attribute
属性；特性；特质： Curiosity is an essential attribute for a journalist. 好奇心是新闻记者的基本素质。
…an essential thing for a journalist to have. …一个记者必须具备的基本素质。
- characteristic
特性；特征；特点： This bird has several interesting characteristics. 这种鸟有几个有趣的特征。
There are several interesting things about this bird. 这只鸟有几个有趣的地方。
- detail
细节；详情： I want to know every detail of what happened. 我想了解所发生事情的全部详情。
…everything about… …关于…的一切
- feature
特征；特点；特色： Noise is a familiar feature of city life. 噪音是城市生活的常见特征。
…a familiar thing in city life. …城市生活中常见的事情。
- issue
议题；课题： She has campaigned on many controversial issues. 她就许多具争议性的问题发起过运动。
…many controversial things. …许多有争议的事情。
- matter
事情；情况；问题： We have several important matters to deal with at this meeting. 我们有几个重要问题要在这次会议上处理。
…several important things… …几件重要的事情…
- point
观点；论点；见解： That’s a very interesting point you made. 你提出的这个观点很有意思。
…a very interesting thing you said. …你说的一件非常有趣的事。
- subject
主题；题目；学科： The book covers a number of subjects. 本书涉及几个课题。
…a number of things. …很多事情。
- topic
议题；话题；题目： We discussed a wide range of topics. 我们就广泛的话题进行了讨论。
…a wide range of things. …很多事情。
- trait
个性；特征；特点： Her generosity is one of her most attractive traits. 慷慨大方是她最具魅力的个性之一。
…one of the most attractive things about her. …她最吸引人的地方之一。
- Don’t use thing after an adjective when the adjective can be used on its own:
形容词可单独使用时，切勿在后面加 thing： Having your own computer is very useful. 自己有一台计算机用处很大。 - Having your own computer is a very useful thing.
- It is often more natural to use words like something, anything, etc. instead of thing:
I have something important to tell you. 我有重要的事情要告诉你。 - I have an important thing to tell you.
Do you want anything else? 你还想要点儿别的什么吗？ - Do you want any other thing?
- It is more natural to say a lot, a great deal, much, etc. rather than many things:
I have so much to tell you. 我要对你讲的事情太多了。 - I have so many things to tell you.
She knows a lot about basketball. 她对篮球很有研究。 - She knows many things about basketball.
Extra ExamplesThere's another thing I'd like to ask you. 还有一件事我想问你。 Advertising on blogs is going to be the next big thing. 在博客上做广告将是要做的下一件大事。 Apologizing is never the easiest thing to do. 道歉从来就不是一件容易的事情。 Calling a doctor seemed the logical thing to do. 打电话叫医生看来是理所当然的事。 Entertaining people is the most natural thing in the world for her. 招待客人对她来说是世界上最自然不过的事情。 He has a funny way of doing things. 他有一套很有意思的做事方式。 He loses his temper at the slightest thing. 一丁点儿小事他都会发脾气。 I admit it was a foolish thing to do. 我承认那样做很蠢。 I did all the right things but I couldn't get the engine to start. 我做了该做的一切，但仍不能将引擎发动起来。 I did my usual thing of losing my keys. 我又像往常一样丢了钥匙。 I marched into his office to get a few things straight. 我径直进了他的办公室，去把几件事情讲清楚。 I've better things to do than stand here chatting all day! 我有更重要的事情要做，没工夫整天站在这里聊天！ If she works hard she's capable of great things. 她努力的话能成大器。 It's impossible to get things done when you're looking after a baby. 照顾小孩时你不可能同时干其它的事情。 One thing led to another and we ended up dating. 一来二去，我们就约会上了。 People defraud their companies every day, but Mike would never do such a thing! 每天都有人欺骗公司，但迈克决不会做这种事！ She helped with the everyday things like shopping and cooking. 她帮忙做日常琐事，比如购物、做饭。 That wasn't a very smart thing to do! 那不是一个很聪明的做法！ The amazing thing is, he wouldn't accept any money! 令人惊异的是，他不愿意接受任何钱财！ The best thing about Alan is he's always honest. 艾伦最好的一点就是他一贯诚实。 The last thing she wanted was to upset her parents. 她最不愿意做的事就是惹父母不高兴。 There are some weird things going on in that house. 那所房子里发生着一些古怪的事。 We chatted about school, but I could tell she had other things on her mind. 我们聊的是学校，但我可以断定她心里想着别的事情。 What's the next thing you want me to do? 接下来你要我做什么？ There's another thing I'd like to ask you. 还有一件事我想问你。 The key thing is to remain calm. 关键是要保持冷静。 Who's been saying things about me? 