main·tain
verb OPAL WOPAL S
/meɪnˈteɪn/
/meɪnˈteɪn/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they maintain | /meɪnˈteɪn/ /meɪnˈteɪn/ |
| he / she / it maintains | /meɪnˈteɪnz/ /meɪnˈteɪnz/ |
| past simple maintained | /meɪnˈteɪnd/ /meɪnˈteɪnd/ |
| past participle maintained | /meɪnˈteɪnd/ /meɪnˈteɪnd/ |
| -ing form maintaining | /meɪnˈteɪnɪŋ/ /meɪnˈteɪnɪŋ/ |
- maintain something to make something continue at the same level, standard, etc.
维持；保持 - to maintain law and order/standards/a balance/control
维持治安；保持水平／平衡／控制 - ANU has maintained its position as Australia's top university.
澳大利亚国立大学保持了澳大利亚顶尖大学的位置。 - The two countries have always maintained close relations.
这两个国家一直保持着密切关系。 - (formal) She maintained a dignified silence.
她一言不发，面容威严。 - to maintain prices (= prevent them from falling or rising)
维持价格的稳定
Extra Examples- Building and maintaining good relationships is an important part of what we do.
建立和维持良好的关系是我们工作的重要组成部分。 - He emphasized the need to maintain the status quo.
他强调了保持现状的必要性。 - He successfully maintained the financial health of the company.
他成功地维持了公司财务的健康运行。 - The government's position became increasingly difficult to maintain.
政府的立场越来越难以维持。 - They are looking to cut costs while simultaneously maintaining the existing levels of service.
他们考虑要在保持现有服务水平的同时降低成本。 - This pace cannot be maintained indefinitely.
这样的速度不可能无限期地保持下去。 - Security personnel struggled to maintain order.
保安人员奋力维持秩序。 - Email is used to maintain contact with members.
电子邮件用于与会员保持联系。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + maintain- be anxious to
- want to
- have to
- …
- indefinitely
- simultaneously
- successfully
- …
- the duty to maintain something
- the need to maintain something
- to maintain law and order/standards/a balance/control
- maintain something to keep a building, a machine, etc. in good condition by checking or repairing it regularly
维修；保养 - The house is large and difficult to maintain.
房子很大，难以养护。
Extra ExamplesTopics Buildingsb2- a poorly maintained central heating system
养护不力的中央供暖系统 - I do a lot of mechanical work and I maintain my own car.
我做很多机械工作并维护自己的汽车。 - The grounds are beautifully maintained.
庭院养护得很好。 - The wheel spats collect debris and make it difficult to maintain the brakes.
车轮碎片会积聚碎屑，导致刹车维护变得困难。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- carefully
- properly
- well
- …
- be difficult to
- be easy to
- be responsible for maintaining something
- The house is large and difficult to maintain.
- maintain somebody/something to support somebody/something over a long period of time by giving money, paying for food, etc.
供养；扶养 - Her income was barely enough to maintain one child, let alone three.
她的收入养活一个孩子几乎都不够，更不用说三个了。
Extra Examples- His priority is to maintain and protect his family.
他的首要任务是维持和保护他的家庭。 - At that time it was assumed that a man would maintain his wife.
那时人们认为男人会赡养他的妻子。 - Maintaining a modern, well-equipped armed force is a challenge.
维持一支现代化、装备精良的武装部队是一项挑战。
- Her income was barely enough to maintain one child, let alone three.
- to keep stating that something is true, even though other people do not agree or do not believe it
坚持（意见）；固执己见 - maintain (that)… The men maintained (that) they were out of the country when the crime was committed.
这几个男人坚持说案发时他们在国外。 - It is difficult to maintain that such a harsh punishment was justified.
很难说如此严厉的惩罚是合理的。 - maintain something She has always maintained her innocence.
她一直坚持说她是无辜的。 - + speech ‘But I'm innocent!’ she maintained.
“但是我是无辜的！”她坚持道。
Language Bank argueargueVerbs for reporting an opinionTopics Opinion and argumentb2- Some critics argue that Picasso remained a great master all his life.
一些评论家认为毕加索毕生都是一位大师。
- Some critics argue that Picasso remained a great master all his life.
- Others maintain that there is a significant deterioration in quality in his post-war work.
其他人坚称他战后的作品质量明显下降。
- Others maintain that there is a significant deterioration in quality in his post-war work.
- Picasso himself claimed that good art is created, but great art is stolen.
毕加索自己声称，好的艺术是创造出来的，伟大的艺术却是偷来的。
- Picasso himself claimed that good art is created, but great art is stolen.
- As Smith has noted, Picasso borrowed imagery from African art.
正如史密斯所述，毕加索借用了非洲艺术的意象。
- As Smith has noted, Picasso borrowed imagery from African art.
- As the author points out, Picasso borrowed imagery from African art.
正如作者指出的那样，毕加索借用了非洲艺术的意象。
- As the author points out, Picasso borrowed imagery from African art.
- The writer challenges the notion that Picasso’s sculpture was secondary to his painting.
作者对这种观点表示质疑，即毕加索的雕塑不及他的绘画。
- The writer challenges the notion that Picasso’s sculpture was secondary to his painting.
- It has been suggested that Picasso’s painting was influenced by jazz music.
据说毕加索的绘画受到爵士乐的影响。
- It has been suggested that Picasso’s painting was influenced by jazz music.
- maintain (that)… The men maintained (that) they were out of the country when the crime was committed.
Word OriginMiddle English (also in the sense ‘practise an action habitually’): from Old French maintenir, from Latin manu tenere ‘hold in the hand’.