- [countable]
a building where Christians go to attend services, pray, etc. （基督教的）教堂，礼拜堂 The procession moved into the church. 人们排着队走进教堂。 England has some beautiful parish churches. 英格兰有一些美丽的教区教堂。 a church tower/spire 教堂塔楼/尖顶 church services 教堂礼拜仪式
Culture churches and cathedralschurches and cathedralsIn Britain churches are found in almost every town and village. Their tower or spire (= a tall pointed structure) can often be seen from far away. Churches are used for worship by the Church of England, Roman Catholics and other groups, while some Nonconformist Churches use chapels or halls. The church and church hall, a building used for meetings and Sunday School, used to be the centre of the community. Now, far fewer people attend church and this has resulted in some churches being closed or used for other purposes such as housing.Cathedrals may belong to either the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church. Many cathedrals were built as part of a monastery, for example Durham was started in the 11th century by Benedictine monks. Some of these cathedrals are called minsters, for example York Minster, and they were originally centres for teaching Christianity. St Chad's in Birmingham dates from the middle of the 19th century and was the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in England since the Reformation. A cathedral is the headquarters of a bishop or archbishop. Canterbury Cathedral is the headquarters of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is head of the Church of England.Many people visit churches and cathedrals to admire their architecture. In Britain churches are usually built of stone, with a tower or spire at the west end. Bells are placed high up in the tower and rung by long ropes before services. In villages the church is approached through a gate, sometimes a lychgate (= a gate with a roof over it), which leads into the churchyard where people are buried. The main entrance is usually on the south side. The church porch usually has a noticeboard and often a seat in it. Cathedrals are large churches, usually built in the shape of a long cross with a central tower. Older cathedrals are often in a quiet cathedral close.The earliest stone churches date from the Anglo-Saxon period (6th-11th centuries). Norman churches, from the 11th and 12th centuries, are massive structures. Rounded arches over doors and windows are a feature of Norman architecture. Examples of Norman cathedrals are those at Durham and Ely.The English Gothic style of the 13th-15th centuries often features pointed arches and increasingly complex designs. Windows were tall and narrow in the Early English period (13th century), and in the 14th century had tracery (= lace-like patterns) at the top. In the 15th century windows became much larger and filled with stained glass (= small pieces of coloured glass in a lead frame) showing pictures of saints. Ceilings with complicated fan vaults (= curved lines of stone spreading out from a point, with patterns between them) are supported by flying buttresses that lean at an angle from the wall and form an arch. Salisbury Cathedral is a typical Early English building. Exeter Cathedral dates mainly from the 14th century and Gloucester Cathedral has impressive fan vaults.Some later buildings, such as St Paul's Cathedral designed by Christopher Wren, are more like classical temples, with a central dome and spire added. Wren and James Gibbs, designer of St Martin-in-the-Fields, influenced architects in America: Christ Church in Philadelphia is a copy of St Martin. But the modern Coventry Cathedral, designed by Basil Spence in