- [uncountable, singular]
the activity of making, buying, selling or supplying goods or services for money 商业；买卖；生意 It's been a pleasure to do business with you. 和你做买卖很愉快。 There will be some changes to the way we conduct business. 我们做生意的方式会有一些变化。 - in business
She has set up in business as a hairdresser. 她已经开店当理发师。 When he left school, he went into business with his brother. 他毕业后和他哥哥去经商了。 the music/entertainment/movie business 音乐/娱乐/电影行业 the insurance/banking business 保险/银行业务 the food/restaurant/hotel business 食品/餐馆/酒店行业 Retail is a tough business. 做零售生意不容易。 - in the… business
She works in the software business. 她在软件行业工作。 We need to concentrate on our core business (= the main thing that our business does). 我们需要集中在核心业务上。 business owners/leaders 企业主/领导者 a business partner 合伙生意人 the business community 商界 business opportunities/interests/ventures 商业机会/兴趣/风险 the business cycle/sector/world 商业周期/行业/世界
Culture the Citythe CityThe business and financial centre of London is called the City or the City of London. It covers an area in east central London north of the River Thames, between Blackfriars Bridge and Tower Bridge. It is only about one square mile/2.5 square kilometres in size and is often referred to as the Square Mile.Many financial institutions have their head offices in the City, including the Bank of England in Threadneedle Street, the London Stock Exchange in Paternoster Square and Lloyd's of London in Lime Street. Many banks, insurance companies and stockbrokers (= companies that buy and sell shares for others) have been in the City many years. When journalists talk about ‘the City’ they are usually not referring to the place but to the people involved in business and commerce, as in: The City had been expecting poor results from the company. The financial businesses and organizations that are based further east, from the Square Mile, in the area known as Canary Wharf are also included in this extended use of the term ‘the City’.In the City old and new buildings stand next to each other. The most famous older buildings include St Paul's Cathedral, the Guildhall and the Mansion House, where the Lord Mayor of London lives. Tower 42, which is 600 feet/183 metres high, and 30 St Mary Axe, nicknamed ‘the Gherkin ’, are two of the City's more recent landmarks. The Shard, on the south side of the Thames, was opened in 2013 and is currently the tallest building in the UK. The Barbican Centre includes an art gallery, a theatre and a concert hall, as well as flats.Few people live in the City and at night the population is about 7 000. During the day it rises to about half a million, as business people commute (= travel from home to work) to the City by car, bus and train. In the past the traditional image of the City gent was of a businessman in a dark suit and bowler hat, carrying a briefcase (= a leather case for papers, etc.) and a newspaper or an umbrella. The expression She's something in the City means ‘She has an important job with a bank or firm of stockbrokers’, and suggests wealth and high social status.Extra ExamplesHe argues that tax cuts will help business. 他认为减税会促进商业发展。 He spent his whole life in the insurance business. 他一辈子都在从事保险业务。 He wore a business suit. 他穿了一身西装。 He's someone I can do business with. 我觉得和他做生意很合得来。 I'm not going to talk business tonight. 今晚我不想谈重要的事。 It was purely a business decision. 这纯属商业决策。 It's good business practice to listen to your customers. 倾听顾客的意见是良好的商业惯例。 It's time to focus on the company's core business. 该是集中于公司核心业务的时候了。 Nobody understands the music business better than him. 没有人比他更懂音乐行业。 They developed a lasting business relationship. 他们建立了长久的生意关系。 We're not trying to educate—we're in the entertainment business. 我们不想去教育人 － 我们从事的是娱乐业。 What business are you in? 你从事哪个行业？ a conference of women business leaders 女企业家大会 the city's main business district 该市的主要商业区 to protect business secrets 保护商业秘密 Falling prices are wreaking havoc in the oil business. 价格下跌使石油业遭受重创。 Going to trade fairs is a good way of developing business contacts. 参加交易会是发展业务联系的好方法。 She has business interests all over the world. 她在世界各地都有商业利益。 a business investment 商业投资 They were both in the same line of business. 他们俩都从事同一行业。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- profitable
