matter

noun

1. that which has mass and occupies space

e.g. physicists study both the nature of matter and the forces which govern it

2. (used with negation) having consequence

e.g. they were friends and it was no matter who won the games

3. a vaguely specified concern

e.g. several matters to attend to
it is none of your affair
things are going well

Synonym: affairthing

4. a problem

e.g. is anything the matter?

5. some situation or event that is thought about

e.g. he kept drifting off the topic
he had been thinking about the subject for several years
it is a matter for the police

Synonym: topicsubjectissue

6. written works (especially in books or magazines)

e.g. he always took some reading matter with him on the plane

verb

1. have weight
have import, carry weight

e.g. It does not matter much

Synonym: countweigh

1. 事情;状况;问题
A matter is a task, situation, or event which you have to deal with or think about, especially one that involves problems.

matter

e.g. It was clear that she wanted to discuss some private matter...
很明显，她想谈些私事。
e.g. Until the matter is resolved the athletes will be ineligible to compete...
除非这个问题得以解决，否则这些运动员没有资格参加比赛。

2. 事态;情况;局面
You use matters to refer to the situation you are talking about, especially when something is affecting the situation in some way.

e.g. If your ordinary life is out of control, then retreating into a cosy ritual will not improve matters...
如果正常生活都一团糟了，那么再讲究小情调根本无济于事。
e.g. If it would facilitate matters, I would be happy to come to New York...
如果对事态发展有利，我很乐意来纽约。

3. (是…的)问题;取决于…的问题;关乎…的问题
If you say that a situation is a matter of a particular thing, you mean that that is the most important thing to be done or considered when you are involved in the situation or explaining it.

e.g. History is always a matter of interpretation...
历史总是一种阐释角度的问题。
e.g. Observance of the law is a matter of principle for us...
守法是我们的一个原则问题。

4. (印刷或阅读的)材料
Printed matter consists of books, newspapers, and other texts that are printed. Reading matter consists of things that are suitable for reading, such as books and newspapers.

e.g. ...the Government's plans to levy VAT on printed matter.
政府对印刷品征收增值税的计划
e.g. ...a rich variety of reading matter.
种类繁多的阅读材料

5. (有形的)物质
Matter is the physical part of the universe consisting of solids, liquids, and gases.

e.g. A proton is an elementary particle of matter.
质子是物质的基本粒子。
e.g. He has spent his career studying how matter behaves at the fine edge between order and disorder.
他从事研究物质在有序与无序的细微临界处的行为变化。

6. (某一类型的)物质
You use matter to refer to a particular type of substance.

e.g. They feed mostly on decaying vegetable matter.
它们大多以腐烂的蔬菜为食。
e.g. ...waste matter from industries.
工业废料

7. 麻烦事;问题
You use matter in expressions such as 'What's the matter?' or 'Is anything the matter?' when you think that someone has a problem and you want to know what it is.

e.g. Carole, what's the matter? You don't seem happy...
卡萝尔，出什么事了？你好像不开心。
e.g. What's the matter with your office?...
你们部门出什么事了吗？

8. (强调数量少、时间短)
You use matter in expressions such as 'a matter of weeks' when you are emphasizing how small an amount is or how short a period of time is.

matter

e.g. Within a matter of days she was back at work...
仅仅几天后，她又回去上班了。
e.g. He expected to be at East Grinstead station in a matter of hours...
他希望几个小时内可以到达东格林斯特德站。

9. 有关系;要紧;有影响
If you say that something does not matter, you mean that it is not important to you because it does not have an effect on you or on a particular situation.

e.g. A lot of the food goes on the floor but that doesn't matter...
许多食品掉在地板上，不过也没什么关系。
e.g. As for Laura and me, the colour of our skin has never mattered...
至于我和劳拉，肤色根本不是问题。

10. see also: grey matter;subject matter

11. 另一码事；另一回事;不同情形
If you say that something is another matter or a different matter, you mean that it is very different from the situation that you have just discussed.

e.g. Being responsible for one's own health is one thing, but being responsible for another person's health is quite a different matter...
对自己的健康负责是一回事，对他人的健康负责就完全是另一回事了。
e.g. You have no business going into such places all by yourselves. If your parents take you, of course, that's another matter.
你们不该自己去这些地方。不过如果是父母带你们去的，那就另当别论了。

12. 出于（时间）的考虑;作为（紧急）事件（处理）
If you are going to do something as a matter of urgency or priority, you are going to do it as soon as possible, because it is important.

e.g. Your doctor and health visitor can help a great deal and you need to talk about it with them as a matter of urgency.
你的医生和家访护士会帮很大的忙。你应该和他们谈一谈，这是当务之急。

13. 难事;并非易事
If something is no easy matter, it is difficult to do it.