是谁一直在说我的坏话？ Try to look on your rejection as a positive thing. 尽力把被拒这件事看成一件好事。 Too much studying can be a bad thing. 学习太多可能是件坏事。 There are plenty of things to say about it. 这件事有的说。 The pay cut was just a taste of things to come. 减薪只是个开始罢了。 That was a horrible thing to say to her. 对她说这种话太不应该了。 Jack knows a thing or two about kids—he has five. 杰克对小孩儿颇有了解 － 他有 5 个孩子。 It's such a small thing to ask. 这点要求是小事一桩。 I wanted to be a musician, but teaching music is the next best thing. 以前我想成为音乐家，但现在教音乐是最接近的了。 I give thanks for every little thing. 我为每一件小事表示感谢。 It's just a practice, not the real thing. 那只是练习，不是真的。 He's the nearest thing to a film star I've ever met. 他是我认识的人中最近似电影明星的一位。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- great
- positive
- …
- loads
- lots
- plenty
- …
- do
- make up
- say
- …
- go on
- happen
- occur
- …
- thing about
- among other things
- have better things to do
- kind/sort of thing
- …
- things[plural] (rather informal)
the general situation, as it affects somebody 形势；局面；情况；事态 Things haven't gone entirely to plan. 事态没有完全按照计划发展。 I wish things could have been different. 我希望事情能有所不同。 - (informal)
Hi, Jane! How are things? 喂，简，近来怎么样？ As things stand at present, he seems certain to win. 据目前情况看，他似乎胜券在握。 All things considered (= considering all the difficulties or problems), she's done very well. 通盘考虑起来，她干得很好。 They're trying to change things for the better. 他们试图把事情变得更好。 Things have changed over the last few years. 在过去的几年里，事情发生了变化。 He's happy with the way things have worked out. 他对事情的结果很满意。 Why do you make things so difficult for yourself? 你为什么这样跟自己过不去？
Synonyms situationsituation- circumstances
- position
- conditions
- things
- the case
- state of affairs
- situation all the things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place:
the present economic situation 目前的经济形势
- circumstances the facts that are connected with and affect a situation, an event or an action; the conditions of a person’s life, especially the money they have:
The ship sank in mysterious circumstances. 那艘船神秘地沉没了。
- position the situation that somebody is in, especially when it affects what they can and cannot do:
She felt she was in a position of power. 她觉得她自己有权力。
- conditions the circumstances in which people live, work or do things; the physical situation that affects how something happens:
We were forced to work outside in freezing conditions. 我们被迫在户外天寒地冻的环境下工作。
circumstances or conditions? 用 circumstances 还是 conditions？ - things (rather informal
) the general situation, as it affects somebody: 指形势、局面、情况、事态： - the case the true situation:
If that is the case (= if the situation described is true), we need more staff. 如果真是那样，那我们就需要更多的员工了。
- state of affairs a situation:
How did this unhappy state of affairs come about? 这种不幸的情况是怎么发生的呢？
situation or state of affairs? 用 situation 还是 state of affairs？ - in (a) particular situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs
- the/somebody’s economic/financial/social situation/circumstances/position/conditions
- (a/an) happy/unhappy situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs
- to look at/review the situation/the circumstances/the conditions/things
Extra ExamplesThink things over before you decide. 先把情况考虑周全再作决定。 Don't worry about it—just let things take their course. 不要担心 － 顺其自然好了。 He apologized, and asked for a chance to put things right. 他道了歉，请求给他补救的机会。 He offered to help, but she assured him she had things in hand. 他提出要帮忙，但她向他保证她可以控制局面。 Her apology only served to make things worse. 她的道歉只是把事情弄得更糟。 I have to work things out my own way. 我不得不按自己的方式解决问题。 I just don't know if things are going to work out. 我根本不清楚事情发展是否顺利。 I want to get things sorted out before I go away. 我想在走之前把事情搞定。 I'm sure things will turn out OK. 我确信一切最终会好的。 She'd started the term studying hard, but now was beginning to let things slip. 