vt. & vi.开始；着手 start; take the first step

　～ a book　开始写书
　～ a course　读一门课
　～ a dynasty　开创朝代
　～ a new book　开始读一本新书
　～ a new business　开始从事一项新工作
　～ a new offensive　采取新的攻势
　～ class　开始上课
　～ English　开始学英语
　～ experiment　开始实验
　～ march　开始长征
　～ offensive　开始进攻
　～ production　开始生产
　～ school　开始上学
　～ service　开始服务
　～ the meeting　开始开会
　～ the world　开始谋生，踏入社会
　～ translations　开始翻译
　～ work　开始工作
　～ dark　变黑
　～ smoky　开始烟雾缭绕
　～ afresh　重新开始
　～ again　重做
　～ appealingly　有趣地开始
　～ argumentatively　在争辩中开始
　～ auspiciously　吉利地开始
　～ clumsily　笨拙地开始
　～ contemporaneously　同时开始
　～ earnestly　认真地开始
　～ ecstatically　入迷地开始
　～ euphemistically　委婉地开始
　～ eventually　终于开始
　～ hesitatingly　犹豫不决地开始
　～ immediately　马上开始
　～ insidiously　不知不觉地开始
　～ jerkily　紧急开始
　～ mechanically　机械地开始
　～ methodically　有条理地开始
　～ ostensibly　明显地开始
　～ rapturously　欢天喜地地开始
　～ resentfully　愤恨地开始
　～ romantically　浪漫地开始
　～ sarcastically　嘲讽地开始
　～ savagely　凶猛地开始
　～ serially　连续地开始
　～ seriously　认真地开始
　～ surreptitiously　秘密地开始
　～ wistfully　渴望开始
　～ zealously　积极地开始
　～ as　以（某职业）开始自己的生涯
　～ as a factory worker　以当工人起家
　～ at　从…开始
　～ by　以…开始
　～ in　在…时候开始
　～ in February　始于二月
　～ on〔upon〕　着手
　～ on a job　着手做一项工作
　～ on a new book　开始写一本新书
　～ with　从…开始
　～ with the book　从这本书读起
　～ with the work　先做这项工作

　Let's begin.　我们开始吧！
　Are you sitting comfortably?Then I'll begin.　坐好了吗?那我要开始了。
　The lecture will soon begin.　演讲马上就要开始。
　The concert has already begun.　音乐会已经开始了。
　The bell rings and the class begins.　铃响了，开始上课。
　When did life on this earth begin?　地球上的生命是什么时候开始的?
　When does the film begin?　电影什么时候开始?
　When will the next term begin?　下学期什么时候开学?
　The campaign had begun during his absence.　在他不在期间运动已经开始了。
　Knowledge begins with practice.　知识始于实践。
　World War Ⅱ began in 1939 and ended in 1945.　第二次世界大战于1939年开始，1945年结束。
　Rapid communication across the oceans by means of submarine telegraph cable began in 1855.　用海底电报电缆进行跨越大洋的快速通讯始于1855年。
　Our trade with Africa began in the second century.　我们同非洲的贸易第二世纪就开始了。
　The winter vacation begins in the middle of January.　寒假从一月中旬开始。
　The flowers show begins next week.　花展下周开始。
　Work begins tomorrow.　工作从明天开始。
　The girl made up her mind to begin again.　那位姑娘拿定主意，决心从头做起。
　You must begin afresh.　你必须重新开始。
　The fishing season began most auspiciously.　这个渔季开网大吉。
　It is probable that the fatal disease began insidiously months ago.　也许这种致命的疾病在数月前就不知不觉地开始形成了。
　His new novel began serially in a magazine.　他的新小说开始在一本杂志上连载出来。
　That is where Africa's great rivers begin.　非洲的大河都是从这里发源的。
　The street began smoky and dark.　街上开始烟雾缭绕，黑了下来。
　Once the vice-chancellor of a university is inaugurated, he begins his term of office.　大学副校长的就职典礼一旦举行，他就开始了任期。
　Let's begin our class now.　我们开始上课吧。
　Don't begin the translation until you understand the original text thoroughly.　对原文透彻理解之后再着手翻译。
　He begins school today.　他今天开始上学。
　We decided to begin the experiment in the evening.　我们决定晚上开始那个实验。
　It's time to begin the meeting now.　现在是开会的时候了。
　We think it better to begin work immediately.　我们认为最好立即动手工作。
　When did you begin this book? 　你什么时候开始读这本书的?
　I began English last year.　我去年开始学英语。
　He who begins many things finishes nothing.　样样都干必然一事无成。
　Then they began a series of experiments.　这时他们开始了一系列的试验。
　Have you begun your work yet?　你还没开始工作吗?
