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    affair

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    affair

    Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++af·fair /əˈfeə $ əˈfer/ ●●● S2 W1 noun [countable]  1  public/political activities 公共/政治活动affairs [plural] a) HAPPENpublic or political events and activities 事务  Are you interested in world affairs? 你对世界大事感兴趣吗？ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 外交部 Women had little role in public affairs. 女性过去几乎不参与公共事务。 b) PRIVATE/PERSONALthings connected with your personal life, your financial situation etc 个人事务，私事 I am not prepared to discuss my financial affairs with the press. 我不打算同新闻界谈论我的财务情况。 → state of affairs at state1(8)2  event 事件 a) an event or set of related events, especially one that is impressive or shocking 〔尤指令人印象深刻或震惊的〕事件 the Watergate affair 水门事件 The whole affair was a disaster. 整个事件就是一场灾难。 b) used when describing an event 事情〔用于描述某事时〕 The party was a very grand affair. 聚会场面很大。► see thesaurus at event3  relationship 关系RELATIONSHIP a secret sexual relationship between two people, when at least one of them is married to someone else 〔非配偶的〕暧昧关系，通奸，私通 SYN love affairaffair with He had an affair with his boss that lasted six years. 他和老板的暧昧关系持续了六年。4  object 物品 informal old-fashionedTHING used when describing an object, machine etc 东西 The computer was one of those little portable affairs. 这台电脑属于小型、便携的那一种。5  be somebody’s affair PRIVATE/PERSONALif something is your affair, it only concerns you and you do not want anyone else to get involved in it 是某人自己的事 What I do in my free time is my affair. 我在空余时间做什么是我自己的事。 COLLOCATIONSadjectivesworld/international affairs 世界/国际事务China is now a major player in world affairs. 现在中国是国际事务的重要参与者。current affairs (=important events that are happening now) 时事a 24-hour news and current affairs channel 一个24小时新闻时事频道somebody’s private affairs (=things that are personal and not for other people to know about) 某人的私事He never discussed his private affairs in public. 他从不在别人面前谈论自己的私事。somebody’s financial affairs 某人的财务They offer advice on managing your financial affairs. 他们提供理财建议。somebody’s business affairs 某人的商业事务nAfter dad retired, I managed his estate and business affairs.economic affairs 经济事务nHe was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for economic affairs.political affairs 政治事务nThe military promised to stay out of political affairs.military affairs 军事事务nthe president’s advisor on military affairsreligious affairs 宗教事务nShe wanted to be more involved in the church and religious affairs.foreign/external affairs (=events in other countries) 外交事务/外务nthe Secretary of State for Foreign Affairsdomestic/internal affairs (also home affairs British English) (=events inside a country) 国内事务/内务nthe Minister of Home AffairsnHe said that the US should not try to interfere in his country's domestic affairs.public affairs (=events that affect the people of a country) 公共事务nHe was active in public affairs in his region.phrasesaffairs of state (=the business of the government) 国家大事，国务The church played no role in the affairs of state. 教会不参与国事。put your affairs in order (=organize them before you go somewhere or die) 〔临走或临终前〕处理好个人事务nI have cancer so I know I’ve got to put my affairs in order.
    Examples from the Corpus
    affair• I had no idea that Mike had an affair with Carolyn!• My wife thinks I'm having an affair with someone at work.• He accused his wife of having an affair.• The awards celebration is an annual affair in Hollywood.• The court case was an awful affair that dragged on for months.• Angel's branch of the Solis de Gonzales, however, were no good at looking after their business affairs.• The interpretation of the complex world of human affairs in terms of an experimental analysis is no doubt often oversimplified.• According to this official document, the blame for the Executive Life affair lay with former managers of Altus and the group.• Burton had been involved in a love affair with a woman who ended up taking most of his money.• For the Prince it was the beginning of a love affair.• They finally confessed their secret love affair.• She too endured harsh criticism and partisan pressure for becoming openly involved in public affairs.• Other co-operation agreements were signed, covering economics, trade, transport, technical affairs, culture and drug policing.• Nick Leeson had to serve a prison term in Singapore for his part in the affair.• According to one account, the Cornishmen felt that the affairs of the North were too remote to interest them.• The affair had been going on for years before her husband found out.• Their affair lasted for six years.• The whole world was waiting for the outcome of the Watergate affair.had an affair• Several times, he looked close his comeuppance after allegations that he had had an affair with a former pupil.• Clinton admitted that Flowers had been an acquaintance, but strongly denied that he had had an affair with her.• His wife, Regina, accused him of having had an affair with former press aide Valerie Taliman and ignoring his family.• I had no idea that Horgan had an affair with Carolyn.• Cedric Mellings had an affair or two, and then, so did Dorothy Mellings.• He saw himself as a man who fell in love, not one who had affairs.    Origin affair (1100-1200) Old French afaire, from à faire “to do”
    af·fair noun →COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
    activities events political and or public Corpus


