“all at once”是英语中常用的 副词短语,核心含义围绕“突然性”或“同步性”,具体用法可分为三类,以下结合语境和例句详细说明:
相当于 suddenly 或 all of a sudden,侧重“意外性”,常用来描述突发的、打断原有状态的事件。
例句:All at once, the lights went out and the room went dark.(突然,灯灭了,房间陷入黑暗。)
I was reading a book when, all at once, I heard a loud crash from the kitchen.(我正在看书,突然听到厨房传来一声巨响。)
相当于 at the same time,侧重“集体性”,常用来描述多人/多事在同一时刻进行。
例句:Don’t talk all at once—let’s take turns.(别同时说话,咱们轮流来。)
The audience stood up and clapped all at once when the singer finished.(歌手唱完时,观众同时起立鼓掌。)
相当于 in one go 或 without delay,侧重“连贯性”,常用来描述“一次性做完某事”(有时带“急躁”或“不加思考”的隐含义)。
例句:He ate the entire pizza all at once—he must have been starving!(他一下子吃掉了整个披萨——肯定饿坏了!)
You can’t memorize 100 words all at once; take it step by step.(你不能一下子记住100个单词,得循序渐进。)
not all at once:表示“别急;慢慢来”(用于提醒对方不要急于求成)。
例:—I want to learn how to code this weekend! —Relax, not all at once.(—我想周末学会编程!—放松点,别急于求成。)
all at once vs. all of a sudden:
两者都表示“突然”,可互换,但 all at once 更口语化,all of a sudden 更正式(常见于书面语)。
例:All of a sudden / All at once, a bird flew into the window.(突然,一只鸟撞到了窗户上。)
“all at once”的用法本质是聚焦“时间上的集中性”——要么是“突然爆发”(时间点的意外),要么是“同步发生”(时间线的重叠),要么是“一次性完成”(时间段的压缩)。结合具体语境,很容易判断其含义~