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| VERB |
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| /tel/ |
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| 1 | T to give information to someone 告诉；告知；通知 |
| If you see anything suspicious, tell the police. 如果发现有可疑情况，要通知警方。 |
| tell sb (that) Didn’ t he tell you that I wanted to see you? 难道他没告诉你我想见你吗？ |
| The passengers were told their flight was about to depart. 乘客们被告知航班就要起飞了。 |
| tell sb who/what/why/how etc Just tell me what she said. 告诉我她说了些什么。 |
| Were you told when she would be arriving? 有人告诉你她什么时候到吗？ |
| tell sb sth He finally told me the reason why he was so upset. 他最终告诉了我他如此心烦的原因。 |
| tell sb (sth) about sth ‘Tell me about your day,’ she said. “跟我说说你这天是怎么过的，”她说道。 |
| I haven’ t been told anything about it. 我对此一无所知。 |
| tell the truth/a lie I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 我保证要说真话，完完全全说真话，只说真话。 |
| He tells some absolute whoppers (=big lies) sometimes. 他有时会撒弥天大谎。 |
| | 1a | if you tell a story or a joke , you give someone a spoken account of it 口述，讲（故事等） | | Grandpa tells wonderful stories about the old days. 爷爷会绘声绘色地讲述昔日的故事。 | | tell sb sth Shall I tell you a joke? 要我给你讲个笑话吗？ | |
| | 1b | if something such as a fact , event , or piece of equipment tells you something , it gives or shows you some information 说明；表明；显示 | | The facts themselves don’ t tell us much. 事实本身并不能向我们说明什么。 | | Her look of surprise told him that he had guessed right. 她惊诧的神情表明他猜对了。 | | The flashing light tells you when the battery needs recharging. 灯在闪烁就表示电池需要充电了。 | | What does this room tell you about the person who lived here? 房间的摆设说明房主是个什么样的人呢？ | | tell its own story/tale (=give all the information you need) His troubled face told its own story. 说明一切 | |
| | 1c | to make yourself consider something in order to understand it correctly or persuade yourself that it is true 告诉自己；暗自叮嘱 | | I kept telling myself that it would all be over soon. 我不停地告诉自己事情将很快过去。 | |
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| 2 | T to order or strongly advise someone to do something 命令；指示；建议；叮嘱 |
| I’ m not asking you, I’ m telling you! 我不是在请求你，而是在命令你！ |
| tell sb to do sth I told you to be here on time this morning. 我叮嘱过你今天上午要准时到这儿的。 |
| tell sb what/how/when etc I told him what to do, but he wouldn’ t listen. 我叮嘱过他要做什么，但他就是不听。 |
| You will be told where to sit. 有人会告诉你坐在哪里。 |
| do as/what you’ re told Do as you’ re told this minute! 现在叫你怎么做，你就怎么做！ |
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| 3 | I/T never progressive to recognize something as a result of knowledge , experience , or evidence 识别；分辨；认出 |
| He’ s lying. I can always tell. 他在撒谎。我看得出来。 |
| +(that) Peter could tell that she was bored. 彼得看得出她感到厌倦了。 |
| +who/what/whether etc It’ s never easy to tell whether he’ s being serious or not. 很难分辨出他是认真的还是开玩笑的。 |
| | 3a | to recognize the difference between one person or thing and another 区分；辨别；分辨 | | Which is which? I can’ t tell. 哪个是哪个？我无法分辨。 | | tell sth/sb from sth/sb Can you tell butter from margarine? 你能将黄油和人造黄油区分开来吗？ | | They’ re so alike I can never tell one from the other. 他们太相像了，我没法把他们区分开来。 | | tell the difference (between) These days it’ s hard to tell the difference between political parties. 如今很难区分政治派别之间的差别。 | |
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| 4 | I to have an effect that can be clearly seen , especially a bad effect （尤指负面影响）显露，显现 |
| +on These endless business trips are telling on his marriage. 这些没完没了的出差给他的婚姻生活带来了不利的影响。 |
| begin/start to tell The strain of the last few days was beginning to tell. 前几天过度紧张的负面影响开始显现出来。 |
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| 5 | I informal to not keep a secret 泄密 |
| You promised you wouldn’ t tell. 你答应过不会泄密的。 |
| PHRASES |
| - | all told
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| after everyone or everything in a group has been counted |
| 总共；合计 |
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| The property must have been nearly a thousand acres all told. 地产共计近千英亩。 |
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| - | I can tell you
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| used for emphasizing that what you are saying is true , although it may seem surprising or hard to believe |
| 我可以肯定地说；我没说假话；我说的都是真的 |
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| I’ m telling you - that’ s how it happened. 我可以肯定地说，那就是事情发生的经过。 |
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| - | I can’ t tell you how/what spoken
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| used for emphasizing that your feelings about something are very strong |
| （用来强调自己的强烈感情）我说不出自己有多… |
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| I can’ t tell you how sorry I am. 我说不出自己有多抱歉。 |
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| - | I couldn’ t tell you spoken
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| used for saying that you do not know the answer to a question , especially when you do not want to be helpful |
| （尤指不想帮忙回答问题时）我不知道，无可奉告 |
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| ‘What time will he be back?’ - ‘I couldn’ t tell you.’ “他几点钟回来？”“我不知道。” |
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| - | I told you (so) spoken
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| used for saying that you warned someone that something bad would happen and you have now been proved right |
| 我警告过你（会这样的） |
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| - | I’ ll tell you something/one thing/another thing spoken
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| used when you are going to make a statement or give your opinion about something |
| 我来谈一下观点；我告诉你吧 |
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| I’ ll tell you one thing: I wouldn’ t like to have his job. 告诉你吧：我不想要他那份工作。 |
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| - | (I’ ll) tell you what spoken
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| used when you are going to make a suggestion , proposal , or offer |
| 我提个建议 |
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| I’ ll tell you what - let’ s have the party here. 我提个建议：我们在这儿举行聚会吧。 |
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| - | something tells me (that)