- private
- …
- carry on
- conduct
- do
- …
- deal
- transaction
- opportunity
- …
- in business
- on business
- business as usual
- business or pleasure
- mix business with pleasure
- …
- [uncountable]
work that is part of your job 商务；公事 Is the trip to Rome for business or pleasure? 去罗马旅行是出差还是游玩？ a business trip/meeting/lunch 商务旅行/会议/午餐 business travel/travellers 商务旅行/旅行者 - on business
He's away on business. 他出差去了。
Extra ExamplesTopics Working lifea1The average business trip lasts 2.5 days. 平均出差2.5天。 When I travel abroad I like to mix business with pleasure. 到国外时，我喜欢公务、娱乐两不误。 It was not his habit to discuss his business affairs with strangers. 他不习惯和陌生人讨论他的商业事务。 I'm going to Paris on business. 我要出差去巴黎了。 Meals are considered a business expense. 餐费算业务费用。 The restaurant is every executive's favourite place for a business lunch. 这家餐厅是每位高管最喜欢的商务午餐场所。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- daily
- real
- get on with
- go about
- make something
- …
- have no business doing something
- have no business to do something
- keep your nose out of somebody’s business
- …
- [uncountable]
the amount of work done by a company, etc.; the rate or quality of this work 营业额；贸易额 Business is booming. 商业正在迅速发展。 Business was bad. 生意不景气。 Her job was to drum up (= increase) business. 她的工作是提高营业额。 How's business? 生意如何？ Uncertainty is bad for business. 不确定性对商业不利。 to be good for business 对商业有利 If we close down for repairs, we’ll lose business. 如果停业整修，我们会失去生意的。
Extra ExamplesAfter a slack period business is now picking up. 经过了一段不景气的时期，生意现在好起来了。 Business has slowed considerably in recent months. 最近几个月生意清淡了许多。 Business is booming for estate agents in the south as the property market hots up. 随着房地产市场走热，南方的房地产经纪人的业务也繁荣起来。 Business is booming for the big pharmaceutical companies. 大制药公司业务繁荣。 Business was brisk and they had sold out by midday. 生意很好，到中午他们就卖完了。 Cheap imports are hurting business for domestic producers. 廉价的进口货损害了国内生产商的生意。 insurance salesmen touting for business 拉生意的保险推销员 Stores are doing brisk business in wizard accessories and vampire kits. 商店里魔法配件和吸血鬼套装卖得很火。 They're doing good business in Asia. 他们在亚洲生意做得很好。 She's in Europe drumming up business for her new company. 她在欧洲为自己创办的新公司招揽生意。 Supermarkets are doing more online business. 超市的网上业务增多了。 a company that has ceased to carry on business 已经停业的公司 We took on temporary staff to handle the extra business. 我们雇了临时人员办理额外的生意。 They've cut their rates to attract new business. 他们降低了费用以招揽新生意。 We're losing business to our main rivals. 我们的生意正被主要竞争对手抢走。 Our repeat business (= customers who come back to buy from us again) is 50% or higher. 我们的回头客生意有 50% 或者更高。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- brisk
- good
- bad
- …
- do
- attract
- drum up
- …
- boom
- grow
- pick up
- …
- [countable]
a commercial organization such as a company, shop or factory 商业机构；企业；公司；商店；工厂 an organization that represents small businesses 代表小企业的组织 She works in the family business. 她在家族的企业工作。 We try to support local businesses. 我们努力支持当地企业。 a successful/profitable business 成功/有利可图的企业 a retail/an online business 零售/网上生意 to run/start a business 经营/创办企业 to grow/expand/build a business 发展/扩大/建立企业 He wanted to expand the export side of the business. 他想扩大出口业务。 We're looking for new business premises. 我们正在寻找新的营业场所。
Collocations BusinessBusiness 商业 Running a business 经营企业 - buy/acquire/own/sell a company/firm/franchise
收购／获得／拥有／出售公司／商行／特许经销权 - set up/establish/start/start up/launch a business/company
创办企业／公司 - run/operate a business/company/franchise
经营企业／公司／专卖店 - head/run a firm/department/team
管理公司／部门／团队 - make/secure/win/block a deal
达成／阻止一笔交易 - expand/grow/build the business
扩展业务 - boost/increase investment/spending/sales/turnover/earnings/exports/trade
增加投资／支出／销售量／营业额／收入／出口／贸易 - increase/expand production/output/sales
增加产量／输出量／销售量 - boost/maximize production/productivity/efficiency/income/revenue/profit/profitability
使产量／生产力／效率／收入／收益／利润／收益增加／最大化 - achieve/maintain/sustain growth/profitability
实现／维持／保持增长／收益 - cut/reduce/bring down/lower/slash costs/prices
削减成本／价格 - announce/impose/make cuts/cutbacks
宣布／强制实行／实施削减