她在学期开始时学习很努力，但现在开始放任自流了。 Sorry, I didn't mean to complicate things. 对不起，我并不想把事情弄复杂。 There was a week to go to the deadline and things were looking good. 离最后期限还有一个星期，情况看起来很好。 They hired temporary staff to keep things going over the summer. 他们雇了临时工，来保证整个夏天一切运转正常。 Things came to a head when money was found to be missing from the account. 当发现账户上的钱不见了时，事态变得严重起来。 Things looked bleak for the future of the factory. 这个工厂看起来前景黯淡。 Try not to let things get to you. 尽量别让事情影响到你。 Try to look at things from my point of view. 试着从我的角度看问题。 We arranged to meet and talk things over. 我们安排了会面以商谈事情。 We were in trouble but now things are looking up. 我们有了麻烦，但现在情况正在好转。 You should suggest changes, rather than accept things as they are. 你应该建议作些改变，而不是接受现状。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + things- think over/through
- look at
- see
- …
- stand
- be going
- change
- …
- all things being equal
- other things being equal
- all things considered
- …
- [countable]
a quality or a concept （纯粹的）…事；（完全是）…的活动 Reality and truth are not the same thing. 现实和真相不是一回事。 The two of them have one thing in common—they never give up. 他们两个有一个共同点——他们从不放弃。 The good thing about this job is all the travelling. 这份工作的好处是所有的旅行。
- [countable, usually singular]
what is needed or socially acceptable 需要的东西；适当的东西；合适的东西 You need something to cheer you up—I know just the thing! 你需要点什么使你高兴起来，我知道什么正合你的需要！ to say the right/wrong thing 说得体的／不得体的话 The best thing to do is to apologize. 道歉方是上策。
Extra ExamplesHe did the decent thing and resigned. 他做得很体面，辞职了。 He did the right thing and went back to his wife. 他做了该做的事情，回到了妻子身边。 She always manages to say the wrong thing. 她总是会说些不该说的话。 Iced tea—the very thing! 冰茶——正合口味！
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- proper
- right
- wrong
- …
- do
- say
- just the thing
- not quite the thing
- a thing[singular] (informal, humorous)
used to say that something is important or real （答应建议或要求）当然，一定 I don't understand why these corny films are still a thing in 2020. 我不明白为什么这些老掉牙的电影在2020年还是个东西。 I'm not sure that ‘modular techno music’ is really a thing. 我不确定“模块化电子音乐”真的是一个东西。
- a thing[singular]
used with negatives to mean ‘anything’ in order to emphasize what you are saying 任何东西（用于否定句，加强语气） I haven't got a thing to wear! 我没有一件可穿的衣服！ She hasn't had a thing to eat all day. 她一整天都没吃东西。 There wasn't a thing we could do to help. 没有什么我们能帮得上忙的。 Ignore what he said—it doesn't mean a thing. 别理睬他说的话，他那都是瞎说。
Extra ExamplesI'm going to arrive early because I don't want to miss a thing. 我要早点儿到，因为我不想错过任何东西。 I can't see a thing without my glasses. 不戴眼镜我什么东西也看不见。 Nobody said a thing when he appeared with a wig on. 他戴着假发出现时，大家什么都没说。 She's tricked you, and you can't do a thing about it. 她骗了你，而你却无可奈何。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + a thing- hear
- know
- notice
- …
- things[plural] (formal)
(followed by an adjective 后接形容词 all that can be described in a particular way 所有…的事物；凡是…的东西 - [countable]
(used with an adjective 与形容词连用 a living creature 生物；有生命的东西 - [countable]
(with an adjective 与形容词连用 used to talk to or about a person or an animal, to show how you feel about them （指人或动物，带感情色彩）人，家伙，东西 You silly thing! 你这个蠢货！ You must be starving, you poor things. 你们一定是饿坏了，你们这些可怜的家伙。 The cat's very ill, poor old thing. 这猫病得很厉害，真可怜。 The baby's a pretty little thing. 小宝宝是个漂亮的小东西。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- little
- pretty
- sweet
- …
object物体
possessions/equipment所有物；设备
fact/event/situation/action事实；事件；情况；行为
quality/concept
what is needed/right需要的／合适的事物
something important重要的事
anything任何东西
things of particular type某种类型的事物
creature生物
person/animal人；动物
Word OriginOld English, of Germanic origin; related to German Ding. Early senses included ‘meeting’ and ‘matter, concern’ as well as ‘inanimate object’.
