life

noun

生存状态 state of living

1. 生命
   the ability to breathe, grow, reproduce, etc. which people, animals and plants have before they die and which objects do not have
   1. life and death
      生与死
   2. The body was cold and showed no signs of life .
      那躯体冰凉，显现不出有生命的迹象。
   3. My father died last year─I wish I could bring him back to life .
      去年我父亲逝世了——我要是能使他起死回生该多好啊。
   4. In spring the countryside bursts into life.
      乡村在春天生机盎然。
2. 人命；性命；人的存活
   the state of being alive as a human; an individual person's existence
   1. The floods caused a massive loss of life (= many people were killed) .
      洪水造成许多人丧生。
   2. He risked his life to save his daughter from the fire.
      他冒着生命危险从火中救出他的女儿。
   3. Hundreds of lives were threatened when the building collapsed.
      数百条性命在大楼垮塌时受到了威胁。
   4. The operation saved her life .
      手术挽救了她的生命。
   5. My grandfather lost his life (= was killed) in the war.
      我的祖父在战争中丧生。
   6. Several attempts have been made on the President's life (= several people have tried to kill him) .
      已有数人试图谋杀总统。

生物 living things

3. 生物；活物
   living things
   1. plant/animal life
      植 / 动物
   2. marine/pond life
      海洋 / 池塘生物
   3. Is there intelligent life on other planets?
      在其他星球上存在具有智力的生命吗？

时期 period of time

4. 一生；终身；寿命；一生中的部分时间
   the period between sb's birth and their death; a part of this period
   1. He's lived here all his life .
      他在这里住了一辈子了。
   2. I've lived in England for most of my life.
      我大半生都住在英格兰。
   3. to have a long/short life
      寿命长 / 短
   4. He became very weak towards the end of his life.
      他临终时很虚弱。
   5. Brenda took up tennis late in life .
      布伦达在晚年打起网球来了。
   6. He will spend the rest of his life (= until he dies) in a wheelchair.
      他将在轮椅上度过他的余生。
   7. There's no such thing as a job for life any longer.
      不再有像终身职位这样的事了。
   8. She is a life member of the club.
      她是这个俱乐部的终身会员。
   9. in early/adult life
      幼 / 成年
5. （某情景或工作的）一段生活经历
   a period of sb's life when they are in a particular situation or job
   1. She has been an accountant all her working life .
      她在整个职业生涯中一直是会计师。
   2. He met a lot of interesting people during his life as a student.
      他在学生时代接触过许多有趣的人。
   3. They were very happy throughout their married life .
      他们婚后生活一直很幸福。
6. 存在期；（某物的）寿命；有效期
   the period of time when sth exists or functions
   1. The International Stock Exchange started life as a London coffee shop.
      国际证券交易所起初是伦敦的一家咖啡馆。
   2. They could see that the company had a limited life (= it was going to close) .
      他们意识到公司的寿命不长了。
   3. In Italy the average life of a government is eleven months.
      意大利每届政府的平均寿命是十一个月。

惩罚 punishment

7. 无期徒刑；终身监禁
   the punishment of being sent to prison for life; life imprisonment
   1. The judge gave him life .
      法官判他无期徒刑。

