upon /əˈpɑːn/ preposition Learner's definition of UPON
formal
1
: on -
He carefully placed the vase upon the table.他小心翼翼地将花瓶放在桌子上。
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They built their city upon a cliff overlooking the sea.他们将城市建在濒海的悬崖上。
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She was seated upon a throne.她登上了女王的宝座。
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an assault upon traditional values对传统价值观念的冲击
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She was admitted to his office immediately upon her arrival.她一来就立即被他的办事处录用了。
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That kind of behavior is frowned upon.那种行为是不被许可的。
2
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used to say that someone or something is very close or has arrived即将来临；近在咫尺 -
The enemy was suddenly upon us.敌人突然逼近我们。
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The holidays are nearly upon us. [=the holidays are nearly here; the holidays have nearly begun]假期将至。
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Before we knew it, the date of the wedding was upon us.还没等我们意识到，婚期已然将至。
3
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used to emphasize something that is repeated many times强调多次重复 -
We removed layer upon layer [=many layers] of old paint from the paneling.我们从嵌板上剥下了一层层的旧漆。
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She studied for hour upon hour. [=for many hours]她连续学习了好几个小时。
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thousands upon thousands of people成千上万的人