1. U 气息；呼吸　 air taken into and breathed out of the lungs
2. C （一次）呼吸，一口气；微风　 a single act of breathing air in and out once; light wind
3. U 迹象　 a slight sign of sth

　breathe one's last ～　死，断气
　catch one's ～　喘气
　draw a ～　吸一口气
　gather ～　歇口气
　get one's ～ back　缓口气
　get one's ～ again　缓口气
　hold one's ～　屏住呼吸
　knock the ～ out of sb　使某人大吃一惊
　lose one's ～　喘不过气来
　pause for ～　停下来缓口气
　save one's ～　不做声，沉默
　stop sb's ～　把某人闷死
　take ～　呼吸，歇口气
　take sb's ～ away　使某人大吃一惊
　waste one's ～　白费口舌
　bad ～　口臭
　deep ～　深呼吸
　heavy ～　沉重的呼吸
　last ～　最后一口气
　long ～　深呼吸，长长的一口气
　short ～　急促的喘息
　human ～　人的气息
　above one's ～　高声地
　after a ～　喘口气后
　in a ～　一口气，立刻，异口同声地
　in the same ～　同时
　out of ～　上气不接下气
　under one's ～　悄声地
　speak under one's ～　低声细语
　with one's last ～　临终时

　Draw a deep breath.　作一次深呼吸。
　He made a deep breath.　他深深地吸了一口气。
　The athlete soon recovered his breath after the final dash.　这位运动员最后冲刺之后很快就呼吸正常了。
　I shall love you as long as I have breath.　我爱你至死不渝。
　Our scouts brushed aside in one breath all the mines laid by the enemy.　我们的侦察兵把敌人埋的地雷一下子全排除了。
　The sick man spoke slowly, with frequent pauses for breath.　那个病人慢慢地讲着，不时停下来喘息。
　It was mere waste of breath to argue with a person in so unreasonable a state of mind.　与一个如此不讲道理的人争论纯粹是浪费口舌。
　There was not a breath in the air.　一丝风也没有。
　Conservatives are against every breath of social reform.　保守派对任何一点的社会改革都要反对。

