about

prep.
1. round the outside of,round环绕着，围绕着。
△Mac.4.1.41: “And now about the cauldron sing，”现在绕着大锅来唱歌。
△3H.VI.5.1.107:“What,Warwick,wiltthou leave the town and fight?/Or shall we beat thestones about thine ears?”怎么，沃里克，你可愿出城一战？否则我们就把石头向你头上打去。
△H.VIII. 2.4.10 (12).s.d.:“The Queen makes no answer,rises out of herchair,goes about the court,comes to the king,andkneels at his feet；”王后不答，从座中站起，绕过法庭，走到国王面前，在他脚边跪下。
2. around在…周围。
△3H.VI.4.3.12:“But why com-mands the King/ That his chief followers lodge intowns about him,/While he himself keeps in thecold field?”但是国王为什么命令他的主力部队都到他周围的城镇里去睡，而他自己却留在这寒冷的荒野上呢？
3. in在…中，在…内。
△Ado.4.1.103 (102):“Aboutthe thoughts and counsels of thy heart!”在你那内心深处的思想当中。
4. near to接近。
△1H.VI.3.1.38: “No one but heshould be about the King；”除了他谁也不应该接近国王。
5. near in size,quantity,or time (在大小、数量或时间上)近于，跟…差不多。
△1H.IV. 2.4.367 (329): “When Iwas about thy years，”当我年纪跟你差不多的时候。
6. concerned with. engaged in关心着，忙于。
△1H. VI2.1. 69: “I was employed in passing to and fro/About relieving of the sentinels.”我来回巡逻，关心着哨兵们换岗。
7. in a state of being engaged in,intent on正从事于，专心于。
△Oth. 2.1.125:“I am about it，” i.e. I am do-ing it. 我正在想这件事呢。
△Mac.2.2.5(4):“He isabout it.”i.e.He (Macbeth) is doing it now. 他是正在动手了。
△3H.VI.3.1.200: “But sound the trumpets.and about our task.”还是吹响号角，进行我们的事业吧。
8. engaged in,intent on:(with a play on) round aboutthe waist正从事于，专心于；（双关）周围（指腰身）。
△Wiv.1.3. 40 (38):“I will tell you what I am about.”我要告诉你们我现在要干什么。
△Wiv.1.3.42(40):“Two yards.and more.”i.e. you are two yards and more roundabout the waist.你的腰围有两码，还要多。
9. on account of,because of由于，因为。
△R.III.1.1.38: “This day should Clarence closely be mewed upAbout a prophecy,which says that G / Of Edward’sheirs the murderer shall be.”(The given name of theDuke of Clarence is George.)为了一句预言，它说杀害爱德华的后嗣者的将是G这个人，克拉仑斯今天就该被严密监禁起来。
△2H.IV.5.4. 6: “There hath been a man or twokilled about her.”i.e. on her account. 最近有一两个人为了她被杀死了。
△2H.IV.5.1.24 (23):“And,sir,doyou mean to stop any of William’s wages about thesack he lost at Hinckley fair?”老爷，为了威廉那天在辛克雷市集上丢的那只口袋，你要不要扣下他一些工钱？ (按：he lost又作he lost the other day.)
△H.V. 2. 3. 37 (35):“’Asaid once,the devil would have him about women.”他有一回说过，魔鬼会为了女人而把他抓走的。
10. for 为…
△2H.IV.3.2.248 (230):“She has nobodyto do anything about her when I am gone. and she isold and cannot help herself.You shall have forty,sir.”(forty: forty shillings,i.e. two pounds)我一走，就没有人为她做事了，她老了，不能照顾自己。我给你四十先令，先生。