Idioms
all/other things being equal
and things (like that)
as it/things turned out
as things/it turned out
as was shown or proved by later events 正如后来表明的；果然如此；果不其然 As things turned out, the weather—and the whole weekend—were perfect. 结果，天气——以及整个周末——都很好。
be all things to all men/people
(of people 人 to please everyone by changing your attitudes or opinions to suit different people 使人人高兴；八面玲珑 (of things 事物 to be understood or used in different ways by different people 仁者见仁，智者见智
be the done thing
- (British English)
to be socially acceptable behaviour 是合乎礼仪的行为；是得体的行为
be a good thing (that)…
be no bad thing (that)…
be onto a good thing
to have found a job, situation or style of life that is pleasant or easy 找到称心的工作；过上舒心的日子；混得不错
be seeing/hearing things
- (informal, humorous)
to imagine that you can see or hear something that is in fact not there 产生幻觉
chance would be a fine thing
- (British English, informal)
people say chance would be a fine thing to show that they would like to do or have the thing that somebody has mentioned, but that they do not think that it is very likely 苦于没有机会
a close-run thing
a situation in which somebody only just wins or loses, for example in a competition or an election （比赛或选举等中的）险胜，差距很小的败北 Mr Taylor’s election defeat was a close-run thing. 泰勒先生的选举失败是一件势均力敌的事情。 The invasion never happened but it was a close-run thing. 侵略始终没有发生，但是差一点就发生了。
a close thing
a situation in which success or failure is equally possible 成败机会各半
come to/be the same thing
to have the same result or meaning 结果相同；意义相同
do your own thing
- (informal)
to do what you want to do or what interests you, without thinking about other people; to be independent 做自己想做的事；照自己的意愿行事；独立自主；自行其事
do things to somebody
first/last thing
first things first
for one thing
have it/things/everything your own way
to have something arranged in the way that you want, even though other people want it to be arranged differently 为所欲为；一意孤行 The German team weren't going to let the English have everything their own way. 德国队不会让英国人随心所欲。
have a thing about somebody/something
- (informal)
to have a strong like or dislike of somebody/something in a way that seems strange or unreasonable （莫名其妙地）对…有好感，对…有偏见
have a thing for somebody/something
- (informal)
to be sexually attracted to somebody; to like something very much 幸运的是；幸亏 Liz has always had a thing for guys in bands. 利兹一直喜欢乐队里的男生。 He has a thing for the new girl in the office. 他喜欢办公室里的新来的女孩。 Jamie has a thing for fast cars. 杰米喜欢快车。
in the nature of things
A is one thing, B is another | it’s one thing to do A, it’s another thing to do B
it isn’t my, his, etc. thing
- (informal)
it isn’t something that you really enjoy or are interested in 这不是我（或他等）真正喜欢的东西；并非…所好
it’s a… thing
know/tell somebody a thing or two (about somebody/something)
make a (big) thing of/about something
- (informal)
to make something seem more important than it really is 小题大做；大惊小怪；故弄玄虚
a near thing
a situation in which you are successful, but which could also have ended badly 侥幸做成的事 Phew! That was a near thing! It could have been a disaster. 哎呀！好险哪！差一点儿出事。 We won in the end but it was a near thing. 我们最后赢了，但是险胜。
not know, etc. the first thing about something/somebody
to know nothing at all about something/somebody 对…一无所知；对…一窍不通 We’ve lived next to him for years, but we still don’t know the first thing about him. 我们和他住在一起很多年了，但我们仍然对他一无所知。
not quite the thing
(just) one of those things
one (damned/damn) thing after another
- (informal)
used to complain that a lot of unpleasant things keep happening to you （抱怨时用）倒霉事一桩接一桩
one thing leads to another
the only thing is…
overdo it/things
push your luck | push it/things
- (informal)
to take a risk because you have successfully avoided problems in the past （由于过去的成功过关）再冒一次险，继续碰运气