经历；活动 experience/activities

8. 生活经历
   the experience and activities that are typical of all people's existences
   1. the worries of everyday life
      日常生活中的操心事
   2. He is young and has little experience of life .
      他年轻，不谙世事。
   3. Commuting is a part of daily life for many people.
      乘车上下班是许多人日常生活的一部分。
   4. Jill wants to travel and see life for herself.
      吉尔想出去旅行，亲身体验一下生活。
   5. We bought a dishwasher to make life easier .
      为使生活轻松些我们买了一台洗碗机。
   6. In Africa life can be hard.
      在非洲生活可能是艰苦的。
   7. In real life (= when she met him) he wasn't how she had imagined him at all.
      一见面才发现他完全不是她所想象的那样。
   8. Life isn't like in the movies, you know.
      你知道，生活不像在电影里那样。
9. （某种方式的）生活
   the activities and experiences that are typical of a particular way of living
   1. country/city life
      乡村 / 城市生活
   2. She enjoyed political life.
      她喜爱政治生活。
   3. family/married life
      家庭 / 婚后生活
   4. How do you find life in Japan?
      你觉得日本的生活如何？
10. 个人生活；个人经历；个人生活某一方面的活动
    a person's experiences during their life; the activities that form a particular part of a person's life
    1. He has had a good life .
       他一直过着优裕的生活。
    2. a hard/an easy life
       艰难 / 安逸舒适的生活
    3. My day-to-day life is not very exciting.
       我的日常生活很平淡。
    4. a life of luxury
       奢侈的生活
    5. Her daily life involved meeting lots of people.
       她在日常生活中要接触很多人。
    6. Many of these children have led very sheltered lives (= they have not had many different experiences) .
       这些儿童中很多人都是温室里的花朵。
    7. They emigrated to start a new life in Canada.
       他们移居加拿大，开始了新的生活。
    8. He doesn't like to talk about his private life .
       他不愿谈及他的私生活。
    9. She has a full social life .
       她的社交活动非常频繁。
    10. articles about the love lives of the stars
        有关明星爱情生活的文章

活力；兴奋 energy/excitement

11. 活力；生命力；生气
    the quality of being active and exciting
    1. This is a great holiday resort that is full of life .
       这里生气勃勃，是一个绝妙的度假胜地。

艺术 in art

12. （绘画的）模特儿，实物，实景
    a living model or a real object or scene that people draw or paint
    1. She had lessons in drawing from life.
       她学了实物写生课程。
    2. a life class (= one in which art students draw a naked man or woman)
       人体写生课

传记 story of life

13. 生平事迹；传记
    a story of sb's life
    1. She wrote a life of Mozart.
       她写了一部莫扎特的传记。

儿童游戏 in children's games

14. （玩游戏者出局前几次机会中的）一次机会
    one of a set number of chances before a player is out of a game
    1. He's lost two lives, so he's only got one left.
       他失去了两次机会，所以只剩下一次了。