    affair
    af‧fair S2 W1 /əˈfeə $ əˈfer/ noun [countable]
     Date: 1100-1200
     Language: Old French
     Origin: afaire, from à faire 'to do'
    1.  PUBLIC/POLITICAL ACTIVITIES affairs [plural]
      a. public or political events and activities:
        Are you interested in world affairs?
        the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
        Women had little role in public affairs.
      b. things connected with your personal life, your financial situation etc:
        I am not prepared to discuss my financial affairs with the press. ⇨ state of affairs at state1(8)
    2.  EVENT
      a. an event or set of related events, especially one that is impressive or shocking:
        the Watergate affair
        The whole affair was a disaster.
      b. used when describing an event:
        The party was a very grand affair.
    3.  RELATIONSHIP a secret sexual relationship between two people, when at least one of them is married to someone else
       SYN  love affair
        affair with
        He had an affair with his boss that lasted six years.
    4.  OBJECT informal old-fashioned used when describing an object, machine etc:
        The computer was one of those little portable affairs.
    5. be sb’s affair if something is your affair, it only concerns you and you do not want anyone else to get involved in it:
        What I do in my free time is my affair.
         
    COLLOCATIONS
    ■ adjectives
       ▪ world/international affairs China is now a major player in world affairs.
       ▪ current affairs (=important events that are happening now) a 24-hour news and current affairs channel
       ▪ sb’s private affairs (=things that are personal and not for other people to know about) He never discussed his private affairs in public.
       ▪ sb’s financial affairs They offer advice on managing your financial affairs.
       ▪ sb’s business affairs After dad retired, I managed his estate and business affairs.
       ▪ economic affairs He was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for economic affairs.
       ▪ political affairs The military promised to stay out of political affairs.
       ▪ military affairs the president’s advisor on military affairs
       ▪ religious affairs She wanted to be more involved in the church and religious affairs.
       ▪ foreign/external affairs (=events in other countries) the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
       ▪ domestic/internal affairs (also home affairs British English) (=events inside a country) the Minister of Home Affairs | He said that the US should not try to interfere in his country's domestic affairs.
       ▪ public affairs (=events that affect the people of a country) He was active in public affairs in his region.
    ■ phrases
       ▪ affairs of state (=the business of the government) The church played no role in the affairs of state.
       ▪ put your affairs in order (=organize them before you go somewhere or die) I have cancer so I know I’ve got to put my affairs in order.


    🔑 af·fairBrE /əˈfeə(r)/ 🔊NAmE /əˈfer/ 🔊 noun➤public/political activities 公共／政治活动🔑 affairs [plural] events that are of public interest or political importance 公共事务；政治事务◆world/international/business affairs 世界／国际／商业事务◆an expert on foreign affairs (= political events in other countries) 外事专家◆affairs of state国务  ➡  see also current affairs ➤event 事件🔑 [countable, usually singular] an event that people are talking about or describing in a particular way 事件；事情◆The newspapers exaggerated the whole affair wildly. 报章毫无根据地夸大了整个事件。🔊🔊◆The debate was a pretty disappointing affair. 那次辩论使人颇感失望。🔊🔊◆She wanted the celebration to be a simple family affair. 她希望庆祝活动仅限于家人参加。🔊🔊➤relationship 关系🔑 [countable] a sexual relationship between two people, usually when one or both of them are married to sb else （尤指已婚男女的）私通，风流韵事◆She is having an affair with her boss. 她跟老板有暧昧关系。🔊🔊  ➡  see also love affair (1)

    affair, date, go out with sb go, jealous, love, marriage, partner, passionate, relationship, romantic