push things/it | push your luck
- (informal)
to take a risk because you have successfully avoided problems in the past （由于过去的成功过关）再冒一次险，继续碰运气 Don't push things—we don't want it all to go wrong now. 不要推波助澜——我们不想现在就出问题。
the real thing
the/somebody’s scheme of things
the way things seem to be organized; the way somebody wants everything to be organized 格局；心中的安排
the shape of things to come
the way things are likely to develop in the future 未来的状况 Are solar-powered cars the shape of things to come? 太阳能动力汽车是未来发展的方向吗？ This new system could be the shape of things to come. 这个新系统很有可能代表了未来的发展趋势。
sure thing
- (informal, especially North American English)
used to say ‘yes’ to a suggestion or request （答应建议或要求）当然，一定
take it/things easy
take it/things one day at a time
take things/it one day at a time
- (informal)
to not think about what will happen in the future 得过且过；做一天和尚撞一天钟；过一天算一天 I don't know if he'll get better. We're just taking things one day at a time. 他们开始讨论经济问题，我就茫然不懂了。
there’s only one thing for it
there is only one possible course of action 这只有一个办法
these things are sent to try us
- (saying)
used to say that you should accept an unpleasant situation or event because you cannot change it （表示无法改变，应该接受）这些都是对我们的考验（或磨炼）
the (whole)… thing
the thing is
the thing (about/with something/somebody) is
things that go bump in the night
- (informal, humorous)
used to refer to ghosts and other supernatural things that cannot be explained 夜里奇异可怕的响声；鬼魂；超自然现象 There are mysterious lights in the sky and things that go bump in the night. 天空中有神秘的光，晚上会有东西撞击。
to do the decent thing
too much of a good thing
used to say that, although something is pleasant, you do not want to have too much of it 好事多了也觉得腻
(what) with one thing and another
work it/things
work things/it
- (informal)
to arrange something in a particular way, especially by being clever （尤指巧妙地）办成，办妥 Can you work things so that we get Friday afternoon off? 你能把事情做好，让我们星期五下午休息吗？
Synonyms thingsthings
- stuff
- property
- possessions
- junk
- belongings
- goods
- valuables
- things (rather informal
) objects, clothing or tools that you own or that are used for a particular purpose: 指个人拥有或作特定用途的物品、衣服、用具： Shall I help you pack your things? 我帮你打点行装好吗？ Bring your swimming things. 随身带上游泳用品。
- stuff [U] (informal) used to refer to a group of objects when you do not know their names, when the names are not important or when it is obvious what you are talking about:
Where’s all my stuff? 我的东西都哪儿去了？
- property [U] (rather formal) a thing or things that are owned by somebody:
This building is government property. 这座大楼是政府的财产。 Be careful not to damage other people’s property. 小心别损坏别人的财物。
- possessions things that you own, especially something that can be moved:
Prisoners were allowed no personal possessions except letters and photographs. 囚犯除信件和照片外不允许有任何私人物品。
- junk [U] things that are considered useless or of little value:
I’ve cleared out all that old junk from the attic. 我把阁楼里所有的废旧杂物都清除干净了。
- belongings possessions that can be moved, especially ones that you have with you at a particular time:
Please make sure you have all your belongings with you when leaving the plane. 请确保在下飞机前带好所有的随身物品。
- goods (technical or rather formal) possessions that can be moved:
He was found guilty of handling stolen goods. 他被判犯销赃罪。
- valuables things that are worth a lot of money, especially small personal things such as jewellery or cameras:
Never leave cash or other valuables lying around. 现金或其他贵重物品请勿乱放。
- personal things/stuff/property/possessions/belongings
- to collect/gather/pack (up) your things/stuff/possessions/belongings
- to search somebody’s/your/the things/stuff/property/belongings
- to go through somebody’s/your/the things/stuff/belongings