1. N-UNCOUNT 生命；生存
   Life is the quality which people, animals, and plants have when they are not dead, and which objects and substances do not have.
   1. ...a baby's first minutes of life...
      婴儿生命的最初几分钟
   2. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty as a violation of the right to life.
      国际特赦组织反对死刑，称其违背了生命权。
   3. ...the earth's supply of life-giving oxygen.
      地球上生物赖以维生的氧气量
2. N-UNCOUNT （总称）生物
   You can use life to refer to things or groups of things which are alive.
   1. Is there life on Mars?...
      火星上有生物吗？
   2. The book includes some useful facts about animal and plant life.
      这本书包括了有关动植物的一些有用的知识。
3. N-COUNT （尤指处于危险之中的）生命，性命
   If you refer to someone's life, you mean their state of being alive, especially when there is a risk or danger of them dying.
   1. Your life is in danger...
      你的生命正处在危险中。
   2. A nurse began to try to save his life...
      一名护士开始试图挽救他的生命。
   3. The intense fighting is reported to have claimed many lives.
      据报道激烈的战斗导致很多人丧生。
4. N-COUNT 寿命；一生
   Someone's life is the period of time during which they are alive.
   1. He spent the last fourteen years of his life in retirement...
      他一生中最后的14年是在退休中度过的。
   2. For the first time in his life he regretted that he had no faith.
      有生以来第一次他为自己没有信仰而后悔。
5. N-COUNT 人生阶段
   You can use life to refer to a period of someone's life when they are in a particular situation or job.
   1. Interior designers spend their working lives keeping up to date with the latest trends...
      室内设计师的整个职业生涯都是紧跟时尚潮流的。
   2. That was the beginning of my life in the television business.
      这是我投身电视业的初始阶段。
6. N-COUNT （特定的）生活
   You can use life to refer to particular activities which people regularly do during their lives.
   1. My personal life has had to take second place to my career...
      我的私人生活不得不为事业让路。
   2. Most diabetics have a normal sex life.
      绝大多数糖尿病患者有着正常的性生活。
7. N-UNCOUNT 生活
   You can use life to refer to the events and experiences that happen to people while they are alive.
   1. Life won't be dull!...
      生活绝不会沉闷！
   2. It's the people with insecurities who make life difficult.
      就是那些没有安全感的人让生活变得问题不断。
   3. ...the sort of life we can only fantasise about living.
      我们只能幻想的那种生活
8. N-UNCOUNT 世事；人生
   If you know a lot about life, you have gained many varied experiences, for example by travelling a lot and meeting different kinds of people.
   1. I was 19 and too young to know much about life...
      我当时才19岁，太年轻了，不谙世事。
   2. I needed some time off from education to experience life.
      我需要从学校教育中抽身一段时间去体验人生。
9. N-UNCOUNT （有关特定地方、团体或活动的）生活
   You can use life to refer to the things that people do and experience that are characteristic of a particular place, group, or activity.
   1. How did you adjust to college life?
      你是如何适应大学生活的？
   2. ...the culture and life of north Africa...
      北非的文化与生活
   3. He abhors the wheeling-and-dealing associated with conventional political life.
      他憎恨传统政治生活中的尔虞我诈。
10. N-UNCOUNT 活力；生气
    A person, place, book, or film that is full of life gives an impression of excitement, energy, or cheerfulness.
    1. The town itself was full of life and character...
       这个城市本身充满活力，个性十足。
    2. The rejection of the Jewish theme meant the rejection of everything that gave the script passion and life...
       抛弃了犹太主题就等于完全抛弃了这个剧本的激情与活力之源。
    3. He's sucked the life out of her.
       他使她变得毫无生气。
11. N-COUNT 传记
    A life of a person is a book or film which tells the story of their life.
    1. A life of John Paul Jones had long interested him.
       他很久以来一直都想创作一部关于约翰·保罗·琼斯的传记作品。
12. N-UNCOUNT 无期徒刑；终身监禁
    If someone is sentenced to life, they are sentenced to stay in prison for the rest of their life or for a very long time.
    1. He could get life in prison, if convicted.
       如果罪名成立，他可能会被判终身监禁。
13. N-COUNT （机器等的）使用期，有效期；（组织、项目等的）存在期
    The life of something such as a machine, organization, or project is the period of time that it lasts for.
    1. The repairs did not increase the value or the life of the equipment.
       维修既没有使设备增值，也没有延长其使用寿命。
14. N-UNCOUNT （绘画、雕塑中的）写生
    In art, life refers to the producing of drawings, paintings, or sculptures that represent actual people, objects, or places, rather than images from the artist's imagination.
