breath

1. N-VAR Your breath is the air that you let out through your mouth when you breathe. If someone has bad breath, their breath smells unpleasant. 呼氣

I could smell the whisky on his breath. 我能從他的呼氣中聞到威士忌酒味。

2. N-VAR When you take a breath, you breathe in once. 呼吸

He took a deep breath, and began to climb the stairs. 他深深地吸了一口氣,然后開始爬樓梯。

Gasping for breath, she leaned against the door. 她靠在門上,大口喘著氣,

3. PHRASE If you go outside for a breath of fresh air or for a breath of air, you go outside because it is unpleasantly warm indoors. (到戶外) 透口氣

I had to step outside for a breath of fresh air. 我得到外面去透口氣。

4. PHRASE If you describe something new or different as a breath of fresh air, you mean that it makes a situation or subject more interesting or exciting. 帶來新氣象[表贊許]

Her brisk treatment of an almost taboo subject was a breath of fresh air. 她對一個(gè)幾乎是禁忌話題的干脆處理令人耳目一新。

5. PHRASE When you get your breath back after doing something energetic, you start breathing normally again. 緩過氣來

I reached out a hand to steady myself against the house while I got my breath back. 我伸出一只手撐在房子上使自己站穩(wěn),緩口氣。

6. PHRASE If you are out of breath, you are breathing very quickly and with difficulty because you have been doing something energetic. 喘不過氣

She was slightly out of breath from running. 她跑過后有點(diǎn)上氣不接下氣。

7. PHRASE You can use in the same breath or in the next breath to indicate that someone says two very different or contradictory things, especially when you are criticizing them. 自相矛盾[表不滿]

He hailed this week's arms agreement but in the same breath expressed suspicion about the motivations of the United States. 他贊揚(yáng)了這周的武器協(xié)定,可自相矛盾的是又表示了對美國的動機(jī)的懷疑。

8. PHRASE If you are short of breath, you find it difficult to breathe properly, for example, because you are ill. You can also say that someone suffers from shortness of breath. 氣短

She felt short of breath and flushed. 她感到氣短,臉也紅了。

9. PHRASE If you say something under your breath, you say it in a very quiet voice, often because you do not want other people to hear what you are saying. 低聲地

Walsh muttered something under his breath. 沃爾什低聲嘀咕了什么。