　In June, 1946, they began a new offensive.　在1946年6月，他们开始了一次新的进攻。
　In August 1935, we began our march across the marshy grassland. 　1935年8月，我们开始过草地。
　To save customers' time, they began a delivery service.　为了节省顾客时间，他们实行送货上门。
　The plant began production last year.　这个厂去年开始生产。
　The conference began its second session.　大会开始举行第二轮会议。
　The children began to sing.　孩子们开始唱起歌来。
　He rose up and began to speak.　他站起来开始发言。
　They began to do the experiment last Monday.　他们上星期一开始做这项实验。
　When did you begin to learn German?　你何时开始学德语的?
　He began to learn Japanese three years ago. 　3年前他开始学日语。
　He began to laugh.　他笑起来了。
　The child began to cry.　孩子哭了起来。
　The students began to read the text in chorus.　学生们开始齐声朗读课文。
　The director began to tell me the plot in great detail.　导演开始详细地给我讲述剧情。
　Around 700 A. D. Arabs began to colonize East Africa.　公元700年左右阿拉伯人开始把东非变为殖民地。
　After half an hour's overtime, the orchestra eventually began to play.　演出时间过了半个小时后，乐队终于开始演奏了。
　Each delegation began to sing its own songs.　每个代表团都开始唱自己的歌曲。
　As a result of our hard work, the production has begun to rise rapidly.　由于我们努力工作的结果，生产开始迅速上升。
　When did you begin to think otherwise?　你什么时候开始考虑其他方面的?
　The snow began to melt when the sun came out.　太阳出来时，雪开始融化。
　The nuclear power station will begin to operate next year.　这座核电站明年开始运转。
　These trees began to bear fruit in 1958.　这些树1958年开始结果子。
　Around here apple trees began to be planted extensively in 1953. 　1953年这一带开始大规模种植苹果树。
　The river began to flood.　河水开始泛滥。
　His statement does not begin to answer the question.　他的说明根本没解答这个问题。
　He can't begin to compete with you.　他无法与你争辩。
　They don't begin to compare.　他们根本不能相比。
　The word "gratitude" can not begin to describe my feelings and those of my family.　“感谢”一词无法表达我和我家人的感激之情。
　There were certain aspects of the case that he did not begin to understand.　这件案子的某些方面他一点也不了解。
　I felt I didn't begin to understand him.　我觉得我一点儿也不了解他。
　She began to feel hungry.　她开始觉得饥饿。
　We began to see what he meant.　我们开始明白他的意思了。
　Riding on a merry-go-round, I began to feel dizzy.　我乘旋转木马时，开始感到晕眩。
　She began to believe his story.　她开始相信他的话了。
　I began to think that I would never succeed.　我开始觉得永远不会成功了。
　He began to like novels at twenty.　他20岁的时候开始喜欢看小说。
　We are beginning to practise tennis.　我们开始练习打网球。
　She was beginning to feel at ease.　她渐渐觉得稳定下来。
　He was beginning to understand the seriousness of life.　他渐渐地懂得了生活的严肃性。
　The paper was beginning to peel off the walls.　墙上的纸渐渐脱落了。
　It's beginning to get dark.　天黑下来了。
　When St. John went, it was beginning to snow.　圣·约翰走的时候，天下起雪来。
　It's beginning to rain.　渐渐下起雨来。
　This is beginning to get wearisome.　这逐渐使人厌烦起来。
　The water is beginning to boil.　水开始沸腾。
　The food was beginning to decay.　食物开始腐败了。
　The medicine is beginning to show its effect.　这药开始起作用了。
　This organization was begun a year ago by a group of young people from the factories nearby.　这个组织是一年前一群来至工厂附近的年轻人开始成立的。
　We began mass-producing it shortly afterward.　不久我们就大量生产它了。
　We at once began making preparations for the English party.　我们立刻着手为英语晚会做准备。
　We are beginning practising tennis.　我们开始练习打网球。
　Today we began harvesting.　今天我们开始收割。
　They began building a dam.　他们开始着手建造堤坝。
　I will begin thinking on the matter tomorrow.　我明天将考虑这件事情。
　When did you begin learning typewriting? 　你什么时候开始学打字的?
