breath /brɛθ/ CET4 TEM4

• 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. 呼气

  例：

  I could smell the whisky on his breath.

  我能从他的呼气中闻到威士忌酒味。

• 2. 

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

  例：

  He took a deep breath, and began to climb the stairs.

  他深深地吸了一口气,然后开始爬楼梯。

  例：

  Gasping for breath, she leaned against the door.

  她靠在门上,大口喘着气,

• 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. (到户外) 透口气

  例：

  I had to step outside for a breath of fresh air.

  我得到外面去透口气。

• 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. 带来新气象 [表赞许]

  例：

  Her brisk treatment of an almost taboo subject was a breath of fresh air.

  她对一个几乎是禁忌话题的干脆处理令人耳目一新。

• 5. 

  PHRASE When you get your breath back after doing something energetic, you start breathing normally again. 缓过气来

  例：

  I reached out a hand to steady myself against the house while I got my breath back.

  我伸出一只手撑在房子上使自己站稳,缓口气。

• 6. 

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

  例：

  She was slightly out of breath from running.

  她跑过后有点上气不接下气。

• 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 [表不满]

  例：

  He hailed this week's arms agreement but in the same breath expressed suspicion about the motivations of the United States.

  他赞扬了这周的武器协定,可自相矛盾的是又表示了对美国的动机的怀疑。

• 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. 气短

  例：

  She felt short of breath and flushed.

  她感到气短,脸也红了。

• 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. 低声地

  例：

  Walsh muttered something under his breath.

  沃尔什低声嘀咕了什么。