    ➤private business 私人业务🔑 affairs [plural] matters connected with a person's private business and financial situation 私人业务◆I looked after my father's financial affairs. 我照管父亲的财务。🔊🔊◆She wanted to put her affairs in order before she died. 她想在去世前把自己的事务安排妥当。🔊🔊 [singular] a thing that sb is responsible for (and that other people should not be concerned with) 个人的事 SYN business ◆How I spend my money is my affair. 我如何用钱是我自己的事。🔊🔊➤object 物品 [countable] (old-fashioned) (with an adjective 与形容词连用) an object that is unusual or difficult to describe 不寻常之物；难描述的东西◆Her hat was an amazing affair with feathers and a huge brim. 她的帽子嵌着羽毛，帽檐很宽，真是件奇物。🔊🔊●a state of afˈfairsa situation 事态；情况；形势◆This state of affairs can no longer be ignored. 再不能无视这种情况了。🔊🔊<titled tranID="26" status="1">situation</titled>circumstances ◇ position ◇ conditions ◇ things ◇ the case ◇ state of affairs

    These are all words for the conditions and facts that are connected with and affect the way things are. 以上各词均指情况、状况。

    • situation all the things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place 指情况、状况、形势、局面：◆the present economic situation 目前的经济形势
    • circumstances the facts that are connected with and affect a situation, an event or an action; the conditions of a person's life, especially the money they have 指条件、环境、状况、境况，（尤指）经济状况：◆The ship sank in mysterious circumstances. 那艘船神秘地沉没了。
    • position the situation that sb is in, especially when it affects what they can and cannot do 指处境、地位、状况：◆She felt she was in a position of power. 她觉得她自己有权力。
    • conditions the circumstances in which people live, work or do things; the physical situation that affects how sth happens 指居住、工作或做事情的环境、境况、条件，影响某事发生的物质环境、状态、条件：◆We were forced to work outside in freezing conditions. 我们被迫在户外天寒地冻的环境下工作。

    circumstances or conditions? 用 circumstances 还是 conditions？

    Circumstances refers to sb's financial situation; conditions are things such as the quality and amount of food or shelter they have. The circumstances that affect an event are the facts surrounding it; the conditions that affect it are usually physical ones, such as the weather. * circumstances 指人的经济状况；conditions 指人的食宿等状况。circumstances 指影响某事的周边环境；conditions 通常指影响某事的物质环境，如天气。

    • things (rather informal) the general situation, as it affects sb 指形势、局面、情况、事态：◆Hi, Jane! How are things? 喂，简，近来怎么样？◆Think things over before you decide. 先把情况考虑周全再作决定。
    • the case the true situation 指实情、事实：◆If that is the case(= if the situation described is true), we need more staff. 如果真是那样，我们就需要更多的员工了。
    • state of affairs a situation 指事态、情况、形势：◆How did this unhappy state of affairs come about? 这种不幸的情况是怎么发生的呢？

    situation or state of affairs? 用 situation 还是 state of affairs？

    • State of affairs is mostly used with this. It is also used with adjectives describing how good or bad a situation is, such as happy, sorry, shocking, sad and unhappy, as well as those relating to time, such as present and current. Situation is much more frequent and is used in a wider variety of contexts. * state of affairs 多与 this 连用，亦与表示形势好坏的形容词（如 happy、sorry、shocking、sad 和 unhappy）以及与时间有关的形容词（如 present 和 current）连用。situation 常用得多，且用于更广泛的语境中。

    Patterns

    • in (a) particular situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs
    • the/sb's economic/financial/social situation/circumstances/position/conditions
    • (a/an) happy/unhappy situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs
    • to look at/review the situation/circumstances/conditions/things