“poke around”是一个口语化的英语短语,核心含义是“随意探寻、翻找;试探性地查看;打听”,强调不太正式、带点好奇或摸索的动作,常用来描述“无明确目标的搜寻”或“对信息/事物的试探性了解”。
根据语境,“poke around”可细化为以下几种常见用法:
指在某个空间里翻弄、查看物品(通常为了找某样东西,动作较随意)。
搭配:常与介词 in/among/through 连用,后接“地点/物品”。
例句:
I was poking around in the attic looking for my old photo album.(我在阁楼里翻找我的旧相册。)
Don’t poke around through my desk drawers—that’s private!(别翻我的书桌抽屉——那是私人东西!)
She poked around among the boxes in the basement for hours.(她在地下室的箱子里翻了好几个小时。)
指好奇地询问或调查某人/某事的细节(有时带“多管闲事”的隐含意味)。
搭配:常与介词 about/into 连用,后接“话题/人”。
例句:
Why are you poking around about my past? It’s none of your business.(你为什么打听我的过去?这不关你的事。)
The reporter was poking around into the company’s financial issues.(记者在打听公司的财务问题。)
指初步、不太深入地探寻某件事(比如新环境、新领域)。
例句:
I’m just poking around with the new software—I haven’t figured it out yet.(我只是在摸索这个新软件——还没搞明白。)
They’re poking around the idea of starting a business but haven’t made a decision.(他们在试探着创业的想法,但还没决定。)
语域:口语化,适用于日常对话,正式场合(如学术/商务)更常用“search”“investigate”“inquire”等词。
动作特点:强调“随意、无系统”,区别于“look for”(有明确目标)或“search”(更正式、有目的的搜寻)。
被动用法:较少用被动,通常以“人”作主语(主动翻找/打听)。
poke around in + 地点(在某处翻找)
poke around for + 物品(找某物)
poke around about/into + 话题/人(打听某事/某人)
poke around with + 事物(摸索某事物)
例句串读:My mom was poking around in the pantry for cookies when I asked her if she’d been poking around about my grades (she had—my teacher called!). Later, I poked around with my new guitar for a while before getting bored.(我妈在食品柜里翻找饼干时,我问她是不是打听了我的成绩——她确实问了!我老师打电话来了!后来,我摸索了一会儿新吉他,没多久就腻了。)
总之,“poke around”是一个灵活的口语短语,核心是“试探性的探寻”,无论是翻找物品、打听消息还是摸索新事物,都能传达“不太正式、带点好奇”的动作感~