    1. ...learning to draw from life...
       学习写生
    2. She had once posed for Life classes when she was an art student.
       她在艺校上学时曾为人体写生课当过模特儿。
15. PHRASE 是（某人）生活的寄托；是对（某人）来说生命般宝贵的人（或事物）
    If you say that something or someone is your life, you are emphasizing that they are extremely important to you.
    1. The Church is my life.
       教会就是我生命的全部。
16. PHRASE （使）变得生动；（使）变得有趣
    If you bring something to life or if it comes to life, it becomes interesting or exciting.
    1. The cold, hard cruelty of two young men is vividly brought to life in this true story...
       这个真实的故事把两个年轻人的冷酷残忍刻画得入木三分。
    2. Poems which had seemed dull and boring suddenly came to life.
       原本显得沉闷枯燥的诗歌突然有了生气。
17. PHRASE 变得活跃
    If something or someone comes to life, they become active.
    1. The volcano came to life a week ago.
       一个星期前，火山开始变得活跃。
18. PHRASE 死后（某种形式）的存在
    If you talk about life after death, you are discussing the possibility that people may continue to exist in some form after they die.
    1. I believe in life after death.
       我相信人死后生命会以某种形式存在。
19. PHRASE 在死亡线上挣扎；与生命抗争
    If you say that someone is fighting for their life, you mean that they are in a very serious condition and may die as a result of an accident or illness.
    1. He was in a critical condition, fighting for his life in hospital.
       他的情况很危急，正在医院里与死神搏斗。
20. PHRASE 终生
    For life means for the rest of a person's life.
    1. He was jailed for life in 1966 for the murder of three policemen...
       他因谋杀了3名警察而在1966年被终身监禁。
    2. She may have been scarred for life...
       她可能会留下永久的创伤。
    3. There can be no jobs for life.
       没有一辈子的饭碗。
21. PHRASE 无论如何，再怎么（也不能）
    If you say that you cannot for the life of you understand or remember something, you are emphasizing that you cannot understand or remember it, even if you try hard.
    1. I can't for the life of me understand why you didn't think of it.
       我无论如何也无法理解你为什么没想到这个。
22. PHRASE 拼命地；尽最大努力地
    If you say that someone does something for dear life or for their life, you mean that they do it using all their strength and effort because they are in a dangerous or urgent situation.
    1. I made for the life raft and hung on for dear life.
       我游到救生筏前，死命地抓住它。
23. 过得很充实
    If you say that someone lives life to the full, you mean that they try to gain a lot from life by being always busy and trying new activities.
24. 做点有益的事；不要成天鸡毛蒜皮
    If you tell someone to get a life, you are expressing frustration with them because their life seems boring or they seem to care too much about unimportant things.
25. CONVENTION 生活还是要继续
    You can say 'Life goes on' after mentioning something very sad to indicate that, although people are very upset or affected by it, they have to carry on living normally.
    1. I can't spend the rest of my life wishing it hadn't happened. Life goes on.
       我不能下半辈子一直活在希望这事没有发生的阴影中。生活还是要继续。
26. 有业余爱好；生活丰富多彩
    If you say that you have a life, you mean that you have interests and activities, particularly outside your work, which make your life enjoyable and worthwhile.
27. PHRASE （男人或女人）在（某人）生活中的，与（某人）有恋爱关系（或性关系）的
    If you talk about the man or woman in someone's life, you mean the person they are having a relationship with, especially a sexual relationship.
    1. There is a new man in her life.
       她有了一个新男友。
28. PHRASE （强调从来没有经历过）我一生中
    You can use in all my life or in my life to emphasize that you have never previously experienced something to such a degree.
    1. I have never been so scared in all my life...
       我一生中从来没有这么害怕过。
    2. I have never seen such a shambles in my life.
       我一辈子都没见过这么乱七八糟的场面。
29. PHRASE 从来没受过这样的惊吓/从来没跑这么快过
    You can use expressions such as the fright of your life or the race of your life to emphasize, for example, that you have never been so frightened or that you never have run faster.
    1. A top reggae singer gave a young fan the thrill of her life when he serenaded her.
       一名当红雷盖乐歌手对着一个年轻的歌迷唱了一首小夜曲，这让她感到了前所未有的激动与兴奋。
30. PHRASE 夸张的；夸大的；超群的
    If you say that someone or something is larger than life, you mean that they appear or behave in a way that seems more exaggerated or important than usual.
    1. ...not that we should expect all good publishers to be larger than life...
