1. （水面）平静的，（天气）无风的　 (of water) not rough, smooth; (of weather) not windy
2. 镇定的，沉着的；宁静的，心平气和的　 free from excitement, nervous activity, or strong feeling; quiet and untroubled

　the ～ city　平静的城市
　the ～ situation　局势平静
　comparatively ～　比较平静
　perfectly ～　相当平静
　quite ～　相当平静
　keep ～　保持镇静
　remain ～　保持镇静

　He is a calm man.　他是一个镇定的人。
　Although she was frightened, she answered with a calm voice.　虽然她很害怕，但仍以平静的声音回答。
　The calm water in the lake invited us to swim.　平静的湖水引起我们去游泳的兴趣。

　It was calm after the storm.　暴风雨过后风平浪静了。
　The older man was calm, but the younger man was angry.　那个年纪较大的人很平静，但那个年轻点的人却很愤怒。
　He was comparatively calm and concentrated in judging how to defeat his opponent.　他相对冷静沉着，聚精会神地判断如何打败对手。
　Although the enemy was only five miles away, the city was perfectly calm.　尽管敌人离城只有5英里远了，但整个城市很平静。
　The situation was still comparatively calm there, he reported.　他报告说：那里的局势还比较平静。
　He remained calm before danger, his face not turning pale, his heart not bounding.　在危险面前他保持镇静，脸不变色心不跳。
　In spite of the danger they remained calm.　尽管有危险，但他们一直保持冷静。
　Don't excite yourself! Keep calm!　不要激动！保持镇静！
　You must keep calm in an emergency.　在紧急关头要保持镇静。
　He is calm enough to pervert the truth.　他竟然无耻到歪曲事实。

 ♣ calm, peaceful, quiet, silent, still
　这组形容词的共同意思是“安静”“平静”“寂静”。其区别在于：
1. 在修饰环境时各词所指的状态为：calm指风平浪静；peaceful指没有战争或骚乱；quiet指没有吵闹干扰；still指完全没有声音。例如：
　The sea was calm yesterday.　昨天海水是平静的。
　Countries should settle their disputes by peaceful means.　各国应通过和平手段解决他们的争端。
　Differences among them could have been reconciled by them through peaceful consultations.　他们中间的分歧本来可以由他们和平协商调解。
　He had a bad headache and needed being quiet.　他头疼得厉害，需要安静。
　Everything was deadly still.　万籁俱寂。
2. 在修饰人时：calm指人心平气和，毫不激动；peaceful表示“安详的”“温和的”; quiet指性情温和、安静等，有时也指人的闲散或不活动；still指“一动不动”; silent侧重“沉默”“不说话”，但不一定不动。例如：
　The teacher is peaceful when the student appeared.　当这个学生出现时，这个老师很温和。
　We should keep quiet in the hospital.　在医院里我们应该保持安静。
　His hands were never still.　他的双手一刻也不停。
　We've been silent for too long. It's time to speak out.　我们沉默得太久了，现在是大胆地发表意见的时候了。
　She sat silent in her own room.　她在自己的房间里一动不动地坐着。

　他答应在无风的日子带我去划船。
　［误］ He promised to take me boating on a calmed day.
　［正］ He promised to take me boating on a calm day.
　她给那个镇定的男孩一点牛奶。
　［误］ She gave the calm boy some milk.
　［正］ She gave the calmed boy some milk.
　［析］ calm修饰天气、海洋、水等时作“平静的”“无风的”解，可直接用于名词前作定语；calm的过去分词calmed用作定语时主要修饰“人”，表示“镇定的”“镇静的”。

1. S U 安静；宁静；镇静，不紧张　 peace and quiet; absence of excitement of nervous activity
2. S U （天气）无风，无浪（状态） an absence of wind or rough weather

　break the ～　打破安静气氛
　bring ～ to sb's mind　使某人心情安定
　disturb the ～　扰乱安静气氛
　a dead ～　死一般的寂静
　a external ～　表面上的平静
　a forced ～　强作的镇静
　a frosty ～　冷淡地
　an uneasy ～　令人不安的平静
　evening ～　晚间的宁静
　～ before the storm　暴风雨到来前的平静

　Her calm at the reception of the bad news surprised us.　她接受那个坏消息时的平静态度令我们吃惊。
　Politicians at all levels appealed for calm.　各级政治家们呼吁保持平静。
　The household settled into its usual calm.　这一家人又恢复了往日的平静。
　A day of calm intervened between the hectic weeks.　在闹哄哄的几个星期之间有一天宁静的日子。
　The motorbikes invaded the calm of the summer afternoon.　摩托车的声响惊扰了夏日午后的宁静。
　Calm has returned to the garden.　花园又恢复了平静。
　Calm descended once again on the village as the last coach left.　最后一辆马车离去后，村子又恢复了平静。
　After a storm comes a calm.　雨过天晴。
　I felt an uneasy calm in the village.　我感到村子里令人不安地平静。
　It was a dead calm that preceded the storm.　那是暴风雨前的平静。

