
chatter
词源
源自中古英语 'chateren',可能模仿快速说话或物体碰撞的声音,与荷兰语 'schateren'(大笑)和德语 'schwatzen'(闲聊)有关。
verb
❶ 指快速、连续地说话,通常内容琐碎或没有重点,常用于形容闲聊或喋喋不休的状态。
“The children chattered excitedly about their school trip.”
(孩子们兴奋地喋喋不休地谈论他们的学校旅行。)
“She chattered away on the phone for hours.”
(她在电话里喋喋不休地聊了好几个小时。)
❶ 指物体因震动或碰撞而发出连续、快速的声音,比如牙齿打颤或机器震动。
“Her teeth chattered from the cold.”
(她的牙齿因为寒冷而咯咯打颤。)
“The old washing machine chattered loudly during the spin cycle.”
(那台旧洗衣机在脱水时发出剧烈的震动声。)
noun
❶ 指快速、琐碎的谈话,通常没有实质性内容,常用于形容闲聊或喋喋不休的对话。
“The constant chatter in the cafe made it hard to concentrate.”
(咖啡馆里持续的闲聊声让人难以集中注意力。)
“I could hear the cheerful chatter of the party guests.”
(我能听到派对宾客愉快的闲聊声。)
❶ 指物体因震动或碰撞而发出的连续、快速的声音,比如机器或自然现象的声音。
“The chatter of the printer was annoying in the quiet office.”
(打印机在安静的办公室里发出的咔嗒声很烦人。)
“We could hear the chatter of the squirrels in the trees.”
(我们能听到松鼠在树上发出的吱吱声。)
常见短语
idle chatter — 指没有实质内容的闲聊,通常用于形容无意义的谈话或打发时间的对话。
“They engaged in idle chatter while waiting for the meeting to start.”
(他们在等待会议开始时进行无意义的闲聊。)
chatter away — 指持续不断地说话,通常形容某人喋喋不休或热情地谈论某事。
“She chattered away about her vacation plans.”
(她喋喋不休地谈论她的度假计划。)