about
- prep.关于;( 时间上 ) 在…前后，在…左右;对于;围绕;为了;在…附近;目的是;从事于;在…到处;在…四处;忙于;涉及…方面
- adv.大约;左右;几乎;到处;将近;各处;处处;在某地;闲着;凌乱地;沿反方向
- adj.在附近的;即将（做…）的；快要（发生…）的;在手头的, 现成的, 能得到的;在起作用的;四处走动的;在流行中的
aboutadv.
大约；左右
a little more or less than; a little before or after
It costs about $10.
这大约要花10元钱。
They waited (for) about an hour.
他们等了一小时左右。
He arrived (at) about ten.
他是十点钟左右到的。
将近；几乎
nearly; very close to
I'm just about ready.
我就要准备好了。
This is about the best we can hope for.
这差不多是我们所能希望的最好结果。
到处；处处；各处
in many directions; here and there
The children were rushing about in the garden.
孩子们在花园里跑来跑去。
凌乱地；四处；到处
in no particular order; in various places
Her books were lying about on the floor.
她的书在地板上东一本西一本地放着。
闲着；无所事事
doing nothing in particular
People were standing about in the road.
人们在路上闲站着。
在某地；附近；周围
able to be found in a place
There was nobody about.
附近没有人。
There's a lot of flu about.
这一带流感肆虐。
向后转；掉转方向；掉头
facing the opposite direction
He brought the ship about.
他掉转船头。
used to say that you have finished telling sb about sth and there is nothing to add
“还有什么要说的吗？”“没有了，现在我要说的就是这些。”
‘Anything else?’ ‘No, that's about it for now.’
prep.
关于；对于
on the subject of sb/sth; in connection with sb/sth
a book about flowers
一本关于花卉的书
Tell me all about it.
把这件事全部告诉我。
What's she so angry about?
她为什么生这么大的气？
There's something strange about him.
他有点怪。
I don't know what you're on about (= talking about) .
我不懂你在谈什么。
There's nothing you can do about it now.
现在你对此毫无办法。
目的是；为了；涉及…方面
used to describe the purpose or an aspect of sth
Movies are all about making money these days.
当今电影就是只顾赚钱。
What was all that about? (= what was the reason for what has just happened?)
这到底是怎么回事？
忙于；从事于
busy with sth; doing sth
Everywhere people were going about their daily business.
无论哪里人们都在忙着干日常工作。
And while you're about it … (= while you're doing that)
在你干这件事的同时，顺便…
在…到处；在…各处
in many directions in a place; here and there
We wandered about the town for an hour or so.
我们在城里到处游逛了一个小时左右。
He looked about the room.
他在房间里四下看了看。
在…四处
in various parts of a place; here and there
The papers were strewn about the room.
房间里四处乱扔着文件。
在…附近；在…地方
next to a place or person; in the area mentioned
She's somewhere about the office.
她在办公室附近。
围绕
surrounding sb/sth
She wore a shawl about her shoulders.
她披了一件披肩。
adj.
to be close to doing sth; to be going to do sth very soon
我刚才正要问你同一件事情。
I was just about to ask you the same thing.
to not be willing to do sth; to not intend to do sth
我从来没有做过饭，也不想从现在开始做起来。
I've never done any cooking and I'm not about to start now.
Around and round can often be used with the same meaning in BrE , though around is more formal.在北美英语中，表示上述意思只能用around。
The earth goes round/around the sun.
地球绕着太阳转。
They live round/around the corner.
他们住在拐角附近。
We travelled round/around India.
我们在印度各地旅行。
She turned round/around when I came in.
我进来时她转过身来。
Around, round and about can also sometimes be used with the same meaning in BrE .在北美英语中，表示上述意思只能用around。在英国英语和北美英语中，about或around均可表示大约：
The kids were running around/round/about outside.
孩子们在外面跑来跑去。
I’ve been waiting around/round/about to see her all day.
为了要见到她，我等了一整天。
We left around/about 8 o’clock.
我们在8点钟左右离开了。
about
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In addition to the uses shown below, about is used after some verbs, nouns, and adjectives to introduce extra information. About is also often used after verbs of movement, such as ‘walk’ and ‘drive’, and in phrasal verbs such as ‘mess about’ and ‘set about’, especially in British English.
