tell

vt

• ① 讲,说;言,述
  • You're telling lies now.你现在正在说谎。
  • She refused to tell the truth.她拒绝说实话。
  • That child doesn't know how to tell the time.那小孩不会看时钟。
  • She could not tell how sad she was.她说不出她是多么地悲伤。
  • He told us a strange story.=He told a strange story to us.他告诉我们一个奇异的故事。
  • The following story was told (to) me.下面的故事是别人告诉我的。
  • They told us about [of] foreign lands.他们把外国的事说给我们听。
  • She told me that she had been ill.她告诉我她生病了。(★这种句子的被动语态通常是I was told that ... 而少用It was told me that ...)
  • So he told me.他是这样跟我说的。(★此处的so是that子句的代用语)
  • I told you so!=Didn't I tell you so!我早就告诉过你了!

• ② 告诉,告知,教
  • She will tell you.她会告诉你的。
  • Don't tell where you found the knife.不要说出那把刀是在哪里找到的。
  • He did not tell her his name.他没有告诉她他的名字。
  • I have been told the full truth.我已被告知所有的真相。
  • He told the event to everyone in the neighborhood.他把发生的事情告诉邻近所有的人。
  • She told him that you would come later.她告诉他你晚一点会来。
  • Tell me when you will leave Taipei.告诉我你何时要离开台北。
  • She will tell you how to do it.她会教你如何做。

• ③ (物)表示,显示,指示
  • Her face told her happiness.她的脸孔显示她的快乐[幸福]。
  • This signpost tells the way to the zoo.这个路标指示到动物园去的道路。

• ④ 命令,吩咐
  • Tell her to bring me a cup of tea.叫她拿一杯茶给我。
  • I was told always to speak the truth.人家吩咐我要永远说实话。
  • Just do as you are told.按照你被吩咐的去做。(★told之后的to do被省略)

• ⑤[尤与can, could, be able to等连用]1知,知道2辨别,识别
  • I can't tell the color [the size].我看不出那是什么颜色[有多大]。
  • You can tell him by his laughter.从他的笑声你可以知道是他。
  • He couldn't tell what to do.他不知道该怎么办。
  • How did you tell which way to take?你怎么知道要采用哪一种方法?
  • There is no telling when she may come.不知道她什么时候会来。
  • Nobody can tell what it is [where it is].没人知道那是什么[它在何处]。
  • One can tell (that) she is a genius.任何人都知道她是天才。
  • You'll not be able to tell the difference between the two.你无法看出那两者之间的区别。
  • I can't tell Betty from her twin sister.我分辨不出蓓蒂跟她的挛生妹妹。
  • a new way to tell apart enemy and friendly planes辨别敌机与友机的新方法

• ⑥ 确告,明白告知
  • It is not so easy, let me tell you.说实话,事情没有这么容易。
  • I don't like it, I can tell you.告诉你,我真的不喜欢它。
  • I tell you I'm sick of it.告诉你,我很讨厌它。
  • The novel is worth reading, I can tell you.这本小说的确值得看。

• ⑦ 【古】数,计算(参照untold)