(1) (道德或法律上的)义务 (what one ought morally or legally to do) [C， U]：the～to one's country/of defending one's country 对国家/保卫国家的义务;one's～to raise children properly 好好把孩子抚养大的义务;do one's～(as a responsible citizen/husband) (作为一个有责任感的公民/丈夫)尽自己的义务;do sth out of (a strong sense of)～出于(强烈的)义务(感)而做某事;the call of～义务的召唤;It is a matter of～. 这是义务问题。pay a～call 作礼节性的拜访;It's my～to help the needy/to obey the laws. 帮助贫困者/遵守法律是我的义务。 I'm in/feel～bound to help the needy. 我有/觉得有义务帮助穷人。〖同〗responsibility， obligation;

(2) 任务，职责，责任，本分 (job， task or action that sb must perform) [C常pl， U]：What are the～ies of a senator/a traffic warden/a secretary? 参议员/交通管理员/秘书的职责是什么? One of his～ies is to do... 他的职责之一是…… Whose～was it to lock the door? 锁门是谁的职责? household～ies 家庭责任;learn/take up/perform one's～ies 学会做本职工作/担起职责/履行职责;do night～值夜班; have a～to perform 有一项任务要完成;〖同〗task， assignment， charge， function;

(3) (关)税 (tax charged by a government on certain goods， esp on ones brought into a county) [C， U][N(on)]：customs/excise/death/income～ies 关税/国内货物税/遗产税/进口税; stamp～印花税; pay/impose/raise/lower～on foreign wine 纳/征/提高/降低进口酒的税;〖同〗tax， customs;

on/off duty 上(值)/下班：be/come off～(now/at 6 p.m.) (现在/下午6点)下班;be/go on～(tonight/from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) (今晚/上午8点至下午4点)值班;on/off sentry～放哨上/下岗;

do duty for 充作……使用：A straw mat did～for a bed. 一个草垫子当成了床用。

→͵duty-′bound adj 义不容辞的;͵duty-′free adj 免税的;′dutiable adj (货物)应纳税的;′dutiful， ′duteous adj 负责任的，恭敬的，顺从的;′dutifully， ′duteously adv 负责任地;恭敬地，顺从地;

【辨异】duty与obligation都指一个人感觉一定要做的事情。duty指出于觉悟、虔诚、道德或法律的义务;obligation (义务，责任)指出于习俗、规范、道德、法律等迫使人去做某事的义务，以及做一具体(常常是个人答应或同意了的)事情的责任，如：financial/social obligations (融资方面的义务/社会义务)。