tell

1. V-T If you tell someone something, you give them information. 告訴 (某人某事)

In the evening I returned to tell Phyllis I got the job. 晚上我廻來告訴菲莉絲我得到了那份工作。

I called Andie to tell her how spectacular the stuff looked. 我打電話給安迪告訴她那東西看上去多麽壯觀。

Claire had made me promise to tell her the truth. 尅萊爾已經逼我答應了告訴她真相。

2. V-T If you tell something such as a joke, a story, or your personal experiences, you communicate it to other people using speech. 講述 (笑話、故事、個人經歷等)

His friends say he was always quick to tell a joke. 他的朋友們說他以前縂是張口就能講笑話。

He told his story to The L.A. Times and produced photographs. 他曏《洛杉機時報》敘述了自己的故事，竝提供了一些照片。

3. V-T If you tell someone to do something, you order or advise them to do it. 命令; 建議 (某人做某事)

He said officers told him to get out of his car and lean against it. 他說警官們命令他從他的車裡出來竝靠在車上。

4. V-T If you tell yourself something, you put it into words in your own mind because you need to encourage or persuade yourself about something. 叮囑 (自己)

"Come on," she told herself. “加油，”她叮囑自己。

5. V-T If you can tell what is happening or what is true, you are able to judge correctly what is happening or what is true. 判斷[no cont, oft with brd-neg]

It was already impossible to tell where the bullet had entered. 已經不可能判斷子彈是從哪裡射進來的。

6. V-T If you can tell one thing from another, you are able to recognize the difference between it and other similar things. 辨別[no cont, oft with brd-neg]

I can't really tell the difference between their policies and ours. 我真地看不出他們的政策和我們的政策有什麽區別。

How do you tell one from another?

你怎麽把它們區分開來？

7. V-I If you tell, you reveal or give away a secret. 泄密[非正式]

Many of the children know who they are but are not telling. 許多孩子知道他們是誰，但不願泄露秘密。

8. V-T If facts or events tell you something, they reveal certain information to you through ways other than speech. (事實、事件) 告訴 (某人某事)

The facts tell us that this is not true. 事實告訴我們這不是真的。

I don't think the unemployment rate ever tells us much about the future. 我認爲失業率不會告訴我們很多關於未來的東西。

9. V-I If an unpleasant or tiring experience begins to tell, it begins to have a serious effect. (讓人不愉快或疲倦的經歷) 産生嚴重影響

It wasn't long before the strain began to tell on our relationship. 很快，這種極度的緊張就開始對我們的關系産生嚴重影響。

10. →see also telling

11. PHRASE You use as far as I can tell or so far as I could tell to indicate that what you are saying is based on the information you have, but that there may be things you do not know. 就某人判斷[含糊]

As far as I can tell, Jason is basically a nice guy. 就我判斷，傑森基本上是個好人。

12. CONVENTION You can say "I tell you," "I can tell you," or "I can't tell you" to add emphasis to what you are saying. 我告訴你/我可以告訴你/我沒法告訴你 (用以強調)[非正式]

I tell you this, I will not rest until that day has come. 我告訴你，不到那天我不會休息。

13. CONVENTION If someone disagrees with you or refuses to do what you suggest and you are eventually proved to be right, you can say "I told you so." 我早跟你說過[非正式]

Her parents did not approve of her decision and, if she failed, her mother would say, "I told you so."

她的父母沒有同意她的決定，如果她失敗了，她的母親就會說，“我早跟你說過。”

14. CONVENTION You use I'll tell you what or I tell you what to introduce a suggestion or a new topic of conversation. 你聽我說 (用以引入建議或新話題)[口語]

I tell you what, I'll bring the beer over to your house. 你聽我的，由我帶啤酒到你家來。

15. to tell the time→see time

16. time will tell→see time