brief
brief
brief¹ / brif ; bri:f /
◙adj
1. continuing for a short time
• 短时间的; 短暂的:
»We stopped by Alice's house for a brief visit.
我们在艾利斯家小坐了片刻。
»Let's keep this conversation brief; I have a plane to catch.
我们长话短说吧，我还要赶飞机。
»a brief period / moment / spell etc
»Greene spent a brief time at Cambridge.
格林在剑桥短暂生活过一段时间。
2. using very few words or including few details
• 简洁的，简明的:
»The President read a brief statement to reporters before boarding his plane.
总统登机前向记者宣读了一篇简短的声明。
»a brief description of the film
影片的简短介绍
3. be brief, to say or write something using only a few words, especially because there is little time
• 长话短说:
»I'll be brief; a lot of changes are going to happen.
我就长话短说吧，会发生很多变化。
4. clothes which are brief are short and cover only a small area of your body
• 〔衣服〕短的，暴露的:
»a very brief bikini
非常暴露的比基尼泳装
brief²
◙noun [C]
1. [usually singular] official instructions that explain what someone's job is, what their duties are etc
• 指令:
»The architect's brief is to design an extension that is modern but blends with the rest of the building.
设计指令是，建筑物扩建部分的设计既要现代化，又要与其余的部分保持和谐。
2. [law] a short spoken or written statement giving facts about a law case
• 案情摘要; 辩护状:
»The ACLU filed a brief (=gave one to the court) opposing the decision.
美国公民自由联盟提交了辩护状反对这个判决。
3. [BrE law] a law case that a lawyer will argue in a court
• 委托辩护
4. a short report about something
• 摘要，概要
5. in brief
a. in as few words as possible
• 简言之，一言以蔽之:
»We should, in brief, invest heavily in digital systems.
总之，我们应该在数字化设备上大力投资。
b. without any details
• 简要地:
»Here again are today's headlines in brief.
下面重复一遍今天的新闻提要。
6. briefs, [pl.] men's or women's underwear worn on the lower part of the body
• 贴身短内裤，三角裤
brief³
◙verb [T]
1. to give someone all the information about a situation that they will need
• 为…提供资讯:
»brief sb on sth
»The president has been fully briefed on the current situation in Haiti.
总统听取了海地当前局势的全部汇报。
--› see DEBRIEF