除下列用法外，about可用在一些动词、名词和形容词后引出附加信息。about还常用在walk, drive等表示动作的动词后或mess about，set about 等短语动词中，这类情况尤见于英国英语。
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2
PREP 关于;对于;涉及;在…方面
You use about to introduce who or what something relates to or concerns.She came in for a coffee, and told me about her friend Shona...
她进来喝了杯咖啡，并向我谈起了她的朋友肖纳。
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3
PREP 包含;目的是;为了
When you mention the things that an activity or institution is about, you are saying what it involves or what its aims are.Leadership is about the ability to implement change.
领导才能就是要有实施变革的能力。
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4
PREP 对…表示（情绪或心态）
You use about after some adjectives to indicate the person or thing that a feeling or state of mind relates to.'I'm sorry about Patrick,' she said...
“我为帕特里克感到难过，”她说。
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5
PREP 针对（问题）
If you do something about a problem, you take action in order to solve it.Rachel was going to do something about Jacob...
蕾切尔将对雅各布有所行动。
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6
PREP （某人或某事物）具有（某种特性）
When you say that there is a particular quality about someone or something, you mean that they have this quality.There was a warmth and passion about him I never knew existed...
他身上有一股我从不知道的热情和激情。
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7
ADV 大约;左右
About is used in front of a number to show that the number is not exact.In my local health centre there's about forty parking spaces...
我们本地的保健中心约有40个停车位。
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8
ADV 四下；到处
If someone or something moves about, they keep moving in different directions.Everyone was running about.
大家都在跑来跑去。
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9
PREP 围绕；环绕
If you put something about a person or thing, you put it around them.Helen threw her arms about him...
海伦张开双臂拥抱他。
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10
ADJ 在手头的;现成的;能得到的
If someone or something is about, they are present or available.There's lots of money about these days for schemes like this.
近来这类计划资金充足。
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11
ADJ 即将（做…）的；快要（发生…）的
If you are about to do something, you are going to do it very soon. If something is about to happen, it will happen very soon.I think he's about to leave...
我看他要走了。
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12
how about→ see:how -
13
表示没有明确方向的移动，可用around, round 和about: It's so romantic up there, flying around in a small plane（坐着小型飞机在空中翱翔真浪漫），I spent a couple of hours driving round Richmond（我花了几个小时驱车漫游里士满），Police constables walk about with guns on their hips.（警员们胯上别枪四处巡逻）。表示某物就在手头或能够获得，可用around或about作副词, 但不可用round: There is a lot of talent around at the moment（目前有大量现成人才），There are not that many jobs about（可供选择的工作并不多）。round 作名词、动词和形容词有许多其他意思，参见round词条；在这些情况下不可用around。
W -
14
PHRASE （尤指一段时间无法自由行动后）四处走动，外出活动
If someone is out and about, they are going out and doing things, especially after they have been unable to for a while.Despite considerable pain she has been getting out and about almost as normal...
尽管还很痛，她已经基本上行动如常。
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15
PHRASE （常因工作）奔波
If someone is out and about, they are going to a lot of different places, often as part of their job.They often saw me out and about.
他们经常看见我四处奔波。
adv
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1
- (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct
- lasted approximately an hour
- in just about a minute
- he's about 30 years old
- I've had about all I can stand
- we meet about once a month
- some forty people came
- weighs around a hundred pounds
- roughly $3,000
- holds 3 gallons, more or less
- 20 or so people were at the party
- Synonym: approximately close to just about some roughly more or less around or so
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2
- in the area or vicinity
- a few spectators standing about
- hanging around
- waited around for the next flight
- Synonym: around
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3
- all around or on all sides
- dirty clothes lying around (or about)
- let's look about for help
- There were trees growing all around
- she looked around her
- Synonym: around
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4
- in or to a reversed position or direction
- about face
- suddenly she turned around
- Synonym: around
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5
- used of movement to or among many different places or in no particular direction
- wandering about with no place to go
- people were rushing about
- news gets around (or about)
- traveled around in Asia
- he needs advice from someone who's been around
- she sleeps around
- Synonym: around
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6
- (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished;all but
- the job is (just) about done
- the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded
- we're almost finished
- the car all but ran her down
- he nearly fainted
- talked for nigh onto 2 hours
- the recording is well-nigh perfect
- virtually all the parties signed the contract
- I was near exhausted by the run
- most everyone agrees
- Synonym: almost most nearly near nigh virtually well-nigh
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7
- in rotation or succession
- turn about is fair play
数据来源：WordNet
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Talking about my problems doesn 't come easy to me .
