tell/tel/ (told, told)

vt

1. 说；讲出

• I know he is not telling the truth. 我知道他没有说实话。

• Tell me your name and address. 告诉我你的名字和住址。

2. 告知；吩咐

• The teacher told all the students to sit down quietly. 老师叫学生们都安静地坐下。

• Do what he tells you. 照他的吩咐做。

3. 不用进行式 辨别；分辨

• It's hard to tell him from his twin brother. 想分辨出他和他的孪生兄弟很难。

• I can never tell the difference between margarine and butter. 我尝不出人造黄油和黄油的区别。

4. 判断；知道

• It's one-sided to tell anybody by what they seem. 凭外表判断一个人是片面的。

• No one can tell what will happen. 没有人知道将会发生什么。

5. 流露；显露

• a smile that told his happiness 显露他快乐的一笑

6. 计算(选票)；数

• Two men were there to tell the votes. 有两个人在场计票。

• tell one's beads 边数念珠边祈祷

vi

1. 描述；叙述

• He began to tell of his experience. 他开始讲述他的经历。

• So I've been told. 那就是我听说的事。

2. 走漏消息；泄密

• Promise you won't tell. 你要保证不泄密。

3. 不用进行式 产生效果；起明显的作用

• Every shot told. 百发百中。

• Drinking began to tell on his health. 酗酒开始影响他的健康。

4. 说明；表明

• His blush told of his shyness. 脸红表明他害羞。

词组as far as one can tell 根据现有证据来判断 I can tell you (或I tell you, let me tell you) 我可以肯定地说

• I can tell you: you've been cheated. 我可以肯定地说，你被骗了。

I'm telling you 我说的没错

• I'm telling you: she doesn't do what she promises. 我说的不会错，她的承诺不会兑现。

Never tell me! 不见得吧；别胡说。 tell against 对(某人)不利

• The evidence tells strongly against you. 证据对你很不利。

tell all 和盘托出 tell apart 辨别；区分

• I can't tell the twins apart. 我区分不出这对双胞胎。

tell it like it is 美俚 实事求是地说；说实话

• Thank you for being so kind, for telling it like it is. 谢谢你这么好，实事求是。

tell off

1. 分派；指派

• We were told off to different tasks. 我们被派去执行不同的任务。

2. 责备

• He was told off for his lateness by his boss. 他因为迟到被老板斥责了一顿。

• You can never tell (或You never can tell) 很难说；无法预料

• You're telling me! 没错!