the 1950s, is a hall-like church with narrow stained-glass windows.In the US the earliest churches were one-room buildings made of wood that were used also as schools. Most communities now have several churches in varying styles. Some are made of stone in order to look like old English churches, some are small, plain buildings made of brick or wood, and others are modern buildings with glass walls. Storefront churches are found in shopping streets and look like shops.Extra ExamplesTopics Religion and festivalsa2, Buildingsa2She was actively involved in church groups. 她积极参与教会团体活动。 The church is dedicated to St Paul. 这座教堂是奉献给圣保罗的。 St Paul's Church 圣保罗教堂 The church was consecrated in 1250. 这座教堂于 1250 年祝圣。 There's an interesting organ in the church. 教堂里有一架引人注目的管风琴。 a chamber concert at our local church 在本区教堂举行的室内乐音乐会 a church youth group 一个青年教会团体 They took photos of the bride and groom outside the church. 他们在教堂外给新娘和新郎拍照。 The service will be held at the parish church on December 16. 仪式将于12月16日在教区教堂举行。 church bells 教堂的钟 She sings in the church choir. 她在教堂唱诗班唱歌。 We are hiring the church hall for the party. 我们正在为聚会租用教堂大厅。 The service is open to all church members. 仪式对所有教会成员开放。 The church was built in the 15th century. 这座教堂建于15世纪。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- local
- parish
- village
- …
- build
- consecrate
- found
- …
- building
- bells
- clock
- …
- at a/the church
- in a/the church
- [uncountable]
a service or services in a church 礼拜；礼拜仪式 How often do you go to church? 你多久去教堂做一次礼拜？ - at church (British English)
They're at church (= attending a church service). 他们在做礼拜。 - in church (North American English)
They're in church. 他们在做礼拜。 - (British and North American English)
Lots of people still get married in church. 许多人仍然在教堂结婚。 Church is at 9 o'clock. 礼拜仪式 9 点钟开始。
Collocations ReligionReligion 宗教 Being religious 笃信宗教的 - believe in God/Christ/Allah/free will/predestination/heaven and hell/an afterlife/reincarnation
信仰上帝／耶稣基督／真主／自由意志／宿命论／天堂与地狱／来生／转世说 - be/become a believer/an atheist/an agnostic/a Christian/Muslim/Hindu/Buddhist, etc.
是／成为信徒／无神论者／不可知论者／基督徒／穆斯林／印度教教徒／佛教徒等 - convert to/practise a religion/Buddhism/Catholicism/Christianity/Islam/Judaism, etc.
- go to church/(North American English) temple (= the synagogue)
去教堂／会堂做礼拜 - go to the local church/mosque/synagogue/gurdwara
去当地的教堂／清真寺／犹太教会堂／谒师所做礼拜 - belong to a church/a religious community
是教堂／宗教团体的成员 - join/enter the church/a convent/a monastery/a religious sect/the clergy/the priesthood
成为牧师／女修道士／僧侣／宗教人员／神职人员／司祭 - praise/worship/obey/serve/glorify God
赞美／敬拜／遵从／侍奉／颂扬上帝
Celebrations and ritual 庆典与仪式 - attend/hold/conduct/lead a service
参加／举行／组织／主持礼拜仪式 - perform a ceremony/a rite/a ritual/a baptism/the Hajj/a mitzvah
举行典礼／仪式／宗教仪式／洗礼／朝觐／受戒仪式 - carry out/perform a sacred/burial/funeral/fertility/purification rite
举行宗教／安葬／葬礼／丰收／净化仪式 - go on/make a pilgrimage
前往朝圣 - celebrate Christmas/Easter/Eid/Ramadan/Hanukkah/Passover/Diwali
庆祝圣诞节／复活节／开斋节／斋月／修殿节／逾越节／排灯节 - observe/break the Sabbath/a fast/Ramadan
守／不守安息日／斋戒／斋月 - deliver/preach/hear a sermon
传道；讲道；听布道 - lead/address the congregation
带领会众；对会众发表演讲 - say/recite a prayer/blessing
念诵／背诵经文；祝祷
Religious texts and ideas 宗教经文与思想 - preach/proclaim/spread the word of God/the Gospel/the message of Islam
传布／颂扬／传播上帝的话／《福音》／伊斯兰教义 - study/follow the dharma/the teachings of Buddha
研究／遵循达摩／佛教教义 - read/study/understand/interpret scripture/the Bible/the Koran/the gospel/the Torah
阅读／研究／理解／阐释经文／《圣经》／《古兰经》／《福音》／托拉 - be based on/derive from divine revelation
基于／来源于上帝的启示 - commit/consider something heresy/sacrilege
犯异端／渎圣罪；认为…是异端邪说／亵渎圣物
Religious belief and experience 宗教信仰与体验 - seek/find/gain enlightenment/wisdom