　He began eating an apple but he couldn't finish it.　他开始吃一个苹果，但没有吃完。
　He seated himself in the boat and began rowing towards the other bank.　他坐进小船，开始划向对岸。
　There he left it and began walking eastward.　他离开那里，开始向东走去。
　She began working here in 1962.　她于1962年开始在这儿工作。
　She began crying.　她开始哭泣。
　She began walking up and down, her hands in her pockets.　她开始踱来踱去，双手插在口袋里。
　She rolled up her sleeves, and began unpacking the basket.　她卷起袖子，开始打开篮子。
　At that moment, everybody began clapping.　那时，每个人开始拍起手来。
　The writer began writing when he was a high school student.　这位作家早在中学时代便开始写作了。
　The hydro-electric station began generating electricity in 1960. 　1960年水电站开始发电。
　It began raining when we got home.　我们到家时开始下雨。
　Returning home, he began writing a melody for it.　回家之后他开始为它谱曲。
　Doctor Baker opened a book and began turning the pages.　贝克医生打开一本书，开始翻阅。
　In this area, it begins raining usually in June.　这个地区通常在六月开始降雨。
　After a few minutes the telephone began ringing again.　一会儿电话又响起来了。
　Computers have also begun serving agriculture.　计算机也开始为农业服务了。
　My heart suddenly began beating violently.　我的心突然开始猛烈地跳动。
　A beginning beard faintly shadowed his chin and lean cheeks.　从他的下巴和瘦削的面颊上可以依稀看到刚长出来的胡须。
　We are to have four holidays, beginning today.　从今天起我们放四天假。
　They must submit such reports every two months, beginning this year.　从今年起，这样的报告他们每两个月要交一次。

 ♣ begin as　(v.+prep.)
　以（某职业）开始自己的生涯　start one's life work by being (a workman in a certain trade, etc.)
　Many important businessmen began as factory workers.　许多显赫的企业家都是从工厂的工人做起的。
　She began as an actress.　她以当演员开始她的职业生涯。
　These clubs began as coffeehouses in the seventeenth century.　这些夜总会在17世纪时原来是咖啡馆。
　She began her career as a sports reporter.　她以当体育记者开始她的职业生涯。
　He began life as a newspaper reporter at the age of twenty-two.　他22岁就开始当新闻记者。
　We began this club as a way of raising money.　我们办这个俱乐部把它作为集资的一种途径。
 ♣ begin at　(v.+prep.)
　从…开始　start from (sth)
　In learning any language, to start with the classics is to begin at the wrong end.　无论学习哪种语言，从古典作品学起的方法是不对头的。
　They begin at the beginning.　他们从头开始。
　Today we begin at page 30, line 12.　今天我们从第30页第12行开始。
　They went to school for nine years, beginning at the age of seven.　从7岁开始他们上了9年学。
　School begins at 8 o'clock.　学校8点开始上课。
　The meeting will begin at seven o'clock.　会议将于7点钟开始。
　The discussion began at three o'clock and ended at five.　讨论从3点钟开始，一直到5点。
　The night shift begins at five o'clock.　夜班从5点钟开始。
　The match will begin at nine o'clock.　比赛将在9点开始。
　The bidding began at $1000.　喊价开始为1000美元。
　At an auction sale, the price of a beautiful vase began at fifty pounds, and reached eight hundred.　在一次拍卖中，一只漂亮的花瓶起价是50英镑，后来达到800英镑。
　He began Latin at the age of ten.　他10岁开始学拉丁语。
　I begin my study at seven.　我7点开始学习。
　Father begins work at 8 every morning.　父亲每天早晨8点开始工作。
　We'll begin the lecture at eight o'clock.　我们8点钟开始讲课。
　We shall begin the meeting at five.　我们将在5点钟开始开会。
　They begin breakfast at seven.　他们7点钟开早饭。
 ♣ begin by　(v.+prep.)
　以…开始（说或做），先（说或做）　start (talking or doing sth)
　I must begin by telling you about the factory itself.　我先给你们谈谈工厂本身。
　An experienced public speaker usually begins by arousing the audience's curiosity.　经验丰富的演讲者大都在一开场就极力唤起听众的好奇心。
　He began by pouring ridicule on the Whig leader.　他先狠狠地讽刺了辉格党的领导人。
　They began by building blocks of flats for workers.　他们先给工人盖一片片的住宅。
　We began by making the simplist kind of weight measures.　我们开始时只做最简单的计量工具。
　The students usually begin by learning the progressive form and doing numerous drills on it.　学生总是一开始学习现在进行时，然后做大量关于进行时态的练习。
　He began by telling a tale of country life.　他首先讲了一个乡村生活的童话。
　Father began by scolding me, saying that I was a bad boy.　父亲开始训斥我说我是个坏孩子。
　He began by saying that he would not speak very long.　他先说他的讲话不长，尔后开始。
　The professor began his lecture by telling a joke.　教授在讲课前先讲一个笑话。
　The comedian began the show by telling a joke.　那位喜剧演员讲了一个笑话表演就开始了。
 ♣ begin on〔upon〕　(v.+prep.)
