1 VERB 玩；玩耍 When children, animals, or perhaps adults play, they spend time doing enjoyable things, such as using toys and taking part in games. 玩；玩耍
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...invite the children round to play. [VERB]
邀请孩子们来玩
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They played in the little garden. [VERB]
他们在小花园里玩耍。
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Polly was playing with her teddy bear. [VERB + with]
波莉正在玩她的泰迪熊。
2 V-RECIP 参加（体育活动、比赛等） When you play a sport, game, or match, you take part in it. 参加（体育活动、比赛等）
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While the twins played cards, Francis sat reading. [VERB noun]
那对双胞胎玩扑克牌的时候，弗朗西斯坐着看书。
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Alain was playing cards with his friends. [VERB noun + with]
阿兰正和朋友打扑克牌。
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I used to play basketball. [VERB noun]
我过去常打篮球。
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I want to play for my country. [VERB + for]
我想代表自己的国家参加比赛。
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He captained the team but he didn't actually play. [VERB]
他是球队的队长，但实际上却并未上场。
SYN take part in, be involved in, engage in, participate in
3 VERB （和…）比赛 When one person or team plays another or plays against them, they compete against them in a sport or game. （和…）比赛
SYN compete against, challenge, take on, rival
4 VERB （比赛等中）打出，踢出，击出（球） When you play the ball or play a shot in a game or sport, you kick or hit the ball. （比赛等中）打出，踢出，击出（球）
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Think first before playing the ball. [VERB noun]
踢出球前先想一想。
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Sikander Bakht played a bad shot. [VERB noun]
西坎德尔·巴克特击出一记坏球。
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I played the ball back slightly. [VERB noun adv.]
我把球轻轻打了回去。
SYN hit, pass, shoot, kick
5 VERB 开（玩笑）；耍（花招）；搞（恶作剧） If you play a joke or a trick on someone, you deceive them or give them a surprise in a way that you think is funny, but that often causes problems for them or annoys them. 开（玩笑）；耍（花招）；搞（恶作剧）
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Someone had played a trick on her, stretched a piece of string at the top of those steps. [VERB noun + on]
有人搞恶作剧整她，在最高的台阶上拉了一根绳子。
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I thought: 'This cannot be happening, somebody must be playing a joke'. [VERB noun]
我想：“这不可能发生，肯定是谁在开玩笑。”
SYN perform, carry out, execute
6 VERB 随意摆弄；弄着玩 If you play with an object or with your hair, you keep moving it or touching it with your fingers, perhaps because you are bored or nervous. 随意摆弄；弄着玩
7 N-COUNT 剧本；戏剧 A play is a piece of writing which is performed in a theatre, on the radio, or on television. 剧本；戏剧
SYN drama, show, performance, piece
8 VERB 扮演，饰演（角色等） If an actor plays a role or character in a play or film, he or she performs the part of that character. 扮演，饰演（角色等）
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...Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, in which he played Hyde. [VERB noun]
他在其中饰演海德一角的《化身博士》
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His ambition is to play the part of Dracula. [VERB noun]
他渴望扮演德拉库拉。
SYN act, portray, represent, perform
9 V-LINK 装扮；假装；充当 You can use play to describe how someone behaves, when they are deliberately behaving in a certain way or like a certain type of person. For example, to play the innocent, means to pretend to be innocent, and to play deaf means to pretend not to hear something. 装扮；假装；充当
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Hill tried to play the peacemaker. [VERB noun]
希尔想要充当和事佬。
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She was just playing the devoted mother. [VERB noun]
她只是装得像个尽心尽责的母亲似的。
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So you want to play nervous today? [VERB adj.ive]
这么说你今天想装出一副紧张的样子了？
10 VERB （以…方式）对待，处置，处理 You can describe how someone deals with a situation by saying that they play it in a certain way. For example, if someone plays it cool, they keep calm and do not show much emotion, and if someone plays it straight, they behave in an honest and direct way. （以…方式）对待，处置，处理
11 V-ERG 演奏（乐器或乐曲） If you play a musical instrument or play a tune on a musical instrument, or if a musical instrument plays, music is produced from it. 演奏（乐器或乐曲） [Also V n for n]
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Nina had been playing the piano. [VERB noun]
尼娜一直都在弹钢琴。
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Two people played jazz on a piano. [VERB noun]
两人联手在一架钢琴上演奏爵士乐。
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He played for me. [VERB + for]
他为我弹奏。
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Place your baby in her seat and play her a lullaby. [VERB noun noun]
把宝宝放到座位上，给她弹一首摇篮曲。
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The guitars played. [VERB]
吉他声响起。
12 V-ERG 播放（唱片、CD或磁带） If you play a record, a CD, or a tape, you put it into a machine and sound is produced. If a record, CD, or tape is playing, sound is being produced from it. 播放（唱片、CD或磁带） [Also VERB n n]
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She played her records too loudly. [VERB noun]
她播放唱片时音量太大了。
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Every evening in those days the BBC played 'God Save The King'. [VERB noun]
那些日子里，英国广播公司每天晚上都会播放《天佑吾王》。
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The records were played on the radio. [VERB]
这些唱片在收音机里播放过。
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There is classical music playing in the background. [VERB]
背景里有古典音乐在播放。
13 VERB （音乐家、乐队等）表演；举办（音乐会） If a musician or group of musicians plays or plays a concert, they perform music for people to listen or dance to. （音乐家、乐队等）表演；举办（音乐会）
14 VERB （光）轻快地移动 When light plays somewhere, it moves about on a surface in an unsteady way. （光）轻快地移动 [literary]
15 PHRASE 搞什么名堂；干什么蠢事 If you ask what someone is playing at, you are angry because you think they are doing something stupid or wrong. 搞什么名堂；干什么蠢事 [informal, feelings]
16 PHRASE （使）开始活动；（使）投入使用； （使）开始起作用 When something comes into play or is brought into play, it begins to be used or to have an effect. （使）开始活动；（使）投入使用； （使）开始起作用
17 PHRASE （在…中）发挥作用，产生影响 If something or someone plays a part or plays a role in a situation, they are involved in it and have an effect on it. （在…中）发挥作用，产生影响
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They played a part in the life of their community.
他们参与到了自己社区的生活中。
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The UN would play a major role in monitoring a ceasefire.
联合国在监督停火方面会发挥重要作用。
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...the role played by diet in disease.
节食在疾病中扮演的角色
18 to play ball→see: ball to play your cards right→see: card to play it by ear→see: ear to play fair→see: fair to play fast and loose→see: fast to play second fiddle→see: fiddle to play the field→see: field to play with fire→see: fire to play the fool→see: fool to play to the gallery→see: gallery to play into someone's hands→see: hand to play hard to get→see: hard to play havoc→see: havoc to play host→see: host to play safe→see: safe to play for time→see: time to play truant→see: truant
Phrasal verbs: - play alongplay aroundplay atplay backplay downplay off againstplay onplay outplay upplay upon
Quotations
The play's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king William Shakespeare Hamlet
Play it Sam. Play `As Time Goes By' J. Epstein, P. Epstein, H. Koch and M. Curtiz Casablanca
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