1. S 能力　the fact that sb/sth is able to do sth; capacity or power to do sth physical or mental
2. C U 聪明；智慧；智力；技能　a level of skill or intelligence; a level of skill at doing sth

　appreciate sb's ～　赏识某人的才干
　conceal one's ～　不显露才能
　cultivate one's ～　培养能力
　demonstrate one's ～　显示能力
　develop one's ～　培养能力
　discover sb's ～　发掘某人的能力
　display one's ～　表现才能
　have ～　有能力
　have both ～ and moral integrity　德才兼备
　improve one's ～　提高能力
　increase one's ～　增强能力
　lack the ～　缺少能力
　lose the ～　失去能力
　measure sb's ～　衡量某人的才能
　overrate sb's ～　高估某人的能力
　possess ～　具有能力
　prostitute one's ～　滥用才能
　recognize sb's ～　承认某人的才干
　show one's ～　显露才能
　administrative ～　行政管理能力
　all-round ～　多方面的才能
　average ～　一般能力
　considerable ～　非凡的才能
　creative ～　创造性才干
　distinguished ～　出众的能力
　exceptional ～　杰出能力
　extraordinary ～　超凡的才能
　financial ～　财力
　great ～　伟大的才能，雄才
　innate ～　天赋的才干
　intellectual ～　智力，智能
　inventive ～　发明创造的才能
　latent ～　潜能
　limited ～　能力平庸
　manifold -ties　多方面的技能
　musical ～　音乐才能
　natural ～　天赋
　organizing ～　组织能力
　outstanding ～　卓越才干
　practical ～　实践能力
　professional ～　业务能力
　rare ～　罕见的才能
　remarkable ～　杰出的才干
　striking ～　惊人的才能
　substantial ～　卓越的能力
　unusual ～　非凡的能力
　acting ～　表演才能
　business ～　商业才干
　language ～　语言能力
　leadership ～　领导能力
　learning ～　学习能力
　listening ～　听力
　literary ～　文字能力
　reading ～　阅读能力
　speaking ～　会话能力
　teaching ～　教学能力
　writing ～　写作能力
　according to one's ～　根据自己的能力
　beyond one's ～　力所不及
　in ～　在能力方面
　an ounce of ～　少许才能
　man of ～　能干的人
　person of great ～　具有雄才大略的人
　to the best of one's ～　尽自己最大努力
　～ at　在…方面的能力
　～ for　在…方面的能力
　～ for work　工作能力
　～ in　在…方面的能力
　～ in work　工作能力

