centre

noun

OPAL WOPAL S

/ˈsentə(r)/

/ˈsentər/

(US English center)

Idioms

middle中间

enlarge image

[countable] the middle point or part of something中心点；中心；正中；中央

He walked to the centre of the circle.他走到圆圈的中心。
in the centre of something There was a long table in the centre of the room.房间中央有一张长桌。
The statue is in the very centre of the temple.这座雕像就在寺庙的正中央。
in the centre The brownie should be firm on the outside but soft in the centre.核仁巧克力饼应该外表坚硬，但中间柔软。
at the centre of something Aristotle believed that the Earth was at the centre of the universe.亚里士多德认为地球是宇宙的中心。
(figurative) The executive at the centre of the bribery scandal was convicted last week.处于贿赂丑闻中心的高管上周被判有罪。
chocolates with soft centres软心巧克力糖

Collocations Dictionaryadjective

dead
exact
true
…

preposition

at the centre (of)
in the centre (of)

phrases

the centre of the city
the centre of (the) town

town/city城镇；城市

[countable] (especially British English)

(North American English usually downtown [usually singular])

the main part of a town or city where there are a lot of shops and offices（市镇的）中心区

in the centre We both work in the city centre.我们都在市中心工作。
I got a lift into the centre of town.我搭便车到了市中心。
a town-centre car park市中心停车场

building建筑物

[countable] a building or place used for a particular purpose or activity中心；活动中心

a shopping/community/health/fitness centre购物/社区/健康/健身中心
The company has recently opened a new training centre.该公司最近新开了一个培训中心。
centre for something the Centre for Policy Studies政策研究中心

see also control centre, cost centre, data centre, drop-in centre, fulfilment centre

You can send fax or emails from our fully equipped business centre.您可以从我们设备齐全的商务中心发送传真或电子邮件。
They've set up a local centre for people with epilepsy.他们在本地设立了一个癫痫病人活动中心。
The classes are run by the Centre for Languages and Literature.这些课程由语言与文学中心开设。
I had to get a taxi from the hotel to the conference centre.我不得不从酒店叫了辆出租车去会议中心。

of excellence优秀

[countable] centre of excellence a place where a particular kind of work is done extremely well居领先地位的中心；（某领域中成绩突出的）中心

Darlington could become a regional centre of excellence for nursery nurse training.达林顿可以成为一个区域性的优秀护士培训中心。
The university is recognized as an international centre of excellence for training dentists.这所大学是公认的优秀的国际牙医培训中心。

Collocations Dictionaryadjective

important
leading
main
…

preposition

centre for

phrases

a centre of excellence
a centre of government
a centre of population
…

of attention注意

[countable, usually singular] the point towards which people direct their attention中心；聚集点

Children like to be the centre of attention.小孩子喜欢受到大家的关注。
at the centre of something The prime minister is at the centre of a political row over leaked Cabinet documents.首相成了内阁文件泄密而引起的一场政治风波的中心人物。

She always liked to feel that she was at the centre of things.她总是喜欢觉得自己是事情的中心。
He could never doubt that he was the centre of her world.她的整个世界围着他转，对此他确信无疑。
The captain was at the centre of the action right through the game.在整个比赛过程中，队长一直处于行动的中心。

in politics政治

(usually the centre)

[singular] a moderate (= middle) political position or party, between the extremes of left-wing and right-wing parties中间派；中间党

a party of the centre中间党派
Are her views to the left or right of centre?她的观点是中间偏左还是偏右？
a centre party中立的党。

Politically, she is considered to be slightly left of centre.在政治上，她有点儿中间偏左。
a party that occupies the centre ground of British politics在英国政治中持中间立场的政党

Topics Politicsb2

Collocations Dictionarycentre/center + noun

party
ground

phrases

left of centre
right of centre

in sport体育运动

[countable] (in some team sports

用于某些团体运动

) a player or position in the middle of the pitch, court, etc.中锋；中锋位置

词源late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin centrum, from Greek kentron ‘sharp point, stationary point of a pair of compasses’, related to kentein ‘to prick’.

Idioms

front and centre

(US English front and center)

in or into the most important position在（或进入）最重要位置
- The issue has moved front and center in his presidential campaign.在他的总统竞选中，这个问题已经成为焦点。

left, right and centre

(also right, left and centre, right and left)

(informal) in all directions; everywhere四面八方；到处；处处
- He's giving away money left, right and centre.他到处赠款。

centre

verb

OPAL W

/ˈsentə(r)/

/ˈsentər/

(US English center)

动词形式

present simple I / you / we / they centre	/ˈsentə(r)/ /ˈsentər/
he / she / it centres	/ˈsentəz/ /ˈsentərz/
past simple centred	/ˈsentəd/ /ˈsentərd/
past participle centred	/ˈsentəd/ /ˈsentərd/
-ing form centring	/ˈsentərɪŋ/ /ˈsentərɪŋ/

[intransitive, transitive] to be the person or thing around which most activity takes place; to make somebody/something the central person or thing把…当作中心；（使）成为中心
- centre around/round somebody/something State occasions always centred around the king.国家庆典总是以国王为中心。
- be centred around/round somebody/something Leisure activities were largely centred around the family.休闲活动主要以家庭为中心。
- centre on/upon somebody/something The debate centred on an important practical question.辩论集中在一个重要的实际问题上。
- be centred on/upon somebody/something Discussions were centred on developments in Eastern Europe.讨论围绕着东欧的发展这一中心议题进行。
- Conversation centered around their wedding plans.谈话集中在他们的婚礼计划上。
- Roosevelt's foreign policy was centered around these themes.罗斯福的外交政策围绕着这些主题。
- The investigations centred on him as the only real suspect in the case.调查集中在他身上，认为他是该案唯一的真正嫌疑犯。
- The main story is centred on two young men, one a photographer, the other a gang leader.主要故事围绕两个年轻人展开，一个是摄影师，另一个是黑帮头目。
be centred in…
[intransitive] to take place mainly in or around the place mentioned使活动等集中于…
- Most of the fighting was centred in the north of the capital.战斗大多集中在首都北部。
[transitive] centre something (+ adv./prep.) to move something so that it is in the centre of something else把…放在中央
- This button will centre the image on the page.该按钮将使图像在页面上居中。

词源late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin centrum, from Greek kentron ‘sharp point, stationary point of a pair of compasses’, related to kentein ‘to prick’.