　vt. & vi.（使）平静；（使）镇定 make or become calm

　～ one's fears　平息某人的恐惧
　～ one's mind　镇定某人的心
　～ one's nerves　使某人的神经平静下来
　～ oneself　使自己镇定下来
　apparently ～　似乎平静
　comparatively ～　相对平静
　falsely ～　假装镇静
　incomparably ～　无比地平静
　mentally ～　心理上地平静
　ominously ～　不祥地平静
　passionlessly ～　无激情地平静
　perceptibly ～　察觉到地平静
　permanently ～　长时间地平静
　philosophically ～　达观地平静
　professionally ～　职业性地平静
　soberly ～　审慎地平静
　spiritually ～　精神上平静
　suddenly ～　突然平静
　superficially ～　表面上平静
　unexpectedly ～　出乎意外地平静
　universally ～　普遍平静
　～ eventually　最终平静
　～ down　平静下来

　Presently he calmed a little.　他很快就平静一些了。
　Now calm yourself, please.　现在请你安静下来。
　To calm himself, he walked over to the window.　为使自己平静一下，他朝窗户走了过去。
　His anger rose at the sight of the villain, but he calmed himself.　一见那个恶棍，他就火冒三丈，但他还是使自己冷静了下来。
　Shelley was unable to calm her.　雪莱无法使她安静下来。
　Mother soon calmed the baby.　母亲很快使婴儿平静了。
　The nurses tried their best to calm the anxious patient.　护士竭力使那个焦灼的病人平静下来。
　She calmed the baby by giving him some milk.　她给婴儿吃点奶，使他不再哭闹。
　The nurse was busy calming the frightened child.　护士正忙着安抚那个受惊的孩子。
　I lit a cigarette to calm my nerves.　我点燃了一支香烟使自己的神经平静下来。
　This announcement will calm their fears.　这项公告将平息他们的恐惧。

 ♣ calm down　(v.+adv.)
　（使）平静下来　(cause to) become calm; (cause to) become relaxed and quiet
　〔说明〕 calm down通常不用于进行体。
　The roaring sea gradually calmed down.　咆哮的大海逐渐平静下来。
　The sea calmed down as soon as the wind fell.　风平浪静了。
　The sea gradually calmed down as we steamed out.　我们的轮船开出去时，海面逐渐平静下来了。
　Calm down! There's nothing to worry about.　冷静点儿，没有什么好担心的。
　The crying child soon calmed down.　哭闹的孩子很快就不哭了。
　We expect she'll calm down in a few minutes, when she gets over the shock.　我们估计几分钟后她过了这阵震惊就会安静下来的。
　The mayor lost control of himself for a moment, but he soon calmed down.　有那么一会儿，市长也忍不住发起了脾气，但他很快就镇静下来了。
　If you don't calm down, you're going to have a heart attack.　你如果不平静下来，就会心脏病发作。
　The situation then calmed down temporarily.　那时的形势得以暂时地平静。
　Nothing would help her when she became angry and trying to calm her down just added fuel to the flames.　她生气的时候，简直对她毫无办法，若试图使其息怒，反而会更糟。
　Try to calm the children down, they're too excited.　让孩子们静一静，他们太疯了。
　I tried to calm him down after the bad news.　我尽力设法让他在听到坏消息后能安静下来。
　We tried to calm down the angry man.　我们努力使那个怒气冲冲的人平静下来。
　Calm yourself down. There is nothing to worry about.　冷静点儿，没什么好担心的。

 ♣ calm, compose
　参见compose条。
 ♣ calm, quieten, settle
　这三个词都有“（使）镇定”的意思。它们之间的差别是：
1. calm强调了先前混乱的状态，然后靠判断力、意志或信仰而恢复正常。
2. settle指采取某种措施、安排而平息了激动或兴奋，使思想和身体处于一种轻松状态。例如：
　A vacation will settle your nerves.　休假可镇定你的神经。
　A word from his father was enough to settle him.　他父亲的一句话就足以使他安静下来。
　The music will settle my disordered brain.　音乐会使我纷乱的心情得到安定。
　Have a brandy. It will settle your nerves.　喝点白兰地吧，它会使你镇定下来。
　Her soft words settled his agitated mind.　她的温柔的话语使他焦虑的思绪平静下来。
　I'll read a bit before supper to settle my mind.　我在晚餐之前读读书使心情平静。
3. quieten强调言谈举止方面外在的暂时平静。例如：
　The children were shouting, but they soon quietened down.　孩子们大叫大嚷着，但一会儿就安静了下来。

　［同义词］ adj. cool, pacific, peaceful, relaxed, smooth, still n. dispassion, hush, peace v. pacify, quieten, soothe
　［反义词］ adj. rough, stormy, wild, worried n. restlessness, storminess v. excite, irritate, worry, disturb
　［词源］　古法语calme<西班牙语和意大利语calma（平静）