e.g. Choosing the colour for the drawing-room walls was no easy matter.
选择客厅墙壁的颜色绝非易事。

14. 此事已定;(事情)到此为止，到此结束
If someone says that's the end of the matter or that's an end to the matter, they mean that a decision that has been taken must not be changed or discussed any more.

e.g. 'He's moving in here,' Maria said. 'So that's the end of the matter.'
“他就要搬来住了，”玛丽亚说，“那么就这么定了。”

15. 事实真相是;真实情况是
You use the fact of the matter is or the truth of the matter is to introduce a fact which supports what you are saying or which is not widely known, for example because it is a secret.

e.g. The fact of the matter is that most people consume far more protein than they actually need...
真实的情况是，大多数人摄入的蛋白质比他们实际所需的多出许多。
e.g. The truth of the matter is that he was having an identity crisis when he met Carina.
实际情况是，他认识卡丽娜时正在迷失自我。

16. 同样;而且
You can use for that matter to emphasize that the remark you are making is true in the same way as your previous, similar remark.

e.g. The irony was that Shawn had not seen her. Nor for that matter had anyone else...
具有讽刺意味的是，肖恩并没有见过她，别人也同样如此。
e.g. A great deal of hard work was done and, for that matter, is continuing.
大量艰苦的工作已经完成，同样，大量艰苦的工作也仍在继续。

17. 不要紧;没关系
You say 'it doesn't matter' to tell someone who is apologizing to you that you are not angry or upset, and that they should not worry.

e.g. 'Did I wake you?' — 'Yes, but it doesn't matter.'
“我把你吵醒了？”——“是的，不过没关系。”

18. 都行;无所谓;随便
You say 'it doesn't matter' when someone offers you a choice between two or more things and you do not mind which is chosen.

e.g. 'Steve, what do you want?' — 'Coke, Pepsi, it doesn't matter.'
“史蒂夫，你要喝点什么？”——“可口可乐，百事，随便啦。”

19. 正经事；非同儿戏
If you say that something is no laughing matter, you mean that it is very serious and not something that you should laugh or joke about.

e.g. Their behaviour is an offence. It's no laughing matter.
他们这么做是犯罪，这可不是开玩笑的。

20. 使情况变得更糟
If you say that something makes matters worse, you mean that it makes a difficult situation even more difficult.

e.g. Don't let yourself despair; this will only make matters worse...
不要想不开，这样只能使情况变得更糟。
e.g. To make matters worse, it started to rain again.
更糟的是，又开始下雨了。

21. 没关系;不要紧
You say 'no matter' after you have just asked a question or mentioned an idea or doubt and you have decided that it is not really important, interesting, or worth discussing.

matter

e.g. 'Didn't you ever read the book?' Keating shook his head. 'Well, no matter.'...
“你从没看过这本书？”基廷摇了摇头。“嗯，没关系。”
e.g. 'Shoddy workmanship these days,' he remarked. 'No matter, it will still bear my weight.'
“现如今的做工实在是差劲，”他说，“无所谓了，好歹还撑得住我的体重。”

22. 不管…;无论…
You use no matter in expressions such as 'no matter how' and 'no matter what' to say that something is true or happens in all circumstances.

e.g. No matter what your age, you can lose weight by following this program...
不论年龄多大，都可以按这套方案来减肥。
e.g. No matter how often they were urged, they could not bring themselves to join in...
就算别人说破了嘴皮，他们就是不加入。

23. 不管怎样;无论如何
If you say that you are going to do something no matter what, you are emphasizing that you are definitely going to do it, even if there are obstacles or difficulties.

e.g. He had decided to publish the manuscript no matter what...
他决定无论如何都要出版那部手稿。
e.g. I vowed then, no matter what, I would never be like those people.
于是我发誓，无论如何，我和他们那种人都不会成为一丘之貉。

24. 看法问题;看法因人而异的事情
If you say that a statement is a matter of opinion, you mean that it is not a fact, and that other people, including yourself, do not agree with it.

e.g. 'We're not that contrived. We're not that theatrical.' — 'That's a matter of opinion.'
“我们没那么造作，也没那么夸张。”——“见仁见智喽。”

25. (只是)时间的问题（用于说明某事必定发生）
If you say that something is just a matter of time, you mean that it is certain to happen at some time in the future.

e.g. It would be only a matter of time before he went through with it.
他完成这件事只是时间问题。

26. a matter of life and death -> see death
as a matter of course -> see course
as a matter of fact -> see fact
mind over matter -> see mind

1. matter

1. 事情：我们一生之中, 要牢记和要忘记的东西(thing)一样多; 记忆存在细胞(cell)里, 在身体里面, 与肉体永不分离(separation), 要摧毁它, 等于玉石俱焚; 然而, 有些事情(matter)必须牢记, 忘记痛苦(misery)(misery),