英语短语"waste no time doing sth"的核心含义是“立刻/马上做某事;不拖延地做某事”(强调没有浪费时间在犹豫或等待上,直接采取行动)。
该短语源于基础搭配"waste time (in) doing sth"(浪费时间做某事),通过否定词"no"反转语义,变成“不浪费时间做某事”——即“不等候、不拖延,立刻开始做”。
其中,介词"in"通常可以省略(口语和书面语中都常用省略形式)。
(主语通常是人,强调“某人立刻做某事”)
紧急情况:
When the fire alarm went off, everyone wasted no time leaving the building.
(火警响起时,所有人立刻撤离了大楼。)
日常行动:
She wastes no time getting dressed in the morning—she’s always the first to arrive.
(她早上立刻穿好衣服——总是第一个到。)
工作/任务:
The manager wasted no time assigning the new project to the best team.
(经理立刻把新项目分配给了最优秀的团队。)
回应消息/事件:
I wasted no time calling my mom after hearing she was sick.
(听说妈妈生病后,我立刻给她打了电话。)
不可替换为不定式:
该短语后必须接动名词(doing),不能用不定式(to do)。
✖ 错误:He wastes no time to finish homework.
✔ 正确:He wastes no time finishing homework.(他立刻做家庭作业。)
与"waste time doing"的对比:
"waste time doing":浪费时间做(不必要的事),如He wastes time playing mobile games.(他浪费时间玩手机游戏。)
"waste no time doing":不浪费时间做(立刻行动),如He wastes no time studying for the exam.(他立刻开始复习考试。)
act immediately to do sth(立刻行动做某事)
don’t hesitate to do sth(毫不犹豫做某事)
get down to doing sth right away(立刻开始做某事)
总结:"waste no time doing sth"是强调“及时性、不拖延”的高频短语,适用于描述“听到消息/遇到情况后立刻采取行动”的场景,口语和书面语都常用。