英语短语"look up and down"是一个多义表达,核心是“从不同方向仔细查看”,具体含义和用法需结合语境区分:
1、 上下打量(某人/物):
最常见的用法,指从头部到脚部(或整体)仔细审视某人或某物,常带有“评估、好奇、审视”的意味(如判断外貌、穿着、身份等)。
2、 沿…来回看/寻找:
指沿着某个空间(如街道、货架、过道)来回查看,目的是“寻找某物”或“确认情况”。
直接接“人”作宾语:`look sb up and down`(最常用,强调“打量某人”);
接介词`at`加“人/物”:`look up and down at sb/sth`(可用于人或具体物品,如衣服、画作)。
示例:The manager looked the job applicant up and down before offering her the position.(经理在给她 offer 前,上下打量了这位求职者。)
She looked up and down at the expensive watch to make sure it was real.(她上下审视那块昂贵的手表,确认是不是真的。)
A stranger looked me up and down rudely on the subway, which made me uncomfortable.(地铁上一个陌生人粗鲁地上下打量我,让我很不舒服。)
I looked up and down the street for 10 minutes, but I still couldn’t find my lost key.(我沿着街道来回找了10分钟,还是没找到丢失的钥匙。)
She looked up and down the supermarket shelves for her favorite cereal.(她在超市货架上来回找她最喜欢的麦片。)
He looked up and down the hallway to check if anyone was listening.(他沿着走廊来回看,确认有没有人在偷听。)
修饰副词:可加副词说明“查看的方式”,如:
`admiringly`(赞赏地):The designer looked the model up and down admiringly.(设计师赞赏地上下打量模特。)
`skeptically`(怀疑地):The guard looked me up and down skeptically.(保安怀疑地上下打量我。)
`curiously`(好奇地):The kid looked the robot up and down curiously.(小孩好奇地上下打量机器人。)
语境语气:
若用于“打量人”,可能带好奇(如朋友看你新发型)、评估(如面试官看求职者)或不礼貌(如陌生人粗鲁打量);
若用于“找东西”,则是中性的“来回搜索”。
不要与以下短语混淆:
`look up`:意为“查阅(字典)”或“向上看”(如 `look up a word` 查单词;`look up at the sky` 看天空);
`look down`:意为“俯视”或“看不起”(如 `look down at the ground` 俯视地面;`look down on others` 看不起别人);
`look over`:意为“快速检查”(如 `look over a report` 浏览报告)。
"look up and down"的核心是“全面/来回查看”——对“人/物”是“上下打量”,对“地点”是“沿…寻找”。结合语境和结构(宾语是“人/物”还是“地点”),就能准确使用啦!