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| ADJ |
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| /ˈɜːli/ |
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| 1 | usually before noun near the beginning of a period of time 早期的；初期的；早的 |
| In the early 1980s, several thousand jobs were lost. 在20世纪80年代初期失去了几千个工作岗位。 |
| The temperature drops to below freezing in the early evening. 晚上早些时候气温降到了零下。 |
| The plants flower in early spring. 这些植物在早春开花。 |
| | 1a | used about periods in someone’ s life （某人）早年的 | | From an early age, Chaplin believed in his talents. 从早年起，卓别林就相信自己的才华。 | | memories of my early childhood 我童年早期的记忆 | | Julia is in her early thirties. 朱莉娅30刚出头。 | |
| | 1b | used about the first part of an activity , process , or event （活动、进程、事件）初期（阶段）的 | | The project is still in its very early stages. 该项目仍处于它的初期阶段。 | | It is too early to predict whether the unemployment rate has peaked. 要预测失业率是否已经达到最高点还为时尚早。 | | in the early days (=soon after something began) We didn’ t think much about the environment in those early days. 刚开始的时候 | |
| | 1c | used about periods of history （某历史阶段的）早期的 | | in the early Middle Ages 在中世纪早期 | |
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| 2 | before the time that something usually happens （比往常）提前的 |
| Spring was unusually early that year. 那年春季来得异乎寻常地早。 |
| Let’ s have an early lunch and then go to the cinema. 我们早一点吃午饭，然后去看电影。 |
| Is it too early to phone them? 现在打电话给他们太早了吗？ |
| | 2a | before the time that something is expected or arranged to happen （比预计或安排的时间）提前的 | | My train was ten minutes early. 我的列车提早了10分钟。 | | +for You’ re a little early for the party. 参加聚会你来得有点早。 | |
| | 2b | at a time that is sooner than people expect 早在… | | We may announce the winners as early as tomorrow. 我们也许明天就可以公布获胜者。 | |
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| 3 | used about the first people or things of a particular type （某一类人或物中的）早期的，最初的 |
| The early settlers used to heat their cabins with coal. 早期的殖民者常用煤来在房中取暖。 |
| early editions of the novel 该小说的最初版本 |
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| 4 | early crops or flowers are ready to be picked before others of the same type 早熟的 |
| early peaches/roses 早熟的桃子/早开花的玫瑰 |
| PHRASES |
| - | the early hours
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| the period of time between midnight and the very early morning |
| 凌晨 |
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| The attack happened in the early hours of Sunday morning. 攻击是在星期天的凌晨发生的。 |
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| - | an early night
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| a night when you go to bed earlier than you normally do |
| 早睡 |
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| I think I’ ll get an early night. 我想我要提早睡了。 |
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| - | an early start
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| an occasion when you start something early in the morning |
| 一大早就开始（做某事） |
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| - | it’ s early days mainly spoken
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| used for saying that it is too soon to know whether someone or something will be successful |
| （对于某人或某事是否能成功）现在还言之过早 |
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| See also | | - earliest | | - opportunity | |
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