(1)论据，理由(reason(s) for or against sth)[C][N(for/against)，N+that]：There are many～s against smoking/capital punishment/the measures有许多反对吸烟/实行死刑/这些措施的理由。powerful～s for turning the land into a park/accepting the proposal 赞同把那片土地变成花园/接受那建议的有力理由;There is a strong～in favour of the theory.有支持这理论的有力论据。accept sb's～that we should increase taxation 同意某人关于我们应该提高税收的理由;〖同〗reason;

(2)辩论(use of reason to persuade sb)[U]：settle the affair by～通过辩论解决该事;agree without much further～没有再辩论就同意;spend hours in～花好几个小时进行辩论;

(3)争论(吵)(quarrel or unfriendly discussion)[C][N(with)(about/over)]：get into a hot (heated)～about matters of taste/whether to go卷入一场关于爱好/是否去的热烈争论;have a violent～over war/whose turn it is进行一场关于战争/该轮到谁了的剧烈争论;be engaged in an～with sb 忙于与某人争论;have an～with sb about/over politics 与某人争论政治问题;〖同〗quarrel，row;

(4)梗概(short account of the story or subject of a book，poem，etc)[C]：It used to be the custom to print the～of a play before the main text.从前在剧本前面印出其梗概是一种惯例。the central～of a book一本书的主要梗概;〖同〗summary，outline，abstract;

←′argue v;

→͵argumen′tation n 辩(争)论;͵argu-′mentative adj 好辩(争)论的;͵argu-′mentatively adv 好辩(争)论地;

【辨异】1) argument与quarrel都可表示“争吵”。argument指用激烈的语言表达的意见分歧;quarrel则是互相用尖刻、生气的语言还敬对方，可译为“吵架”。还有row²(吵嚷，大声争吵)指短时间的大声争吵，也可指知名人士之间或组织之间的互相攻击。2) argument 与debate都可表示“辩论”。argument是双方用事实说服对方的辩论;debate则多指双方或多方在公众会议上进行的辩论;还有dispute是双方或多方用激烈、气愤的言语进行的简短辩论。后两者还可用作动词，此时与argue的区别亦如上述。