 ♣ breath of fresh air
1. 呼吸新鲜空气 breathing the fresh air
　I'm just going out for a breath of fresh air.　我正要出去呼吸新鲜空气。
　I opened the window and took a breath of fresh air.　我打开窗子，吸了一口新鲜空气。
2. 使人耳目一新，带来新鲜感 refreshing development
　His ideas about revitalizing the company's activities are like a breath of fresh air.　他使公司恢复元气活动的意见使人耳目一新。
 ♣ catch one's breath
　〔说明〕 catch one's breath不用于被动结构。
1. 屏住呼吸，倒吸一口气 stop breathing for a moment (from fear, excitement, etc.)
　The beauty of the scene made him catch his breath.　风景之美令他愕然止息。
　Her words were so bold that people caught their breath.　她的话太大胆了，使人们都倒抽了一口气。
　The news was so unexpected that I caught my breath from shock.　这条意想不到的消息使我震惊地屏住了呼吸。
　The story is full of surprises which cause the reader to catch his breath.　这个故事充满惊险情节，使读者紧张得透不过气。
2. 〈非正〉休息一下，歇一口气 rest and get back one's normal breathing
　It's ten o'clock; let's catch our breath.　十点了，让我们歇一下吧。
　After climbing to the hill top, I sat down to catch my breath.　爬到山顶之后我坐下来歇一口气。
　After the day's work, we sat down over coffee to catch our breath.　白天辛劳工作后，我们坐下来喝杯咖啡，放松一下。
　After running to the bus stop we sat down to catch our breath.　我们跑到汽车站后才坐下来喘口气。
 ♣ hold one's breath
　屏住气　take no air in
　We held our breath in excitement.　我们激动地屏息凝神。
　We all held our breath till the bomb burst.　我们屏住呼吸直到炸弹爆炸。
 ♣ in the same breath
　同时　simultaneously
　Jill said she couldn't afford new clothes, yet in the same breath described the new outfit she'd just bought.　吉尔说她买不起新衣服，然而与此同时她又描绘起她刚买的那套新衣服。
　You tell me in the same breath that it is useless to investigate the matter, and that you desire me to do it.　你一方面说我调查此事是白搭，另一方面又希望我去调查。
　They are not to be mentioned in the same breath.　他们不可同日而语。
 ♣ last〔dying〕 breath
　临终　at the last moment of his life
　He fought till his last breath.　他一直奋斗到生命的最后一息。
 ♣ lose one's breath
　喘不过气　be out of breath
　He lost his breath in running.　他跑得上气不接下气。
　While climbing up the stairs the old man always loses his breath.　那老人上楼时总是气喘吁吁的。
 ♣ out of breath
　喘不过气　breathless
　He ran so fast that he was out of breath.　他跑得太快，气都喘不过来了。
　I have run myself out of breath.　我跑得上气不接下气。
　I'm out of breath after climbing up all the stairs.　我爬完了这些楼梯后，上气不接下气。
　I got out of breath running up the hill from the station.　我从车站跑上山顶，连气都喘不上来了。
　We couldn't reach the bank. The harder we struggled, the more out of breath we be came.　我们到不了河岸。我们挣扎得越厉害，越是喘不过气来。
 ♣ save one's breath
　别白费口舌　I do not want to hear your comments
　I don't care about what you think; save your breath to cool your porridge!　我不在乎你怎么想，你省点力气，别白费口舌了！
　Save your breath!Don't even mention your illness to your unsympathetic boss.　省点力气吧！甚至别对你那位没有同情心的老板提及你生病的事。
　It's no use giving him advice. He won't take any notice of it. You might as well save your breath.　劝他也是无益，他是不会理睬的。你也得省点力气别开口。
　Save your breath; the boss will never give you the day off.　省点口舌吧，老板不会给你一天假的。
 ♣ stop sb's breath
　把某人杀死　kill sb
　The criminal knew that he could not talk to the police about his friends; if he did, someone would stop his breath.　罪犯知道他不能向警察谈及他那些朋友，如果他说了，有人会把他杀了。
 ♣ take sb's breath away
　使（某人）目瞪口呆；使大吃一惊　make sb unable to speak from surprise, pleasure or especially shock
　The beautiful view from the top of the mountain took my breath away.　从山顶看到的美景，使我目瞪口呆。
　He invited me to his suite. The luxury takes your breath away.　他请我到他的套房里去，那豪华的气派真会令你吃惊。
　The shock of the news quite took my breath away.　这突如其来的消息简直让我惊喜不已。
 ♣ under one's breath
　低声地　in a low voice or whisper
　I told Lucy the news under my breath, but Joyce overheard me.　我低声地把这个消息告诉露西，可还是被乔伊斯听到了。
 ♣ waste one's breath
　徒费唇舌　talk when nobody heeds or is listening
　I'll not waste my breath on you. I can see you are not going to help us at all.　我不在这里跟你白费口舌了，我知道你根本不打算帮助我们。
　I told them how to do it but I was wasting my breath; they went and tried it their way—and failed!　我告诉他们怎么做，但是我徒费口舌，他们还是按自己的一套去做——结果失败了！
 ♣ with bated breath
　屏息以待　in anticipation of sth
　The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath.　主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。
　We waited for the judge's decision with bated breath.　我们屏息等待着法官的裁决。
　For fear of disturbing others she spoke with bated breath.　因为怕打扰别人，她低声说话。

 ♣ take breath, take a breath
　两者意思不同：前者意思是“歇口气”；而后者意思是“呼吸一口气”。例如：
　After running, they stopped to take breath.　跑过后他们停下来歇口气。
　Take a breath.　作一次呼吸。
 ♣ catch one's breath, get one's breath
　这两个短语意思不同：前者意思是“屏息”；而后者意思是“恢复正常状态”。例如：
　As the acrobat swung round and round, the audience caught their breath.　那位杂技演员不停地旋转时，观众们个个屏住了呼吸。
　I need time to get my breath after running.　跑完后，我需要一点时间把气缓过来。
 ♣ out of breath, lose one's breath
　两者都可作“上气不接下气”解，但out of breath用作表语。

1. 我们到那里时，已经气喘吁吁了。
　［误］ When we got there, we were already out of the breath.
　［正］ When we got there, we were already out of breath.
　［析］ out of breath是习语，意为“喘不过气来”， breath前不加冠词。
2. 保姆闻到他的呼吸中有烟味。
　［误］ Mammy could smell the smoke in his breath.
　［正］ Mammy could smell the smoke on his breath.
　［析］ 在此句中on不能换成in.
3. 你可以看出这群迷信群众在受到突然惊吓后那种屏息无声的畏缩样子。
　［误］ You could see the superstitious crowd shrink and catch their breaths under the sudden shock.
　［正］ You could see the superstitious crowd shrink and catch their breath under the sudden shock.
　［析］ breath作“气息”解时是不可数名词，故one's breath中的one即使是复数， breath也要用单数。

　［词源］　中古英语breth（吸气）