　着手，开始从事（某事）　start work on; start dealing with (sth)
　He's a very busy lawyer and has already begun on another case.　他是一位很忙的律师，现已着手处理另一个案子。
　He began on a technical innovation two years ago but has made no progress so far.　两年前他着手进行一项技术革新，但迄今尚无任何进展。
　He has begun on a new book.　他已开始读一本新书。
　Has he begun on another bottle?　他已开始喝另一瓶酒了吗?
　He began on another new task last week.　他上周又着手一项新任务。
　The vacation begins on July 1st. 　7月1日开始放假。
　The new term begins on Monday.　新学期从星期一开始。
　The conference will begin on Monday and end on Friday.　会议星期一开始，星期五结束。
　The measure will be applied gradually beginning on October 1.　这项措施将于11月1日起逐步实行。
　In 1958 work began upon the second phase of the project. 　1958年第二期工程开始施工。
　Tom and his drinking companions began upon their third bottle in an hour.　一小时后，汤姆和他的酒友就开始喝第三瓶了。
　The children began upon the chocolate biscuits.　孩子们开始吃巧克力饼干。
 ♣ begin with　(v.+prep.)
　以…开始，从…开始　start with
　We will now hear the students read their poems, beginning with Tom.　现在我们来听听学生们诵读他们的诗作，从汤姆开始吧。
　We need the figures for the twelve months, beginning with February.　我们需要从二月份以来的十二个月的数据。
　You should begin with this book.　你该先读这本书。
　The word begins with a vowel.　这个词开头是元音。
　The Bible begins with the Genesis.　《圣经》开篇是《创世记》。
　The first word of a sentence should begin with a capital letter.　句子第一个词的第一个字母要大写。
　He began with entreaties and ended with a threat.　他先是恳求，最后是威胁。
　Let us begin with this song.　咱们先唱这首歌。
　Let's begin with a story.　让我们先讲个故事。
　Let's begin with the first paragraph.　咱们从第一段开始吧。
　You may begin with English 900.　你可以先从《英语900句》学起。
　We began with the third chapter.　我们是从第三章开始的。
　He advised me to begin with something easy.　他劝我先从容易的开始做起。
　Which shall I begin with? 　我从哪一个开始?
　This book begins with a tale of country life.　这本书以一个农村生活的故事开始。
　The concert began with the national anthem.　音乐会以奏国歌开始。
　My way is to begin with the beginning.　我的办法是从头开始。
　Knowledge begins with practice.　认识从实践开始。
　The ocean began with little drops of water.　大洋是点滴的水聚成的。
　Education, in the largest sense, begins with a man's birth, and does not end until he dies.　从最广泛的意义上说，教育从人一出生就开始，直到死才结束。
　It is very worrying to begin the day with bad news.　这一天一开始就有坏消息，令人担忧。
　The teacher began his class with a question.　老师开始上课时先提了个问题。
 ♣ to begin with
　首先；起初　at first
　To begin with, may I introduce to you Mr. John of our corporation? 　首先，让我给你介绍我们公司的约翰先生。
　To begin with, there must be close co-operation between them.　首先，他们之间应密切合作。
　To begin with, the building was a private house.　首先要说的是，这座楼是私人住宅。
　To begin with, we must consider the problem from all sides.　首先，我们必须全盘考虑这个问题。
　To begin with, I'd like to tell in brief the importance of the work.　首先，我想 简要地谈谈这项工作的重要性。
　To begin with, we had little support, but later on people began to support us.　起先很少人支持我们，后来人们就开始拥护我们了。
　To begin with, we ought to know what we study for.　首先，我们应该知道为什么学习。
　I have several choices what to do. To begin with, I could do nothing!　怎么干，我有好几种选择。首先，我什么也干不了。
　We can't go. To begin with, it's too cold. Besides, we've no money.　我们不能去。首先，天气太冷，其次我们没有钱。
　There were several reasons why we did not adopt the scheme. To begin with, it would have been too costly.　我们有几个理由没采用这个方案，第一，花钱太多。
　Our difficulties are numerous. To begin with, we can't get the workers.　我们有许多困难，首要的是我们招不来工人。
　"Now, whom shall we ask to our party?" "Well, to begin with, Mr. Black, of course."　“我们请谁来参加聚会呢?”“喔，首先是布来克先生，这毫无疑问。”
　They had few essential supplies, to begin with, so they had to improvise.　开始时他们没有多少生活必需品，所以只好东拼西凑。
　We can't give Smith the position. To begin with, he's too young; secondly, I want my son to have the job.　我们不能把这一职位给史密斯。第一，他太年轻；第二，我想让我儿子就任这一职位。
　You are wrong about the facts to begin with.　首先你把事实都没弄对。
　The new manager was very friendly to begin with.　首先说来，这位新到任的经理是非常友善的。
　The boy was born in 1965, not in 1964, to begin with.　首先，这个男孩是1965年生的，不是1964年生的。
　The school was quite a small one to begin with.　这个学校刚开办时，规模很小。

 ♣ begin to-v, begin v-ing
　begin　后接动词不定式和动名词所表示的意思相近，即“开始”。其区别在于：
1. begin后接动词不定式表示的动作可以是有意识或无意识的；而begin后接动名词通常表示有意识的动作。例如：
　He began to pace the room.　他开始在房里走来走去。
　When did you begin learning English?　你什么时候开始学英语的?
