hands

at hand, by hand, in hand, on hand, to hand

这组短语意思并不相同。它们的区别在于:

1.by hand表示“用手”“亲自”。例如:

Are your socks knitted by hand or machine-made?你的袜子是手工织的还是机器织的?

2.to hand为商业信札里的用语,表示“(信)已收到”。例如:

Yours to hand.来函收悉。

Your letter is to hand.来函收悉。

3.in hand多用于引申义,可表示“(局势)在控制中”“(工作)在进行中”,也可表示“(钱、物、时间)在手中”,即可供使用。例如:

The situation is now in hand.局势现在控制住了。

The printers say that Tom's book is now in hand and will be ready by the beginning of next month.印刷厂说,汤姆的书目前正在印刷,下月初可以印完。

4.at hand可用于空间指“在手边”“在附近”,也可用于时间指“即将来临”,多与系动词be的一般时态连用。例如:

I couldn't look up the spelling of the word, as I hadn't a dictionary at hand.我没法查这个词的拼写,因为我手边没有词典。

He lives close at hand.他住在近处。

The great day is at hand.这个伟大的日子就要到来。

5.on hand可用于空间指“在手边”“在附近”,也可用于时间指“即将来临”,须用于将来时, on hand可引申表示“出席”“在场”。例如:

I always like to keep a certain amount of money on hand, in case of an emergency.我总喜欢手边留一定量的钱,以备不时之需。

at sb's hands, in sb's hands, on sb's hands

这组短语含义并不相同。它们的区别在于:

1.at sb's hands表示“受折磨”。例如:

The captive suffered much harsh treatment at his jailers hands.那个犯人受到狱卒许多残酷的折磨。

I did not expect such unkind treatment at your hands.我没料到你会如此无情。

2.in sb's hands表示“在某人手中”“由某人处理”。例如:

The documents are in my solicitor's hands.文件由我的律师保管。

The matter is in your hands.这事要由你决定。

As regards the next move,I am in your hands entirely.关于下一步我完全听你的。

3.on sb's hands表示“由某人负责”。例如:

I have an empty house on my hands.有一所空房子要我照管。

I don't know how Mrs. Jones manages with three growing children and an invalid husband on her hands.琼斯夫人有三个未成年的孩子和一个残废的丈夫要照看,我不知道她怎么应付得了。

with a heavy hand, with a high hand, with a strong hand

这组短语的意思并不相同。它们的区别在于:with a high hand的意思是“专横的”; with a strong hand的意思是“用高压手段”; with a heavy hand的意思是“滥用一气”。例如:

Well,I don't like him; he deals with everything with a high hand.是嘛,我不喜欢他,他做起事来总是专横。

These bosses used to put the strike down with a strong hand.这些老板以往总是用高压手段来压制罢工。

We are very short of water, so don't use it with a heavy hand as you usually do.我们用水短缺,因此不能像平时那样滥用一气。