1
- a large-scale systematic plan or arrangement for attaining some particular object or putting a particular idea into effect计划, 规划, 方案：
the occupational sick pay scheme.
职业病病假工资方案。
1.1
- a secret or underhand plan; a plot阴谋, 诡计：
police uncovered a scheme to steal paintings worth more than $250,000.
警方揭露了一宗盗窃价值超过250,000美元的油画的阴谋。
1.2
- a particular ordered system or arrangement（有序）组合; 系统：
a classical rhyme scheme.
严谨的韵律。
1
- no obj. make plans, especially in a devious way or with intent to do something illegal or wrong策划, 密谋：
with infinitive he schemed to bring about the collapse of the government.他密谋推翻政府。
1.1
- S. African informal think; suppose〈南非, 非正式〉认为; 猜想：
with clause I scheme it could work.我认为这能行。
2
- with obj. arrange according to a colour scheme按色调布置。
短语
the scheme of things
- a supposed or apparent overall system, within which everything has a place and in relation to which individual details are ultimately to be assessed格局：
in the overall scheme of things, we didn't do badly.
将各种因素综合起来看, 我们做得不差。
词源
mid 16th cent. (denoting a figure of speech)： from Latin schema, from Greek （see SCHEMA）. An early sense was 'diagram of the position of celestial objects', giving rise to 'diagram, outline', whence the current senses. The unfavourable notion 'plot' arose in the mid 18th cent.