1. 说明，解释，阐明
2. 说明...的理由
3. 替...辩解
4. 吐露，讲出，明说
5. 揭开

1. make plain and comprehensible;

   "He explained the laws of physics to his students"
   

2. define;

   "The committee explained their plan for fund-raising to the Dean"
   

3. serve as a reason or cause or justification of;

   "Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work"
   "Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again"
   

1.解释;说明
If youexplain something, you give details about it or describe it so that it can be understood.

e.g. Not every judge, however, has the ability toexplain the law in simple terms...
然而，不是每个法官都能用简单的语言来解释法律。
e.g. Don't sign anything until your solicitor has explained the contract to you...
在律师向你解释清楚合同之前，不要签署任何东西。

2.解释;辩解;说明…的理由
If youexplain something that has happened, you give people reasons for it, especially in an attempt to justify it.

e.g. 'Let meexplain, sir.' — 'Don't tell me about it. I don't want to know.'...
“您听我解释，先生。”——“别跟我说，我不想知道。”
e.g. Before she ran away, she left a note explaining her actions...
逃跑前，她留下一张便条解释原委。

相关词组：explain away

explain away (v.+adv.)

通过解释消除… give a satisfactory reason for; get rid of by explanation
explain sth ⇔ away

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.)

为自己的行为辩解 give an excuse for one's behaviour

explain to (v.+prep.)

向…解释 make sth clear to sb
explain to sb

You'd better go and explain to the teacher.

你最好去向老师解释清楚。

explain sth to sb

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。

explain to sb that-clause

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。

explain to sb wh-clause

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

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

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

1. explain的基本意思是“解释,说明”,指把对方不知道、不理解的事以易懂的方式加以说明,使其清楚、明白。
2. explain既可用作及物动词,也可用作不及物动词。用作及物动词时,宾语可以是名词、代词,也可以是带疑问词的动词不定式或that从句,还可以是反身代词,说明自己的意思、动机或行为。
3. “向某人说明某事”不用explain sb sth 结构,可用explain sth to sb 表示。
4. explain可引出直接引语。