floating on water （在水上）漂浮 Somehow we kept the boat afloat. 我们想办法使船没有下沉。 He could not swim and only a life jacket kept him afloat. 他不会游泳，只有一件救生衣让他漂浮着。
Extra ExamplesThe children set their new boat afloat on the lake. 孩子们让新船漂在湖中。 They were struggling to keep the vessel afloat. 他们尽力让船漂浮。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- keep
- remain
- …
(of a business, etc. 企业等 having enough money to pay debts; able to survive 有偿债能力；能维持下去 They will have to borrow £10 million next year, just to stay afloat. 明年他们得举债 1 000 万英镑才能维持下去。 They had to sell their assets to keep the business afloat. 他们不得不卖掉资产以使企业维持下去。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- keep
- stay
- keep something
- …
Word OriginOld English on flote (from a- ‘to, towards’ and float), influenced in Middle English by Old Norse á flot(i) and Old French en flot.