1. vt. & vi.讲解，解释　 give or show the meaning of
2. vt. & vi.说明…的原因；辩解　 give or be the reason for; account for

　～ a difficult problem　解释难题
　～ a foreign passage　解释这段外文
　～ a plan　说明计划
　～ a principle　解释原理
　～ a theory　阐释理论
　～ an important problem　阐述了一个重要问题
　～ life　解释生命
　～ one's absence　说明缺席的理由
　～ one's behaviour　解释自己的行为
　～ one's decision　解释某人的决定
　～ one's error　解释自己的错误
　～ one's hesitation　解释犹豫的原因
　～ one's idea　解释自己的想法
　～ one's own emotions　解释某人的情感
　～ one's views　阐明观点
　～ oneself　解释，为自己辩解
　～ such a silly remark　解释这种蠢话
　～ such conduct　解释这种行为
　～ the aim　说明目的
　～ the delay　解释耽搁的原因
　～ the essence of　说明…的实质
　～ the foolish behaviour　解释愚蠢的行为
　～ the hows and whys of an issue　解释一个问题（争端）的经过和缘由
　～ the matter　说明这件事
　～ the meaning of the sentence　解释句子的意思
　～ the nature of　说明…的性质
　～ the new law　解释新法律
　～ the new tax system　说明新的税收制度
　～ the obscure point　解释模糊的地方
　～ the phenomenon　解释这种现象
　～ the poem　解释这首诗
　～ the point of view　阐明观点
　～ the problem　解释这个问题
　～ the question　解释这个问题
　～ the reason for　说明…的理由
　～ the rule　解释这规则
　～ the secret of one's success　说明自己成功的秘密
　～ the situation　说明形势
　～ the text　讲解课文
　～ the word　解释这个单词/cn>

～+副词

　～ adequately　恰当地解释
　～ amply　充分地说明
　～ apologetically　抱歉地解释
　～ away　讲明，解释清楚
　～ away a fault　为过失而辩解
　～ briefly　扼要说明
　～ candidly　公正地解释
　～ carefully　细心地解释
　～ clearly　清楚地解释
　～ competently　有资格辩解
　～ comprehensively　全面地解释
　～ concisely　简要地解释
　～ confusedly　解释得很混乱
　～ definitely　明确地解释
　～ easily　容易解释
　～ effectively　有效地辩解
　～ elaborately　详尽地解释
　～ essentially　实质上解释
　～ exactly　精确地解释
　～ facetiously　滑稽地解释
　～ fully　充分地说明
　～ fundamentally　基本上解释清楚
　～ haltingly　吞吞吐吐地解释
　～ hesitatingly　含糊地解释
　～ immediately　立即解释
　～ incongruously　解释得很合理
　～ ingeniously　巧妙地解释
　～ invaluably　非常有价值地解释
　～ lamely　不中用地辩解
　～ lucidly　清楚地说明
　～ minutely　详细地解释
　～ paradoxically　自相矛盾地解释
　～ parenthetically　作为插入语的解释
　～ passionately　热情地解释
　～ patiently　耐心地解释
　～ philosophically　解释得富有哲理性
　～ plausibly　花言巧语地辩解
　～ presently　目前解释
　～ properly　恰当地解释
　～ proudly　骄傲地解释
　～ psychologically　从心理角度解释
　～ roughly　粗略说明
　～ satisfactorily　作令人满意的解释
　～ scientifically　科学地阐述
　～ solemnly　庄重地解释
　～ sufficiently　解释得过多
　～ technically　从技术上解释
　～ tenderly　亲切地解释
　～ voluntarily　自愿地解释

～+介词

　～ about it　把这件事解释一下
　～ sth as　把…解释成
　～ sth on the theory of　用…理论解释某事
　～ to　向…说明

　When you are wrong, don't explain.　错了，你不用解释。
　I don't understand this, please explain.　我不明白这点，请解释一下。
　Jenny tried to explain.　詹妮想设法解释一下。
　You needn't explain any more.　你不必再解释了。
　That explains his absence.　他缺席就是这个原因。
　They sent us a letter to explain the delay.　他们给我们一封信解释为什么耽搁了。
　Please explain the meaning of the poem.　请说明这首诗的意思。
　I will try to explain the situation as I see it.　我将试着根据我自己的看法讲一讲形势。
　He explained scientifically the most important questions of political economy.　他科学地阐述了政治经济学中的一些最重要的问题。
　This can be easily explained.　这很容易解释。
　This problem will be explained next time.　这个问题下次再作解释。
　This problem has not yet been satisfactorily explained.　这个问题还没有得到令人满意的解释。
　He explained how to use this instrument.　他解释如何使用这台仪器。
　Can you explain why to do it like that?　你能解释为什么那样做吗?
　They didn't explain where to get it.　他们没有说明在什么地方弄到它的。
　They began to explain that they had been delayed by the weather.　他们开始解释说，天气使他们耽搁了。
　I explained that we could stay no longer.　我说过我们不能再停留了。
　I explained that we were perfectly safe.　我向他说过我们非常安全。
　The man operating this pump explained that it could supply enough water to irrigate 5000 mu of land.　开水泵的人说，这个水泵抽上来的水足够灌溉五千亩地。
　The enclosed letter will explain what has happened.　附来的信将说明发生的情况。
　The worker explained how the machine worked.　那位工人讲解这台机器如何运用。
　He explained how the machine was used.　他给我们讲解这机器怎么使用。
　She tried to explain why she had stayed out so late.　她设法解释她为什么在外面呆这么晚的原因。
　"I came by subway," she explained.　“我是坐地铁来的，”她解释说。