Sales and marketing 销售和市场营销 - break into/enter/capture/dominate the market
打入／进入／占领／控制市场 - gain/grab/take/win/boost/lose market share
取得／夺取／得到／赢得／增加／丢失市场份额 - find/build/create a market for something
为某物找到／建立／开创市场 - start/launch an advertising/a marketing campaign
发起广告／营销宣传活动 - develop/launch/promote a product/website
开发／推出／推销产品／网站 - create/generate demand for your product
为产品创造需求 - attract/get/retain/help customers/clients
吸引／赢得／留住／帮助顾客／客户 - drive/generate/boost/increase demand/sales
刺激／创造／提高／增加需求／销售量 - beat/keep ahead of/out-think/outperform the competition
打败／领先于／智胜／胜过竞争对手 - meet/reach/exceed/miss sales targets
完成／达到／超过／未达到销售目标
Finance 财务 - draw up/set/present/agree/approve a budget
起草／制订／提出／批准预算 - keep to/balance/cut/reduce/slash the budget
执行／平衡／削减／大幅削减预算 - be/come in below/under/over/within budget
未超出／超出预算；在预算之内 - generate income/revenue/profit/funds/business
产生收益／利润／资金／营业额 - fund/finance a campaign/a venture/an expansion/spending/a deficit
为活动／商业项目／扩张／开支／赤字提供资金 - provide/raise/allocate capital/funds
提供／筹集／分配资金 - attract/encourage investment/investors
吸引／鼓励投资／投资者 - recover/recoup costs/losses/an investment
收回成本／亏损／投资 - get/obtain/offer somebody/grant somebody credit/a loan
获得／为某人提供／准予某人贷款 - apply for/raise/secure/arrange/provide finance
申请／筹集／获得／安排／提供资金
Failure 失败；不成功 - lose business/trade/customers/sales/revenue
失去生意／买卖／顾客／销量／收益 - accumulate/accrue/incur/run up debts
累积／积累／招致／积欠债务 - suffer/sustain enormous/heavy/serious losses
蒙受惨重损失 - face cuts/a deficit/redundancy/bankruptcy
面临削减／赤字／裁员／破产 - file for/ (North American English) enter/avoid/escape bankruptcy
申请／避免／幸免破产 - (British English) go into administration/liquidation
进入行政接管／清算 - liquidate/wind up a company
清算／关闭公司 - survive/weather a recession/downturn
艰难渡过萧条期／衰退期 - propose/seek/block/oppose a merger
提出／寻求／阻止／反对合并 - launch/make/accept/defeat a takeover bid
发起／进行／接受／阻止收购投标
Extra ExamplesTopics Businessa1After leaving school she entered the family business. 离开学校后她进了家族企业。 After six months the business really took off. 6 个月后企业真的开始赢利了。 He left the department to start his own business. 他离开那个部门去自己创业了。 He owns a management consulting business based in Santa Barbara. 他拥有一家管理咨询公司，总部在圣巴巴拉。 It was always my dream to run my own business. 我一直梦想经营自己的公司。 She had her own hairdressing business. 她拥有自己的美发店。 She runs a successful online business. 她经营着一家成功的在线企业。 The business is expanding fast. 公司发展得很快。 The family owns a booming construction business. 这个家族拥有一家生意兴隆的建筑企业。 These laws make life more difficult for legitimate businesses. 这些法律使得合法企业的日子更加难过。 They decided to start their own business. 他们决定创办自己的企业。 Traditional businesses are having to compete with the internet. 传统企业不得不与因特网竞争。 We built up the business from nothing. 我们白手起家。 loans for people to start new businesses 为创业者提供的贷款 Almost all businesses will be closed on Christmas Day. 几乎所有的商家在圣诞节那天都关门。 I've decided to start my own business. 我决定自己开公司。 This legislation will hurt small businesses. 这项法规将损害小企业。 We are looking to grow the business over the next couple of years. 我们正考虑在未来几年里把公司发展壮大。 They've got a small catering business. 他们做餐饮小生意。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- large
- medium-sized
- small
- …
- have
- own
- manage
- …
- do well
- flourish
- succeed
- …
- assets
- premises
- failure
- …
- [uncountable]
something that a particular person or organization is responsible for 归（某人或某机构）管的事；职责 It is the business of the police to protect the community. 警察的职责是保护社会。 I shall make it my business to find out who is responsible. 我要亲自查出是谁的责任。 My private life is none of your business (= not something that you need to know about). 我的私生活与你无关。 It's no business of hers who I invite to the party. 我邀请谁参加聚会与她无关。 Keep your nose out of my business! 不要多管我的事！
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- daily
- real
- get on with
- go about
- make something
- …
- have no business doing something
- have no business to do something
- keep your nose out of somebody’s business
- …
- [uncountable]
important matters that need to be dealt with or discussed （需要处理或讨论的）重要事情，要点 He has some unfinished business to deal with. 他还要处理一些尚未了结的事务。 the main business of the meeting 会议的主要议题 - business of doing something
