explanation
noun OPAL WOPAL S
/ˌekspləˈneɪʃn/
/ˌekspləˈneɪʃn/
Word Family
- explain verb
- explanation noun
- explanatory adjective
- explicable adjective (≠ inexplicable)
- [countable, uncountable] a statement, fact, or situation that tells you why something happened; a reason given for something
解释；说明；阐述 - The most likely explanation is that his plane was delayed.
最可能的解释是他的飞机晚点了。 - It's the only explanation that makes any sense.
这是唯一有意义的解释。 - a plausible/an alternative explanation
可信的/替代的解释 - to offer/provide an explanation
给予解释 - explanation for something I can't think of any possible explanation for his absence.
我想不出他缺席的任何理由。 - I'm sure there's a perfectly simple explanation for this.
我相信对此有一个非常简单的解释。 - explanation for doing something She didn't give an adequate explanation for being late.
她没有给出充分的理由说明迟到的原因。 - explanation of something The book opens with an explanation of why some drugs are banned.
本书在开篇阐述了禁用某些药物的原因。 - explanation as to why… an explanation as to why he had left early
关于他提早离开的原因说明 - without explanation She left the room abruptly without explanation.
她未作解释就突然离开了房间。 - ‘I had to see you,’ he said, by way of explanation.
“我当时必须来找你。” 他解释道。
Synonyms reasonreason- explanation
- grounds
- basis
- excuse
- motive
- justification
- pretext
- reason a cause or an explanation for something that has happened or that somebody has done; a fact that makes it right or fair to do something:
- He said no but he didn’t give a reason.
他说不行，但没有说明原因。
- He said no but he didn’t give a reason.
- explanation a statement, fact or situation that tells you why something has happened; a reason given for something:
- The most likely explanation is that his plane was delayed.
最可能的解释是他的飞机晚点了。 - She left the room abruptly without explanation.
她未作解释就突然离开了房间。
- The most likely explanation is that his plane was delayed.
- grounds (rather formal) a good or true reason for saying, doing or believing something:
指说、做或相信某事的充分理由、根据： - You have no grounds for complaint.
你没有理由抱怨。
- You have no grounds for complaint.
- basis (rather formal) the reason why people take a particular action:
指原因、缘由： - On what basis will this decision be made?
将基于何种原因作出这一决定呢？
- On what basis will this decision be made?
- excuse a reason, either true or invented, that you give to explain or defend your behaviour; a good reason that you give for doing something that you want to do for other reasons:
- Late again! What’s your excuse this time?
又迟到了！你这次有什么借口？ - It gave me an excuse to take the car.
这使我有理由开车去了。
- Late again! What’s your excuse this time?
- motive a reason that explains somebody’s behaviour:
- There seemed to be no motive for the murder.
这起谋杀案看不出有什么动机。
- There seemed to be no motive for the murder.
- justification (rather formal) a good reason why something exists or is done:
指事物存在或做某事的正当理由： - I can see no possible justification for any further tax increases.
我看不出还能提出什么理由来加税了。
- I can see no possible justification for any further tax increases.
用 grounds 还是 justification？ - pretext (rather formal) a false reason that you give for doing something, usually something bad, in order to hide the real reason:
指为掩盖做某事（通常为不好的事）的真正理由而找的借口、托辞： - He left the party early on the pretext of having to work.
他借口有事要处理，早早离开了聚会。
- He left the party early on the pretext of having to work.
- (a/an) reason/explanation/grounds/basis/excuse/motive/justification/pretext for something
- the reason/motive behind something
- on the grounds/basis/pretext of/that…
- (a) good/valid reason/explanation/grounds/excuse/motive/justification
- ‘I've worked with them before, you see,’ he added, in explanation.
“你知道，我以前和他们一起工作过。”他又解释说。 - A more credible explanation now occurred to her.
现在她想到了一个更可信的解释。 - An explanation is clearly called for.
无疑需要一个解释。 - Another quite plausible explanation presented itself.
另一个颇为合理的解释出现了。 - Her success has been so remarkable as to defy explanation.
她的成功是如此惊人，简直无法解释。 - I can think of one possible explanation for her behaviour.
我为她的行为想到了一个可能的解释。 - I had no explanation for her strange behaviour.
我无法解释她奇怪的行为。 - I suppose you deserve an explanation.
我认为你理应得到一个解释。 - I think you owe me an explanation.
我想你欠我一个解释。 - It's the only explanation that makes any kind of sense.
这是唯一有点儿道理的解释。 - No further explanation is necessary.
没必要再进一步解释。 - No single clear explanation emerged from the experiments.
实验未能显现出任一清楚的解释。 - Several possible explanations exist.
存在多种可能的解释。 - She wrote to the company demanding an explanation.
她写信给公司要求解释。 - The men left quickly with no attempt at explanation.
这些人并未试图解释便很快地离开了。 - The simplest explanation for his achievements lies in his greater ability and superiority over his contemporaries at college.
他之所以取得成就，最简单的解释就是他比大学中的同龄人能力更强，表现更优秀。 - There is no generally accepted explanation of this practice.
对这一习惯做法没有公认的解释。 - There is probably some perfectly logical explanation for their absence.
他们的缺席很可能有某种完全合理的解释。 - There was no apparent explanation for the attack.
这次攻击事件没有明显的理由可作解释。 - There's sure to be a perfectly innocent explanation for all this—though I admit it looks bizarre.
虽然我承认这件事看上去有些怪异，但肯定有一个再寻常不过的解释。 - We are still waiting for a full explanation from the teacher concerned.
我们仍在等待相关老师给出充分的解释。
Collocations Dictionaryadjective- convincing
- credible
- good
- …
- have
- give (somebody)
- offer (somebody)
- …
- lie
- emerge
- occur to somebody
- …
- in explanation
- without explanation
- explanation about
- …
- an attempt at explanation
- by way of explanation
- The most likely explanation is that his plane was delayed.
- [countable] a statement or piece of writing that tells you how something works or makes something easier to understand
解释性说法；说明性文字 - Other parts of the book contain unnecessarily lengthy explanations.
这本书的其他部分包含不必要的冗长解释。 - explanation of how, what, etc…. For a full explanation of how the machine works, turn to page 5.
关于机器工作原理的详细说明，请翻阅第 5 页。 - explanation of something The teacher gave the children a detailed explanation of the story.
老师给孩子们详细解释了这个故事。 - explanation about something He entered into a technical explanation about software and programming.
他开始从技术的角度解释软件和编程。
Collocations Dictionaryadjective- convincing
- credible
- good
- …
- have
- give (somebody)
- offer (somebody)
- …
- lie
- emerge
- occur to somebody
- …
- in explanation
- without explanation
- explanation about
- …
- an attempt at explanation
- by way of explanation
- Other parts of the book contain unnecessarily lengthy explanations.
词源late Middle English: from Latin explanatio(n-), from the verb explanare, based on planus ‘plain’.