■ (in) terms of

1) 最常用的意义，是“就…而论”（后接 of...）。

• In terms of competitiveness, China's capital was ranked fourth out of 200 Chinese cities by a latest report.就竞争能力而言，中国首都在最近一次报告中被列为中国二百座城市当中的第四位。
• In terms of quality, his is the best report.就质量而言，要数他的报告最好。
• September was fifth safest on record in terms of traffic deaths.就交通事故死亡人数而言，九月份是记录的第五安全的月份。
• Of the top 10 magazines in term of readers' household incomes, five were airline publications.按照读者家庭收入排列的最前头十种杂志，就有五种是航空公司出版物。

2) “在…方面”（后接 of...）。

• How do the two techniques compare in terms of application?两种技术，在应用方面，优劣比较如何？
• Basically I think he would be someone who complemented me in terms of character.我基本上认为，他在性格方面，可以补我之不足。
• Our goods compete in terms of product quality, reliability and above all variety.我们的产品参加竞争，靠的是质量、可靠性，而且最主要的是靠品种。
• Wikipedia comes close to Britannica in terms of the accuracy of its science entries.维基百科科学条目的准确性，接近大英百科全书。
• They have found that, in terms of both salary and career success, the sky is the limit.他们发现了，在薪酬和事业有成方面，没有任何限度。
• These resorts remain unbeatable in terms of price.这些旅游点，收费的低廉，是别人无法比得过的。
• Paris has played a dominant role in France, not just in political terms but also in economic power.巴黎不但在政治上，而且也在经济实力上，在法国起了主导作用。

3) “从…角度来衡量”、“折算成…”（后接 of...）。

• The cost of air travel should be measured in terms of pollution, not just in dollars.航空运输的成本不应该光是算成美元，而且应该从环境污染的角度来衡量。
• In absolute terms British wages remain low by European standards.按绝对值计算，英国的工资从欧洲标准来看仍然是低的。
• In real terms the cost of driving is cheaper than a decade ago.按实际价值计算，驾驶汽车的费用比十年前低廉。
• House prices have tumbled by almost 30 percent in real terms since mid-1989.房屋价格，按照实际价值计算，从 1989 年年中以来，下跌了几乎百分之三十。
• Iran must be seen in terms of its oil resources.看伊朗要着眼于它的石油资源。
• The English aristocracy saw life in terms of duty and honor.英国贵族是从义务和荣誉的角度来看待人生的。
• Internet Over Cable: Defining the Future in Terms of the Past（书名）互联网取代电报：从过去界定将来。
• in terms of dollars (= in dollar terms) 折合美元计算
• a good job in terms of money (= in money terms)折合货币计算的好差事。

4) “用…的语气”（terms 前面加形容词）。

• Beth spoke of Dr. Hammer in laudatory terms. He abused the Admiral in the grossest terms.贝斯对哈默博士说了很多称赞的话。对那位海军上将则痛骂了一通。
• She recounted in very general terms some of the events of recent months.她非常简单扼要地介绍了近几个月来的某些事件。
• She told him in no uncertain terms to go away.她用斩钉截铁的口气叫他走开。
• Not every judge, however, has the ability to explain the law in simple terms.但是，并非每个法官都有本领通俗地解释法律。
• The video explains in simple terms how the new tax works.录像带通俗地解释新税目是如何运作的。
• It turns out Levy is talking in metaphorical terms.原来列维是在打比喻。

5) “就…意义而说”（terms 前面加形容词）。

• In broad terms, this means that the closer you live to a school, the more likely it is that your child will get a place there.广义地说，意思就是：你住得离一所学校越近，你的孩子在那学校得到一席之地的可能性就越大。

6) 从上面各项看，in terms of 的意义和用法比较泛，往往不够明确。因此，用得相当滥。例如：介绍某种文学，就 in terms of 它的社会作用；介绍某一作者，就 in terms of 他对某种体裁的影响；介绍某一段历史，就 in terms of 该时期的经济背景；介绍某个地区的地理状况，就 in terms of 贸易和交通。但是，有些用 in terms of 的地方，其实可以改用别的说法更为妥当。

• The seating arrangements, while excellent for music, are far from ideal in terms of the drama(可改为 for the drama).座位的安排，虽然对于音乐是很好的，但对于话剧就很不理想。
• Hardships have been diminished in terms of food and clothing（全句可以改为：Shortages of food and clothing have been reduced）食物和衣服方面的困难已经减轻。
• Industrialization programs are showing results in terms of（改为 in 即可）factories going up and in terms of（同样改为 in 即可）actual production.工业化方案正在在兴建的工厂和实际产量上显示效果。
• The president today named a committee to evaluate the US military aid program in terms of how to strengthen (可以改为 as a means of strengthening)
• national security. 总统今天任命了一个委员会来估量美国的军事援助项目，以便设法加强国家安全。In terms of (可以改为 Compared to 或 In contrast to) television's much-publicized impact on the American mind, the potentiality of its negative influence is not often mentioned.电视对美国人心的影响得到了广泛宣扬，相形之下，它潜在的消极影响，却不常被提到。