       不等于说我们要求所有的优秀出版社都与众不同。
    2. Throughout his career he's always been a larger than life character.
       在他的整个职业生涯中，他都是一个非同凡响的人物。
31. PHRASE 牺牲生命
    If someone lays down their life for another person, they die so that the other person can live.
    1. Man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.
       牺牲自己的生命去救朋友，没有比这更伟大的爱了。
32. PHRASE 冒着生命危险
    If someone risks life and limb, they do something very dangerous that may cause them to die or be seriously injured.
    1. Viewers will remember the dashing hero, Dirk, risking life and limb to rescue Daphne from the dragons.
       观众不会忘记风度翩翩的男主角德克冒着生命危险把达芙妮从恶龙爪下救出的情形。
33. PHRASE 新生活
    If you start a new life, you move to another place or country, or change your career, usually to try and recover from an unpleasant experience.
    1. He had gone as far away as possible to build a new life.
       他去了尽可能远的地方开始新的生活。
34. CONVENTION （表示断然拒绝）决不会，绝不可能
    If someone says 'Not on your life', they are totally rejecting a suggestion that has been made.
    1. 'You should have given him a lift.' — 'In that condition? Not on your life!'
       “你应该让他搭一段车的。”——“在那种情况下？绝对不行。”
35. PHRASE 过自己的生活；按自己的方式生活
    If you live your own life, you live in the way that you want to and accept responsibility for your actions and decisions, without other people's advice or interference.
    1. Adults need to live their own lives and that's difficult with children.
       大人需要过他们自己的生活，但有了孩子就很难做到了。
36. PHRASE 控制…的生活；左右…的生活
    If you say that something rules someone's life, you mean that it affects everything they do, usually in a negative way.
    1. I'm going to stop letting drugs and drink rule my life.
       我决心不再让毒品和酒精控制我的生活。
37. PHRASE 无论如何（都做不好）
    If you say that someone cannot do something to save their life, you are emphasizing that they do it very badly.
    1. Winston could not have read the road signs to save his life.
       温斯顿怎么也学不会看路标。
38. 聚会的灵魂人物，社交场合的活跃人物（美国英语中通常作the life of the party）
    If you refer to someone as the life and soul of the party, you mean that they are very lively and entertaining on social occasions, and are good at mixing with people. In American English, you usually say that they are the life of the party .
39. PHRASE （以…形式）开始存在
    If something starts life or begins life as a particular thing, it is that thing when it first starts to exist.
    1. Herr's book started life as a dramatic screenplay.
       赫尔的书一开始是一个电影剧本。
40. PHRASE 杀死（某人）
    If someone takes another person's life, they kill them. If someone takes their own life, they kill themselves.
    1. Before execution, he admitted to taking the lives of at least 35 more women...
       被处决之前，他承认另外还杀死过至少35名女性。
    2. He helped his first wife take her life when she was dying of cancer.
       他曾帮助自己身患癌症、不久于人世的第一任妻子自杀。
41. CONVENTION 生活就是如此；这就是人生
    People say 'That's life' after an unlucky, unpleasant, or surprising event to show that they realize such events happen occasionally and must be accepted.
    1. 'It never would have happened if Florette had not gone back for the book.' — 'That's life.'
       “要是弗洛里特不回去取书就不会发生这样的事了。”——“这就是人生。”
42. PHRASE （机器、车辆）突然开动
    You can use expressions such as to come to life ,to spring to life, and to roar into life to indicate that a machine or vehicle suddenly starts working or moving.
    1. To his great relief the engine came to life...
       发动机突然又开始转了，这让他大大松了一口气。
    2. In the garden of the Savoy Hotel the sprinklers suddenly burst into life.
       萨伏伊酒店花园里的洒水器突然开始喷水。
43. CONVENTION 这叫什么生活啊
    People say 'What a life' to indicate that they are unhappy or are having great difficulties.
    1. Here I am at a crummy hotel with no clean clothes, no money and suffering from shock. What a life!
       我如今身在一家破旧的旅馆里，没有干净衣服，没有一分钱，又惊魂未定。这是什么日子啊！
44. PHRASE 生命无价值/使生命有价值
    If you say that life isn't worth living without something, or that something makes life worth living, you mean that you cannot enjoy life without it.
    1. Life is not worth living without food you can look forward to and enjoy!...
       如果没有美食可以让人期待和享受，那人生还有什么意思！
    2. Those are the moments which make life worth living.
       正是这些时刻让生活有了意义。
45. See also: fact of life kiss of life. a matter of life and death

1. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty as a violation of the right to life.
   国际特赦组织反对死刑，称其违背了生命权。
2. Is there life on Mars?
   火星上有生物吗？
3. Your life is in danger
   你的生命正处在危险中。
4. He spent the last fourteen years of his life in retirement
   他一生中最后的14年是在退休中度过的。
5. Interior designers spend their working lives keeping up to date with the latest trends
   室内设计师的整个职业生涯都是紧跟时尚潮流的。
6. My personal life has had to take second place to my career
   我的私人生活不得不为事业让路。
7. Life won't be dull!
   生活绝不会沉闷！
8. I was 19 and too young to know much about life
   我当时才19岁，太年轻了，不谙世事。
9. How did you adjust to college life?
   你是如何适应大学生活的？
10. The town itself was full of life and character
    这个城市本身充满活力，个性十足。
11. A life of John Paul Jones had long interested him.
    他很久以来一直都想创作一部关于约翰·保罗·琼斯的传记作品。
12. He could get life in prison, if convicted.
    如果罪名成立，他可能会被判终身监禁。
13. The repairs did not increase the value or the life of the equipment.
    维修既没有使设备增值，也没有延长其使用寿命。
14. She had once posed for Life classes when she was an art student.
    她在艺校上学时曾为人体写生课当过模特儿。
15. The Church is my life.
    教会就是我生命的全部。
16. The cold, hard cruelty of two young men is vividly brought to life in this true story
    这个真实的故事把两个年轻人的冷酷残忍刻画得入木三分。
17. The volcano came to life a week ago.
    一个星期前，火山开始变得活跃。
18. I believe in life after death.
    我相信人死后生命会以某种形式存在。
19. He was in a critical condition, fighting for his life in hospital.
    他的情况很危急，正在医院里与死神搏斗。
20. He was jailed for life in 1966 for the murder of three policemen
    他因谋杀了3名警察而在1966年被终身监禁。
21. I can't for the life of me understand why you didn't think of it.
    我无论如何也无法理解你为什么没想到这个。
22. I made for the life raft and hung on for dear life.
    我游到救生筏前，死命地抓住它。
23. I can't spend the rest of my life wishing it hadn't happened. Life goes on.
    我不能下半辈子一直活在希望这事没有发生的阴影中。生活还是要继续。
24. There is a new man in her life.
    她有了一个新男友。
25. I have never been so scared in all my life
    我一生中从来没有这么害怕过。
26. A top reggae singer gave a young fan the thrill of her life when he serenaded her.
    一名当红雷盖乐歌手对着一个年轻的歌迷唱了一首小夜曲，这让她感到了前所未有的激动与兴奋。
27. Throughout his career he's always been a larger than life character.
    在他的整个职业生涯中，他都是一个非同凡响的人物。
28. Man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.
    牺牲自己的生命去救朋友，没有比这更伟大的爱了。
29. Viewers will remember the dashing hero, Dirk, risking life and limb to rescue Daphne from the dragons.
    观众不会忘记风度翩翩的男主角德克冒着生命危险把达芙妮从恶龙爪下救出的情形。
30. He had gone as far away as possible to build a new life.
    他去了尽可能远的地方开始新的生活。

