expressing motion in the direction of (a particular location) [表示方向]向,朝,往;到 walking down to the shops. 向南走到商店。 my first visit to Africa. 我首次游览非洲。 ■expressing location, typically in relation to a specified point of reference [尤指相对于具体参照点的位置]离;在,于 forty miles to the south of the site. 在这个地方以南40英里。 place the cursor to the left of the first word. 把光标放在第一个词的左边。 ■expressing a point reached at the end of a range or after a period of time [表示范围、时段]到,达 a drop in profits from £105 m to around £75 m. 利润从1亿500万英镑降至约7,500万英镑。 from 1938 to 1945. 从1938年至1945年。 ■(chiefly Brit.)(in telling the time) before (the hour specified) (主英)[后接具体钟点用于报时]在…之前 it's five to ten. 9点55分。 ■approaching or reaching (a particular condition) 倾向于;趋于 Christopher's expression changed from amazement to joy. 克里斯托弗的表情由惊奇转为喜悦。 she was close to tears. 她眼泪快掉下来了。 ■expressing the result of a process or action [表示结果]成,至 smashed to smithereens. 捣成碎片。
identifying the person or thing affected [表牵涉到的人、事]对(于) you were terribly unkind to her. 你对她太坏了。 ■identifying the recipient or intended recipient of something [动作的承受者](给)予;对,于 they donated £400 to the hospice. 他们把400英镑捐给了收容所。 I am deeply grateful to my parents. 我十分感激我的父母。
identifying a particular relationship between one person and another [表两人间关系]跟,与;作为 he is married to his cousin Emma. 他和表妹埃玛结婚。 economic adviser to the president. 总统的经济顾问。 ■in various phrases indicating how something is related to something else (often followed by a noun without a determiner) [后常接不带冠词的名词,表关联]关于;与…相关 made to order. 整理得井井有条。 a prelude to disaster. 灾难的前奏。 ■indicating a rate of return on something, for example the distance travelled in exchange for fuel used, or an exchange rate that can be obtained in one currency for another [表示数量的比例关系]每 it only does ten miles to the gallon. 每加仑汽油只能行驶十英里。 ■(to the)(Mathematics)indicating the power (exponent) to which a number is raised (数)乘方 ten to the minus thirty-three. 10的负33次方。
indicating that two things are attached [表示附属、附加]属于;附于;归于 he had left his dog tied to a drainpipe. 他就让狗拴在排水管上。 they are inextricably linked to this island. 他们和这座岛屿有千丝万缕的关系。
concerning or likely to concern (something, especially something abstract) 对于,关于 a threat to world peace. 对世界和平的威胁。 a reference to Psalm 22:18. 参见《诗篇》22∶18。
governing a phrase expressing someone's reaction to something [后接词组表示对某事的反应](面)对;应;使 to her astonishment, he smiled. 使她震惊的是,他笑了。
used to introduce the second element in a comparison [引出第二个比较成分]比 it's nothing to what it once was. 比起原先的情况,这算不上什么。
placed before a debit entry in accounting [结算账目时置于借方分录前]记入
infinitive marker
used with the base form of a verb to indicate that the verb is in the infinitive, in particular [与动词原形一起构成动词的不定式]将(要),尤指 ■expressing purpose or intention 为了,以便 I set out to buy food. 我出去买食品。 we tried to help. 我们尽力想帮忙。 I am going to tell you a story. 我要给你讲个故事。 ■expressing an outcome, result, or consequence 以至于;结果是 he was left to die. 人们让他自生自灭。 he managed to escape. 他想方设法逃跑了。 ■expressing a cause 因为,由于 I'm sorry to hear that. 听到这事儿我很难过。 ■indicating a desired or advisable action 想要;该 I'd love to go to France this summer. 今年夏天我很想去法国。 we asked her to explain. 我们要求她做个解释。 the leaflet explains how to start a course. 小册子上说明了如何开始一门课程。 ■indicating a proposition that is known, believed, or reported about a specified person or thing (知道,相信)是;(报道)说 a house that people believed to be haunted. 人们认为在闹鬼的屋子。 ■(about to)forming a future tense with reference to the immediate future 即将,就要 he was about to sing. 他就要唱了。 ■after a noun, indicating its function or purpose [置于名词后]用作 a chair to sit on. 用来坐的椅子。 something to eat. 吃的东西。 ■after a phrase containing an ordinal number [置于含序数词的词组后]做 the first person to arrive. 第一个到的人。
used without a verb following when the missing verb is clearly understood [后面省略表示已知动作的动词]这么做 he asked her to come but she said she didn't want to. 他请她来,但她说她不想来。
adverb
so as to be closed or nearly closed 关着;虚掩着 he pulled the door to behind him. 他从身后拉上了门。
语源
Old English tō (adverb and preposition), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch toe and German zu