They should leave the business of making policy to the experts. 他们应该把制定政策的任务交给专家。
Extra ExamplesThis isn't a social call—I've come on official business. 这不是社交拜访，我来是有公事的。 We have some unfinished business to discuss. 我们有一些尚未了结的事情需要商量。 Jack and I finished our business early, so we went to lunch. 杰克和我事情完成得早，所以我们就去吃午餐了。 He needs time and space to get on with the real business of writing. 他需要时间和空间去继续干写作的本行。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- private
- important
- pressing
- …
- get down to
- deal with
- discuss
- …
- any other business
- mean business
- [singular]
(usually with an adjective 通常与形容词连用 a matter, an event or a situation 事情；事件；状况 That plane crash was a terrible business. 那次飞机坠毁是十分可怕的事。 I found the whole business very depressing. 我觉得整件事令人沮丧。 The business of the missing tickets hasn't been sorted out. 遗失票这件事还没解决呢。
Extra ExamplesHaving fun is a serious business. 能开开心心是件重要的事情。 Changing your life can be a risky business. 改变生活要冒风险。 It was a bad business—he couldn't work for months. 那次太糟糕了，他几个月都不能工作。 I'll be glad when the whole business is over and done with. 到整件事情完全处理好的时候，我会很高兴的。 I'm just glad to be out of the whole dirty business. 我很高兴能彻底摆脱这件龌龊的事情。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- whole
- dirty
- messy
- …
- (especially North American English) (also British English, formal custom)[uncountable]
the fact of a person or people buying goods or services at a shop or business （顾客对商店的）惠顾，光顾 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- profitable
- private
- …
- carry on
- conduct
- do
- …
- deal
- transaction
- opportunity
- …
- in business
- on business
- business as usual
- business or pleasure
- mix business with pleasure
- …
trade贸易
work工作
company公司
responsibility职责
important matters要事
event事情
being a customer消费
Word OriginOld English bisignis ‘anxiety’ (see busy, -ness); the sense ‘state of being busy’ was used from Middle English down to the 18th cent., but is now differentiated as busyness. The use ‘appointed task’ dates from late Middle English, and from it all the other current senses have developed.
Idioms
any other business
the things that are discussed at the end of an official meeting that do not appear on the agenda （会议结束前）议程以外的议题
be the business
- (informal)
to be very good 很好
be in business
be in the business of doing something
to regard a particular activity as an essential part of what you do 很好 Restaurant owners everywhere are in the business of building relationships. 各地的餐馆老板都致力于建立关系。
business as usual
a way of saying that things will continue as normal despite a difficult situation （尽管处境困难）一切照常，不受干扰 It's business as usual at the factory, even while investigators sift through the bomb wreckage. 即使在调查人员检查炸弹残骸的时候，工厂仍照常运转。
business is business
a way of saying that financial and commercial matters are the important things to consider and you should not be influenced by friendship, etc. 公事公办
get down to business
to start dealing with the matter that needs to be dealt with, or doing the work that needs to be done 着手处理正事；开始认真工作 Let’s get down to business right away—we’ll stop for coffee later. 让我们马上进入正题——我们待会停下来喝杯咖啡。 OK, let's get down to business. 好，我们言归正传。
go about your business
to do the things that you normally do 忙自己的事；做通常做的事 streets filled with people going about their daily business 挤满为日常生活奔忙的人的街道 market traders going about their daily business 为日常交易奔忙的市场交易员
have no business doing something | have no business to do something
like nobody’s business
mean business
mind your own business
- (informal)
to think about your own affairs and not ask questions about or try to get involved in other people’s lives 想自己的事；别管闲事
not be in the business of doing something
out of business
having stopped operating as a business because there is no more money or work available 停业；歇业 The new regulations will put many small businesses out of business. 新法规将使很多小企业关闭。 Some travel companies will probably go out of business this summer. 今年夏天一些旅游公司很可能歇业。 The company went out of business during the recession. 这家公司在经济衰退时期停业了。
ply for hire/trade/business
- (British English)
to look for customers, passengers, etc. in order to do business 招徕顾客；等生意 taxis plying for hire outside the theatre 在剧院外招揽乘客的出租车