- [countable, uncountable]
the regular pattern of weather conditions of a particular place 气候 a tropical/warm/mild/temperate/cold climate 热带/温暖/温和/温带/寒冷气候 the harsh climate of the Arctic regions 北极地区的恶劣气候
Culture weatherweatherThe popular view of the British weather is that it rains all the time. This is not true and Britain gets no more rain in an average year than several other European countries. In some summers the country goes for weeks with nothing more than a shower (= short period of rain). Perhaps the main characteristic of Britain's weather is that it is hard to predict. This is probably why people regularly listen to weather forecasts on radio and television. However, the weather forecasters are sometimes wrong.The British are not used to extremes. In summer the temperature rarely goes higher than 30°C (86° F). Heatwaves (= periods of very hot weather) are rare events. In winter the south and west are fairly mild. The east and north get much colder, with hard frosts and snow. A cold snap (= period of very cold weather) or heavy falls of snow can cause all forms of transport to stop.Samuel Johnson observed that ‘when two Englishmen meet their first talk is of the weather’, and this is still true. The weather is a safe, polite topic of conversation. Most British people would agree that bright weather with some sun, not too hot and with enough rain to water their gardens, is good. Bad weather usually means days with a lot of cloud and rain or, in winter, fog or snow. The British tend to expect the worst as far as the weather is concerned and it is part of national folklore (= traditional belief) that summer bank holidays will be wet. It may be pouring with rain, teeming down, bucketing, or even just drizzling or spitting, but it will be wet.The US is large enough to have several different climates, and so the weather varies between regions. The average lowest temperature in Grand Forks, North Dakota in winter is almost −20° C (−3° F); in the summer in Arizona it is often above 40° C (104° F). Arizona gets less than an inch/2.5 centimetres of rain most months; the state of Washington can get 6 inches/15 centimetres. The Northeast and Midwest have cold winters with a lot of snow, and summers that are very hot and humid (= with a lot of water in the air). The South has hot, humid summers but moderate winters. The Southwest, including Arizona and New Mexico, is dry and warm in the winter and very hot in the summer. Some parts of the US suffer tornadoes and hurricanes.In autumn people put storm doors and windows on their houses, an extra layer of glass to keep out the cold wind. Cities in the snow belt (= the north eastern and midwestern states that get a lot of snow) have several snow days each winter, days when people do not go to school or work. But then snowploughs (NAmE snowplows) clear the roads and life goes on, even when the weather is bad.Many people in Britain and the US, as elsewhere, are worried about global warming (= an increase in temperature in the earth's atmosphere) due to emissions from vehicles and factories of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) and the extent of climate change this may cause.Extra ExamplesTopics The environmenta2The city has a warm climate. 这个城市气候温暖。 the severe northern climate 恶劣的北方气候 Tomato flavour varies depending on climate. 番茄的味道因气候而异。 It is a region with diverse soils and climate. 这是一个土壤和气候多样的地区。 a global climate shift towards an ice age 全球气候向冰河时代的转变 We are looking at how to respond to a changed climate. 我们正在研究如何应对气候变化。 Most climate scientists believe the earth will warm several more degrees in coming decades. 大多数气候科学家认为，未来几十年，地球将变暖几度。 plants that are well adapted to the climate 非常适应气候的植物
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- hot
- warm
- cold
- …
- have
- affect
- change
- research
- study
- …
- in a/the climate
- [countable]
an area with particular weather conditions 气候区 They wanted to move to a warmer climate. 他们想迁移到气候较温暖的地区。 Little grows in such a dry climate. 在这种干旱的气候下很难有东西生长。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- hot
- warm
- cold
- …
- have
- affect
- change
- research
- study
- …
- in a/the climate
- [countable]
a general attitude or feeling; an atmosphere or a situation that exists in a particular place 倾向；思潮；风气；环境气氛 the present political/economic climate 当前的政治气候/经济环境 the current climate of opinion (= what people generally are thinking about a particular issue) 目前的舆论倾向 a climate of fear/suspicion/uncertainty 恐惧/怀疑/不确定的气氛 There is no money for children's centres in the current climate. 在目前的气候下，儿童中心没有钱。 We need to create a climate in which business can prosper. 我们需要创造一个有利于商业繁荣的环境。
Extra ExamplesThey hope this will provide the right climate for social change. 他们希望这将为社会变革提供合适的环境。 There's been a change in the climate of opinion. 舆论倾向有了转变。 The crisis produced a climate far less favourable to redevelopment. 这场危机造成了一种远不利于再开发的环境。 Such a move seems unlikely in the current political climate. 在当前的政治气候下，这样的举措似乎不太可能。 He admitted that the economic climate has rarely been worse. 他承认经济气候从来没这么糟过。 a set of ideas that challenge the prevailing climate of pessimism 对流行的悲观情绪提出质疑的一整套思想 a climate for economic recovery 经济复苏形势 The new policies have created a climate of fear. 这些新政策制造了一种恐怖的气氛。 His ideas on equality are viewed as utopian in the current political climate. 在当前的政治气候下，他关于平等的观点被视为是乌托邦。 They believe Las Vegas offers an excellent business climate. 他们认为拉斯维加斯提供了一个极好的商业环境。 In today's social climate, it is a very emotionally charged word. 在今天的社会气候下，这是一个非常情绪化的词。 His remarks directly contributed to the climate of racial tension. 他的言论直接加剧了种族紧张气氛。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- favourable/favorable
- hostile
- unfavourable/unfavorable
- …
- create
- foster
- change
- …
- in a/the climate
- climate for
- climate of
- …
- a climate of opinion
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French climat or late Latin clima, climat-, from Greek klima ‘slope, zone’, from klinein ‘to slope’. The term originally denoted a zone of the earth between two lines of latitude, then any region of the earth, and later, a region considered with reference to its atmospheric conditions. Compare with clime.