　His ability falls short.　他的能力不足。
　Musical ability often shows itself early in life.　音乐天才往往在幼年时期就显露出来。
　His ability is limited.　他的能力有限。
　The acting abilities of both were well-known.　这两个人的表演才能是众所周知的。
　Natural abilities are like natural plants that need pruning by study.　天资如同自然植物，需学习为之剪枝。
　Almost everyone has some musical ability.　几乎人人都有一些音乐才能。
　He has listening, speaking, reading, and writing abilities.　他具有听说读写的技能。
　He had the all-round ability as a director.　他有当导演的多方面才能。
　He has great abilities as a general.　他具备作为一个将军的卓越才能。
　Everyone has a chance to develop his natural abilities.　人人都有发展自己才能的机会。
　We appreciate his oratorical ability.　我们赏识他的口才。
　Everyone admired his abilities.　大家都钦佩他的才干。
　His job really fits his abilities.　他的工作能使他真正发挥自己的才能。
　His ambition outran his ability.　他眼高手低。
　You must place your abilities at the service of the people.　你应该用你的才能为人民服务。
　He is wanting in organizing ability.　他缺乏组织才能。
　I have great respect for his ability and integrity as a journalist.　他作为新闻记者，道德文采俱佳，我深表敬佩。
　We believed in the ability of government to ensure social justice.　我们相信政府有能力维护社会正义。
　This is called ability grouping.　这叫因材施教。
　This task is altogether beyond my ability.　这件事我完全无能为力。
　By sheer ability and force of character he has acquired the present position.　他获得目前的职位全凭他的才能和坚毅的性格。
　His speedy promotion is from sheer ability.　他全凭才干而被迅速提拔。
　Our courses cater for different levels of ability.　我们的课程可以满足不同能力水平的需要。
　A woman of her ability will easily find a job.　有她这样才能的女性找工作不难。
　He is a man of great ability.　他是个非常有才能的人。
　He is a man of great physical ability.　他是个体格强壮的人。
　He is a man of many abilities.　他多才多艺。
　He is a man of remarkable musical ability.　他是一位有非凡音乐天赋的人。
　He was a man of extraordinary abilities.　他才干卓著。
　Mr. Sapir is a surgeon of undoubted ability.　沙比尔先生无疑是一位很有本领的外科医生。
　Gladstone was a politician of great ability.　格拉德斯通是位极具才干的政治家。
　His failure was not due to lack of ability.　他的失败不是由于缺乏能力。
　Someone of her ability is bound to succeed.　具有她这样能力的人一定会成功。
　He doesn't have an ounce of ability.　他一点能力都没有。
　They found her work more suited to her abilities.　他们给她找到了更适合她能力的工作。
　He speaks English with some ability.　他英语讲得还算不错。
　A man with your ability should be able to do this job well.　以你的能力应可以把这件事做好。
　She exhibited exceptional ability at high-energy physics.　她在高能物理学方面表现出非凡的才能。
　Their ability at pingpong is world-renowned.　他们打乒乓球的本领是举世闻名的。
　The new manager shows considerable ability for organization.　新经理表现出非凡的组织能力。
　She has no ability in〔for〕 that kind of work.　她没有做那种工作的能力。
　He showed rare ability in this direction.　他在这方面表现出罕见的能力。
　He displayed more than average ability in business.　他的经商才能比一般人略高一筹。
　He showed his ability in drawing.　他在绘画上显示出才能。
　He has outstanding abilities in making money.　他特别能赚钱。
　He lacked ability in reasoning.　他缺乏推理能力。
　She has great ability in teaching English.　她很有教英语的才干。
　He has the ability to do the work.　他有能力做这项工作。
　He has the ability to express himself on paper.　他有书面表达能力。
　She has the ability to speak four languages.　她会说四种语言。
　She has the ability to speak English fluently.　她能够流利地说英文。
　He has the ability to predict future events.　他有预测未来大事的能力。
　You have the ability to sue them for the damages done.　你可以控告他们对此造成的损失。
　What I need is a camera which has the ability to focus automatically.　我需要的是一架可以自动对焦的照相机。
　The system has the ability to run more than one program at the same time.　该系统能够同时运行一个以上的程序。
　The ability to use a language can be acquired by the act of using the language.　运用语言的能力只能通过不断练习才能获得。
　I doubt his ability to do the job.　我认为他没有做这工作的能力。
　I do not doubt your ability to analyse and solve problems.　我不怀疑你分析问题和解决问题的能力。
　She has demonstrated a remarkable ability to get things done.　在办事方面，她显示了非凡的能力。
　She lost the ability to walk after her car accident.　车祸后，她丧失了行走能力。
　Tiredness can seriously impair your ability to drive.　疲劳会大大影响你的驾驶能力。

 ♣ to the best of one's ability
　尽自己最大努力　using all one's ability; as well as one can
　I will do it to the best of my ability.　我将尽力而为。
　I'll try to do my work to the best of my ability.　我将竭尽全力地做好工作。
　The mother educated her children to the best of her ability.　这位母亲尽力教育好自己的子女。
　You are just there to do your job to the best of your ability.　你到那儿只要尽你最大的努力工作就行了。

 ♣ ability, capacity, talent
　这组词都可表示“个人的能力”。其区别是：
1. ability指人表现出来的实际能力，既指天赋能力，也指经培养造就而获得的本领；capacity用于物时指容纳能力，用于人时指潜在的能力，尤指接受能力、领悟性、敏感度等，接of短语时还含有除必需的技能外还须具有做某事的意志或力量的意味；talent表示做某事的特殊才能，这种才能是先天所赋予的，可以经过训练或使用而有所发展和成熟。
2. ability和talent主要用于人；capacity可以用于人，也可以用于物。
3. ability后常接介词at, in, for或动词不定式；talent后常接介词for.

　-ability　可取代-able加在形容词末尾构成不可数名词，意思是“具有…的特性”。例如：affordability可承受性， portability便携性， stability稳定性， washability可洗性等。

　［同义词］ adeptness, aptitude, bent, capability, cleverness, competence, expertise, facility, faculty, flair, genius, gift, intelligence, knowhow, power, proficiency, qualification, skill, talent
　［反义词］ disability, helplessness, inability, inaptitude, incapability, incapacity, incompetence, powerlessness, weakness