要讲关于自己的问题，对我来说并不容易。
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Did you see her piece about the Internet in the paper today ?
你看了今天报纸上她写的关于互联网的文章没有？
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It 's about this high .
大约有这么高。
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I don 't know what you 're on about .
我不懂你在谈什么。
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What is it you want to see me about ?
你找我有什么事？
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You 're not going about the job in the right way .
你做这事的方法不对。
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I think the same as you do about this .
在这件事上，我的想法和你一样。
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The population is increasing at about 6 % per year .
人口以每年约6%的速度增加。
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It 's only human nature to be worried about change .
对变革有忧虑不过是人之常情。
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It 's just like her to tell everyone about it .
她就是这么个人儿，能把这事见谁就告诉谁。
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I 'd like to say a few words about future plans .
我想就今后的计划说几句。
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She 's always on my case about cleaning my room .
她老是对我的房间需要打扫的事指责个没完。
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I 'd like to make a complaint about the noise .
我要就噪音问题提出投诉。
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This is a big issue ; we need more time to think about it .
这是个重大问题，我们需要花较多的时间考虑。
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Doctors still don 't understand much about the disease .
医生对这种疾病还不太了解。
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I often think about my friends back home .
我常常想起老家的朋友。
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You did right to tell me about it .
你把这件事告诉我，做得很对。
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I 'd like to talk to you about a personal matter .
我想和你谈点私事。
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There are no hard and fast rules about this .
这事没有什么硬性的规定。
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She has thought very hard about her future plans .
她曾经悉心思考她未来的计划。
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She had thought very deeply about this problem .
她曾经对这个问题深深思考过。
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At last they were able to feel secure about the future .
他们终于觉得不必为将来而担忧了。
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What did you think about the idea ?
你认为这个想法怎么样？
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Isn 't it time the government came clean about their plans for education ?
这难道不是政府彻底说明教育计划的时候了吗？
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His anxiety about the work was just a passing phase .
他对工作的担心只是暂时的。
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The cost is about half as much again as it was two years ago .
现在的价格比两年前提高约一半。
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I 'm worried about the safety of the treatment .
我担心这种疗法是否安全。
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Nobody had a good word to say about him .
没有一个人说过他好。
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I don 't have any strong feelings about it one way or the other .
我对此既不特别喜欢，也不特别讨厌。
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The object is to educate people about road safety .
目的就是教育大众注意交通安全。
普通用词，常用于不及物动词之后。
They sat there and talked about what had happened in the past.
她们坐在那里，谈论着过去发生的事情。
There is nothing to complain about.
没有什么可抱怨的。
多用于正式文体，含有“涉及”的意思。
The chairman's report is concerning the education of children.
主席的报告是关于儿童教育。
A law concerning food contamination must be made.
必须制定一项关于食品污染的法律。
尤用于信函或演说中。
Regarding your recent enquiry, I have enclosed a copy of our user guide.
关于您最近的咨询，我随信附上一份我们的用户指南。
I'll make no comments regarding this question.
对于这一问题我不作评论。
与 concerning 基本同义，常可换用。
I have nothing to say respecting/concerning the matter.
关于这件事，我无话可说。
Respecting/concerning the fact that the accused was a minor, the charges were dropped.
鉴于被告是未成年人，起诉被撤销。
多用于非正式场合，常见于美国英语。也用作 around about。
She has around ten million US dollars in the bank.
她在银行里存有大约一千万美元。
Janet left here around seven o'clock.
珍妮特大约7点钟离开这里的。
表示实际数量可多可少或数值、尺寸等可大可小，也作 round about。
They left the museum at about 10 o'clock.
他们10点左右离开了博物馆。
He lives about 5 miles away.
他住的地方离这里5英里左右。
多用于书面语，强调接近精确数值、数量、时间等，误差较小。
The plane will be taking off in approximately ten minutes.
飞机大约10分钟后起飞。
He owes me approximately 400 US dollars.
他欠我大约400美元。
指按粗略估计，不强调十分接近精确数值。
There were roughly 300 people there.
那里大约有300人。
The Antarctica is a continent centred roughly on the South Pole.
南极洲是一片大致以南极为中心的大陆。
- 习语