n.

be sb's life

• 对某人至关重要的人（或事）
  be the most important person or thing to sb
  1. My children are my life.
     我这几个孩子就是我的命根子。
  2. Writing is his life.
     写作是他的生命。

bring sb/sth to life

• 使更有趣；使更生动
  to make sb/sth more interesting or exciting
  1. The new teacher really brought French to life for us.
     新来的老师给我们把法语教得生动活泼。
  2. Flowers can bring a dull room back to life.
     鲜花可使沉闷的房间恢复生气。

come to life

• 变得更有趣（或使人兴奋）；变得活跃
  to become more interesting, exciting or full of activity
  1. The match finally came to life in the second half.
     比赛在下半场终于精彩起来。
• （仿佛活着）开始动起来
  to start to act or move as if alive
  1. In my dream all my toys came to life.
     我的玩具在梦里都活过来了。

for dear life

for your life

• 尽最大努力；拼命；尽快
  as hard or as fast as possible
  1. She was holding on to the rope for dear life.
     她死命抓着那根绳子。
  2. Run for your life!
     快跑啊！

for the life of you

• 无论怎样努力
  however hard you try
  1. I cannot for the life of me imagine why they want to leave.
     我怎么也想象不出他们为什么要走。

frighten/scare the life out of sb

• 把某人吓得魂不附体；使魂飞魄散
  to frighten sb very much

full of beans/life

• 充满活力；精力充沛；生气勃勃
  having a lot of energy

get a life

• （让人别再令人厌烦，要做更有趣的事）来点儿有意思的
  used to tell sb to stop being boring and to do sth more interesting

lay down your life (for sb/sth)

• （为…）牺牲生命，献身
  to die in order to save sb/sth

life after death

• 死后再生
  the possibility or belief that people continue to exist in some form after they die

the life and soul of the party, etc.

• （聚会等场合）最活跃风趣的人
  the most amusing and interesting person at a party, etc.

life is cheap

• 把他人生死视同儿戏；视人性命如草芥；人命不值钱
  used to say that there is a situation in which it is not thought to be important if people somewhere die or are treated badly

(have) a life of its own

• （具有）自身生命力，原动力
  seeming to move or function by itself without a person touching or working it

life's too short

• 人生苦短；不可枉费此生
  used to say that it is not worth wasting time doing sth that you dislike or that is not important

make life difficult (for sb)

• （给某人）惹麻烦，造成困难，出难题
  to cause problems for sb

the man/woman in your life

• 闯进你生活中的男人 / 女人
  the man or woman that you are having a sexual or romantic relationship with

not on your life

• （断然拒绝）决不会
  used to refuse very firmly to do sth

take sb's life

• 杀死（某人）；取某人的性命
  to kill sb

take your (own) life

• 自杀
  to kill yourself

take your life in your hands

• 冒生命危险；豁出性命；把脑袋别在裤腰带上
  to risk being killed
  1. You take your life in your hands just crossing the road here.
     你在这里过马路简直是冒险玩命。

that's life

• （表示失望但无可奈何）这就是生活，生活就是这样
  used when you are disappointed about sth but know that you must accept it

where there's life (, there's hope)

• 活着（就有希望）；留得青山在（，不怕没柴烧）
  in a bad situation you must not give up hope because there is always a chance that it will improve

you can bet your life/your bottom dollar (on sth/(that)…)

• 肯定；毫无疑问
  used to say that you are certain that sth will happen
  1. You can bet your bottom dollar that he'll be late.
     他肯定会迟到。

the breath of life to/for sb

• 某人的食粮
  an essential part of a person's existence

breathe (new) life into sth

• （给某事物）带来起色，注入活力
  to improve sth by introducing new ideas and making people more interested in it

depart this life

• 离开人世，去世，亡故（委婉说法，与die同义）
  to die. People say depart this life to avoid saying die .

a dog's life

• 悲惨的生活；牛马不如的生活
  an unhappy life, full of problems or unfair treatment

a fact of life

• 生活的（不快）现实
  a situation that cannot be changed, especially one that is unpleasant

in fear of your life

• 害怕会丧生；为生命安全担忧
  feeling frightened that you might be killed

fight for (your) life

• （尤指严重伤病时）与死亡作斗争
  to make a great effort to stay alive, especially when you are badly injured or seriously ill

the kiss of life

• 人工呼吸（口对口）
  a method of helping sb who has stopped breathing to breathe again by placing your mouth on theirs and forcing air into their lungs