　A cold wind began to blow〔blowing〕 as we stood on the deck of the ship.　当我们站在船的甲板上时，一阵冷风开始吹了过来。（注意， wind和heart没有意志，但风吹和心脏的跳动都可被看作有意志的动作，所以可接动名词。)
2. 当主语不是人，或begin用于进行时，或宾语是表示心理活动的动词时，最好接动词不定式而不接动名词。例如：
　It's beginning to rain.　天开始下雨了。
　He began to understand it.　他开始明白了。
3. begin后接动词不定式时多强调新情况的发生，动作是否继续下去则不考虑；接动名词时，对新动作本身注意较多，而且这动作还将持续一段时间。例如：
　He is beginning to look old.　他看起来开始有点老了。
　They have begun building the house.　他们已开始建造房子了。
4. 当begin后接不能用于进行时态的动词（如see, feel等）时只能用动词不定式而不能用动名词。例如：
　She began to feel it.　她开始感觉到它了。
5. 当begin后面的动词属于被动结构时，通常用动词不定式，而很少用动名词。例如：
　The novel began to be written last year.　这小说去年开始写。
6. 当begin用于进行时态时，后面通常只接动词不定式，而不用动名词。例如：
　She is beginning to learn English.　她开始学习英语。
 ♣ begin by, begin with
　表示“以…开始”，可用介词by，也可用介词with，其区别是：接名词时一般用with，接动名词时一般用by. 例如：

 ♣ begin, commence, originate, start
　参见commence条。
 ♣ begin, open
　这两个动词均可表示“开始”，但open还可表示“开业”，而begin无此义。

1. 旅行始于北京而结束于西安。
　［误］ The journey begins from Beijing to Xi'an.
　［正］ The journey begins at Beijing and ends at Xi'an.
　［析］ begin的基本意思就是“从头开始”，因此在表示“从…开始”时不可再接from或from...to.
2. 电影开演半个小时了。
　［误］ The film has begun for half an hour.
　［正］ The film has been on for half an hour.
　［析］ begin是瞬间动词，用于完成时态时，不可以和表示一段时间的时间状语连用。
3. 该开会了。
　［误］ It's time beginning the meeting.
　［正］ It's time to begin the meeting.
　［析］ 习惯上，It's time后不跟begin的动名词形式。

1. begin很少用于进行体，偶尔用于进行体后接动词不定式可作“逐渐…，正在…”解。例如：
　She was beginning to know him.　她逐渐地开始认识他了。
2. not begin to原是美式英语中的一种口语体表达方式，现在已被英国及其他讲英语的国家所接受，它具有两层含义：
　①“不能，不会，无法”。例如：
　He doesn't begin to speak English.　他还不会讲英语。
　②“毫不，怎么也不，根本不”。例如：
　Your suggestion does not begin to meet the difficulty.　你的这个建议一点儿也解决不了这个问题。
　begin to　与其他否定词（如：no, never, nothing等）连用时，也同属于这一表达方式。例如：
　Nothing has begun to interest her so much as folk music.　还没有什么东西能像民间音乐一样吸引她。
3. 在有些场合下必须用begin才合乎习惯。例如：
　They began to run at three o'clock.　他们3点钟开始跑步。
　因为run是表示连续性动作的动词， three o'clock表示的是具体时刻，无连续性，不能与run直接搭配。
4. 应当注意避免两个动名词或两个不定式的连续使用。例如不可说：They are beginning improving the road.他们正开始修路。而应说：They are beginning to improve the road.他们开始修路。同样，不可说：I'd like to begin to study as soon as possible.我愿意尽早开始学习。而应说：I'd like to begin studying as soon as possible.我愿意尽早学习。

　［同义词］ commence, start
　［反义词］ close, end, finish, stop, terminate