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| used for saying that you think something is probably true or will probably happen |
| 我觉得…可能是真的；我觉得…可能会发生 |
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| Something tells me we haven’ t heard the last of him. 我觉得我们可能没有听到他最后说的话。 |
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| - | tell it like it is informal
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| to state the real facts about something , even if they are unpleasant |
| 实话实说；实事求是地说 |
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| - | tell me spoken
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| used when you are going to ask a question |
| 跟我说说；回答我；告诉我 |
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| Tell me, what’ s she really like? 告诉我，她到底长得什么样？ |
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| - | tell me about it spoken
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| used for saying that you already know about something unpleasant that someone has just described because you have experienced it yourself |
| 我早就知道了 |
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| ‘I’ m so overworked.’ ‘Tell me about it!’ “我太累了。” “我早就知道了！” |
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| - | tell me another (one) spoken
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| used for saying to someone that you do not believe what they have just said |
| 我不信；不见得吧 |
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| ‘They said I was their best worker.’ - ‘Tell me another.’ “他们说我是他们最好的员工。” “我不信。” |
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| - | tell tales
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| to inform someone about something bad someone else has done . This expression is used mainly by children . |
| 打小报告（该表达法主要为儿语） |
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| - | tell the time
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| to know what time it is when you look at a clock or watch |
| 识钟；看钟点 |
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| - | tell sb where to go informal
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| to say very rudely to someone that you are not interested in them or in what they are suggesting |
| 叫某人滚开；叫某人住嘴 |
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| Josh asked me out, but I told him where to go. 乔希约我出去，但我却叫他滚开。 |
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| - | sb tells me (that) spoken
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| used for reporting what someone has said to you |
| 某人告诉我 |
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| David tells me that you’ re leaving. Is it true? 戴维跟我说你要走了，这是真的吗？ |
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| - | that would be telling spoken
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| used for saying that you cannot give someone a piece of information because it is a secret |
| 那是秘密 |
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| - | there’ s no telling who/what/when/how etc
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| used for saying that it is impossible to be certain about what has happened or what will happen |
| 无法知道；没法预料；很难说 |
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| There was no telling how he would react. 很难说他会有什么反应。 |
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| - | to tell (you) the truth spoken
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| used for saying what you really think or feel |
| 老实说；说实话 |
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| To tell you the truth, I’ m completely bored. 说实话，我感到无聊透顶。 |
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| - | what did I tell you? spoken
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| used when something happens that you said would happen , often when other people were not so sure |
| 我说的没错吧！；我跟你说什么来着？ |
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| - | you never can tell
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| used for saying that it is impossible to be certain about something |
| 不能确定；很难说 |
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| You can never tell how long these meetings will last. 很难说这些会议会开多久。 |
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| - | you’ re telling me spoken
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| used for saying that you agree with someone |
| 说的没错；对极了 |
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| ‘This is so boring.’ - ‘You’ re telling me.’ “真无聊。” “说的没错。” |
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| PHRASAL VERBS |
| - | ˌtell aˈgainst |
| PHRASAL VB BRITISH |
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| | tell against sb: if a quality or feature tells against someone , it makes them less likely to succeed in achieving something 对（某人）不利 | I’ m sure it was my age that told against me. 我确信是我的年龄对我不利。 | |
| - | ˌtell aˈpart |
| PHRASAL VB |
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| | tell sb/sth apart: to recognize the difference between two people or things that are very similar 区分；辨别；分辨 | The two women are so similar that only their husbands can tell them apart. 那两个女人太像了，只有她们的丈夫才分得清谁是谁。 | |
| - | ˈtell of |
| PHRASAL VB |
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| 1 | tell sb of sth: formal to inform someone about something （把某事）告知（某人） | She told us of her doubts regarding the policy. 她跟我们说了她对该政策的疑虑。 | | I was told of his death by a fellow officer. 一位警官同事告诉了我他的死讯。 | |
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| 2 | tell of sth: mainly literary to mention or talk about something 提及；谈论 | old legends that tell of a mysterious city beneath the sea 关于海底神秘城市的古老传说 | |
| - | ˌtell ˈoff |
| PHRASAL VB |
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| | to criticize someone angrily for doing something wrong 批评；责备；斥责 | +for doing sth The teacher told me off for talking again today. 今天老师批评了我，因为我上课又说话了。 | | be/get told off I’ m going to get told off for being late. 我迟到要挨批评了。 | |
| See also | | - teller | | - telling | | - telling-off | |
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