 ♣ explain away　(v.+adv.)
　通过解释消除…　give a satisfactory reason for; get rid of by explanation
　〔说明〕 explain away通常不用于进行体。
　I didn't believe her at first, but she managed to explain away my doubts.　起初我不相信她，可是她的解释消除了我的怀疑。
　She explained away the child's fears.　她通过解释消除了孩子的恐惧。
　He tried to explain away his lateness, but we didn't accept his excuse.　他竭力为自己迟到辩解，但是，我们不相信他的托词。
　You will find it difficult to explain away your use of such offensive language.　你将会发现你很难为说过这种无理的话辩解。
　He thought of a reason to explain away his failure.　他想出一个理由为他的失败辩解。
　John explained away his unfinished task by showing his boss a certificate for sick leave.　约翰交给上司一个病假条，以此解释他为什么没完成任务。
　The criminal tried to explain away the false signature, but it was clear that he was guilty.　罪犯试图为伪造签名一事开脱自己，但他显然是有罪的。
　The murder suspect couldn't explain away his fingerprints at the scene.　这个杀人嫌疑犯解释不清为什么在杀人现场会留有他的指纹。
　Such a conclusive evidence is hard to be explained away.　如此确凿的证据是很难巧辩的。
 ♣ explain oneself　(v.+pron.)
　〔说明〕 explain oneself不用于进行体。
1. 说明自己的意思 make one's meaning clear
　Let me explain myself.　我来解释一下。
　Please explain yourself.　请你把意思说清楚。
　I don't understand what you're talking about, would you explain yourself a little?　我不懂你在谈些什么，请你把你的意思说明白好吗?
2. 为自己的行为辩解 give an excuse for one's behaviour
　This is the third time you've been late this week; can you explain yourself?　这是你本星期第三次迟到了，你有什么可说的?
　Late again, Tom?I hope you can explain yourself.　汤姆，又迟到了?我希望你能说明理由。
 ♣ explain to　(v.+prep.)
　向…解释　make sth clear to sb
　You'd better go and explain to the teacher.　你最好去向老师解释清楚。
　You should explain this matter to your wife.　你应该向你妻子解释这件事。
　Can you explain his behaviour to me?　你能向我解释清楚他的行为吗?
　I will explain my decision to you when I come back.　我回来时会向你解释我的决定。
　The speaker tried to explain his meaning to the crowd.　演讲者竭力向听众讲清他的意思。
　I explained to them that three days in Beijing was very little time to see all the sights.　我向他们说明，要把北京风光都看到三天是远远不够的。
　He explained to us how the machine was used.　他给我们讲解了这机器怎么使用。
　You'll have to explain to me why you haven't finished your work.　你得对我讲清楚你为什么没有完成作业。

 ♣ explain, explicate, expound, interpret
　这四个词都有“解释”“阐明”的意思。其区别在于：
1. explain指对不了解、不明白或不清楚之事进行解释；explicate指对复杂的事情进行讨论或说明；expound指对某问题或道理进行解释说明；interpret指对难以理解的疑难点解释说明清楚。例如：
　Explain yourself! Why did you do it?　你说清楚！为什么干那种事?
　The principle is explicated into three axioms.　这一原理可以分析成三条公理。
　The priest expounded his religion to us.　那位神父向我们阐述了他所信的宗教。
　The professor interpreted the poem for us.　教授为我们解释了那首诗的真正含义。
2. explain是仔细、详尽地运用专业知识进行解释；explicate是逐点讨论和仔细说明；expound是指某人在具有渊博知识的基础上，详细地、系统地解释说明；interpret是用言语或表演等方式解释说明。例如：
　He explained how to use the parachute.　他讲解怎样使用降落伞。
　I am sure you can explicate this work to me.　我确信你能为我分析一下这篇作品。
　In these two chapters, the author expounds the law of universal gravitation.　在这两章里，作者详尽阐述了万有引力定律。
　The poet read and then interpreted his poem about nature.　诗人先读，然后解释了他那首关于大自然的诗。

　老师给我讲解了语法难点。
　［误］ The teacher explained me the difficult point of grammar.
　［正］ The teacher explained the difficult point of grammar to me.
　你能解释他为什么要那样做吗　?
　［误］ Can you explain why he is doing that for me?
　［正］ Can you explain to me why he is doing that?
　［析］ 表示“向某人说明某事”可用explain sth to sb结构，不能用explain sb sth/explain sth for sb结构。

　［同义词］ define, explicate, expound, interpret, account for, justify
　［词源］　拉丁语explanare（明白清楚地讲出）