expense /ɪkˈspɛns/ CET4 TEM4

• 1. 

  N-VAR Expense is the money that something costs you or that you need to spend in order to do something. 花费

  例：

  He's bought a big TV at vast expense so that everyone can see properly.

  他花了很多钱买了台大电视，这样人人都可以看清楚了。

• 2. 

  N-PLURAL Expenses are amounts of money that you spend while doing something in the course of your work, which will be paid back to you afterwards. (由雇主报销的工作) 开支 [商业]

  例：

  Her airfare and hotel expenses were paid by the committee.

  她乘飞机及住酒店的费用由该委员会支付了。

• 3. 

  PHRASE If you do something at someone's expense, they provide the money for it. 由…付费

  例：

  Should architects continue to be trained for five years at public expense?

  建筑师继续受训5年应由公众付费吗？

• 4. 

  PHRASE If someone laughs or makes a joke at your expense, they do it to make you seem foolish. 捉弄 (某人)

  例：

  I think he's having fun at our expense.

  我看他是在拿咱们寻开心。

• 5. 

  PHRASE If you achieve something at the expense of someone, you do it in a way that might cause them some harm or disadvantage. 以牺牲 (某人的利益) 为代价

  例：

  According to this study, women have made notable gains at the expense of men.

  根据这项研究，女性以牺牲男性的利益为代价而取得了显著收益。

• 6. 

  PHRASE If you say that someone does something at the expense of another thing, you are expressing concern that they are not doing the second thing, because the first thing uses all their resources. 以牺牲 (某物) 为代价 [表不满]

  例：

  The orchestra has more discipline now, but at the expense of spirit.

  该管弦乐队现在更有纪律了，但却牺牲了士气。

• 7. 

  PHRASE If you go to the expense of doing something, you do something that costs a lot of money. If you go to great expense to do something, you spend a lot of money in order to achieve it. 花大钱 (做某事)

  例：

  Why go to the expense of buying an electric saw when you can borrow one?

  你能借到电锯，却为何去花钱买呢？