(as) large as life

• （表示惊讶地见到）本人，本身
  used to show surprise at seeing sb/sth
  1. I hadn't seen her for fifteen years and then there she was, (as) large as life.
     我有十五年未见过她，却在那里遇见她了，没错，就是她。

a (new) lease of life

• 延年益寿；生活质量更好
  the chance to live or last longer, or with a better quality of life
  1. Since her hip operation she's had a new lease of life.
     她自髋关节手术以后活得更有劲了。

the light of sb's life

• 心爱的人；心肝宝贝
  the person sb loves more than any other

a matter of life and death

• 生死攸关的事；成败的关键
  used to describe a situation that is very important or serious

make sb's life a misery

• 使别人遭殃；让人痛苦
  to behave in a way that makes sb else feel very unhappy

have nine lives

• 有九条命；命大
  to be very lucky in dangerous situations

risk life and limb

risk your neck

• 冒死；不惜受伤
  to risk being killed or injured in order to do sth

not be able to do sth to save your life

• 完全干不了某事；死也做不了某事
  to be completely unable to do sth
  1. He can't interview people to save his life.
     要他的命，他也采访不了人。

a slice of life

• 反映现实生活的电影（或戏剧、书）
  a film/movie, play or book that gives a very realistic view of ordinary life

spring into action

spring into/to life

• 突然工作（或行动）起来
  to suddenly start working or doing sth
  1. ‘Let's go!’ he said, springing into action.
     他突然行动起来，说道：“咱们走！”
  2. The town springs into life (= becomes busy) during the carnival.
     狂欢节期间，全城突然热闹起来。

the staff of life

• 主食；面包
  a basic food, especially bread

that's the story of my life

• 我就是这个命（表示一生中有很多类似的不幸经历）
  when you say that's the story of my life about an unfortunate experience you have had, you mean you have had many similar experiences

at my, your, his, etc. time of life

• 在…这样的年纪（尤指不年轻时）
  at the age you are (especially when you are not young)
  1. Eyesight doesn't get any better at my time of life.
     到我这把年纪，视力绝不会变好的。

true to life

• 真实的；逼真的；惟妙惟肖；活灵活现
  seeming real rather than invented

variety is the spice of life

• 经历丰富多彩才令生活充满乐趣
  new and exciting experiences make life more interesting

a walk of life

• 行业；职业；地位；阶层
  a person's job or position in society
  1. She has friends from all walks of life.
     她在社会各界中都有朋友。

a/the/sb's way of life

• （个人或群体的）特有的行为模式，典型生活方式
  the typical pattern of behaviour of a person or group
  1. the American way of life
     美国人的生活方式

noun

1. living things collectively
   1. the oceans are teeming with life

2. animation and energy in action or expression
   1. it was a heavy play and the actors tried in vain to give life to it

   Synonym:    livelinessspiritsprightliness

3. the experience of being alive
   1. he could no longer cope with the complexities of life

   Synonym:    living

4. an account of the series of events making up a person's life

   Synonym:    biographylife storylife history

5. a motive for living
   1. pottery was his life

6. a living person
   1. his heroism saved a life

7. the organic phenomenon that distinguishes living organisms from nonliving ones
   1. there is no life on the moon

8. the course of existence of an individual
   1. he hoped for a new life in Australia
   2. he wanted to live his own life without interference from others

9. the condition of living or the state of being alive
   1. while there's life there's hope
   2. life depends on many chemical and physical processes

   Synonym:    animationlivingaliveness

10. a characteristic state or mode of living
    1. social life
    2. city life
    3. real life

11. the period during which something is functional (as between birth and death)
    1. the battery had a short life
    2. he lived a long and happy life

    Synonym:    lifetimelife-timelifespan

12. the period between birth and the present time
    1. I have known him all his life

13. the period from the present until death
    1. he appointed himself emperor for life

14. a prison term lasting as long as the prisoner lives
    1. he got life for killing the guard

    Synonym:    life sentence