寻求／找到／获得启迪／智慧 - strengthen/lose your faith
增强／失去信德 - keep/practise/practice/abandon the faith
忠于／践行／放弃信仰 - save/purify/lose your soul
拯救／净化／失去灵魂 - obey/follow/keep/break/violate a commandment/Islamic law/Jewish law
服从／遵循／恪守／违反／亵渎诫条／伊斯兰教法／犹太教法 - be/accept/do God’s will
是／接受／践行上帝的旨意 - receive/experience divine grace
得到／感受神的恩宠 - achieve/attain enlightenment/salvation/nirvana
获得启迪／拯救／涅槃 - undergo a conversion/rebirth/reincarnation
经历皈依／重生／转世化身 - hear/answer a prayer
聆听／回应祷告 - commit/confess/forgive a sin
犯罪；忏悔；宽恕罪过 - do/perform penance
进行补赎
Grammar Point schoolschool 学校 - When a school is being referred to as an institution, you do not need to use the:
school 指机构时，不需用定冠词 the： When do the children finish school? 孩子们什么时候毕业？
指校舍时要用定冠词 the： I’ll meet you outside the school. 我在学校外面等你。
prison、jail、court 和 church 的用法相同： Her husband spent three years in prison. 她丈夫坐了三年牢。
Extra ExamplesDo you go to church? 你去教堂做礼拜吗？ Mrs Parsons wasn't at church this Sunday. 帕森斯夫人这个星期天没有在教堂做礼拜。 We decided not to get married in church. 我们决定不在教堂举行婚礼。 Church attendance is declining. 教堂的上座率正在下降。 She attended church regularly. 她定期去教堂。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + church- attend
- go to
- attendance
- service
- music
- …
- after church
- before church
- at church
- …
- Church[countable]
a particular group of Christians 基督教教派 the Anglican Church 圣公会 The Catholic church teaches that life begins at conception. 天主教会教导说生命始于受孕。 the Free Churches 自由教会 Linda joined the local Methodist church. 琳达加入了当地的卫理公会。
Extra Examplessee also denomination, episcopal, Free Church, High Church, Low Church, Lutheran, orthodox, Reformed Church, storefront church, Unification ChurchSmall evangelical churches provide their members with a strong sense of community and family. 小型福音教会为其成员提供了强烈的社区和家庭意识。 the Church of England 英国国教会，英国圣公会 the Protestant Church 新教教会 Orthodox Christian churches 东正教教堂
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- low
- evangelical
- …
- establish
- found
- lead
- …
- teach
- authorities
- elder
- leader
- …
- a member of a church
- (the) Church[singular]
the ministers of the Christian religion; the institution of the Christian religion 基督教牧师；基督教机构 The Church has a duty to condemn violence. 基督教会有义务谴责暴力。 the conflict between Church and State 教会与政府的冲突 to go into the Church (= to become a Christian minister) 成为基督教牧师
Extra ExamplesHe left the Church after a loss of faith. 失去信仰后，他脱离了基督教会。 He served the church for over sixty years. 他在教会服务了 60 余年。 He went into the Church when he was 23. 他 23 岁时成为基督教牧师。 The early Church believed miracles were proof of who Jesus was. 早期基督教会认为神迹是耶稣身分的证明。 He loves all the high church traditions—incense and processions and vestments. 他喜欢所有高教会的传统——香料、列队前行、祭衣等。 He entered the Church and became chaplain to the Duke of York. 他进入教堂，成为约克公爵的牧师。 They called for the separation of church and state. 他们呼吁政教分离。 She attacked the established church for its narrow views. 她抨击已建立的教会的狭隘观点。 Church leaders instructed families to set aside time to learn the gospel. 教会领袖指示家庭留出时间学习福音。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- low
- evangelical
- …
- establish
- found
- lead
- …
- teach
- authorities
- elder
- leader
- …
- a member of a church
Word OriginOld English cir(i)ce, cyr(i)ce, related to Dutch kerk and German Kirche, based on medieval Greek kurikon, from Greek kuriakon (dōma) ‘Lord's (house)’, from kurios ‘master or lord’. Compare with kirk.
Idioms
a broad church
- (British English)
an organization that accepts a wide range of opinions 广纳众议的机构 The party aims to be a broad church with members from all sections of society. 该党的目标是成为一个由社会各阶层成员组成的广泛的教会。