Preface 　　 　　It is so easy to forget, in learning a foreign language, that language chiefly in its spoken form. For many students, the convenience and availability of books, the relative permanence of writing, and the authority of great literature combine to give the written language a preeminence that it does not really possess. Speech is then seen as a pale reflection of writing, and its grammar and vocabulary is judged, misleadingly, by the standards of written expression. 　　The English language has often been taught in this way, and students who have followed a course in which the written language is the chief or only model of communication inevitably encounters great difficulties when they arrive in an English speaking country for the first time. In particular, the vocabulary of everyday speech, and the range of idioms used, is dramatically different from what is typical of writing. In informal speech as heard not only in the street but also in films and on television—there is a vast array of slang and taboo language which foreigners need every help with, if they are to interpret it correctly and use it appropriately. 　　Alan Duan has produced a most useful compilation of the way the language is actually used, having spent several years collecting idiomatic expressions, fixed phrases, and sayings from everyday English. He paid attention to conversational style, to different levels of informality, and to impolite as well as polite colloquial vocabulary—something which cannot always be said about books which claim to be introductions to ‘real’ English. I have no doubt, therefore, that this dictionary will be of great practical assistance to Chinese learners. 　　 　　David Crystal 　　 　　体　例　说　明 　　 　　■　　收词范围 　　本词典只收录英联邦国家英语口语中使用频率最高的习语、客套语、惯用语或惯用句，以及生活中常用的俗语，如Well, I never!I am afraid, I couldn’t agree more, Business is businesss, Love is blind等。过时语、俚语及行话则不在收录范围之内。 　　本词典还专门收录了一般字典或参考书中不常见的、英语口语中最有代表性、最常见的粗话和脏话，如：You bastard! Oh, shit! Piss off等，供学习者鉴别、参考。 　　本词典在附录中收录了一些对雅思(IELTS)口语考试有用的词条。这些词条也是口语交流中最常使用的功能语句。 　　■　词条的编排 　　本词典正文由两部分组成：文明用语部分和粗脏话部分。 　　两部分词条均按字母顺序排列，利用主词查阅词条，方便快捷。主词一般为句中的名词，无名词的则为动词，无动词的则为形容词。如果一个词条中既没有名词，也没有动词，还没有形容词，那么就查找第一个单词。如果词条中有两个相同词性的主词，查第一个。例如：Act your age! 查age; Fire away!查fire; Not too bad! 查bad; After you! 查after。 　　一个典型的完整词条包括条目、注音、条目类型、使用说明、释义、例证、注解等部分，但根据实际需要，一些词条并不包含上述所有部分。由于大部分词条都配有两至三个例句，各例句句首用 ■ 标示，以方便大家阅读。 　　若词条的使用说明或注解含有两项或多于两项，或者当词条不含使用说明，但释义不止一种时，并列各项用①②③……按序排列。 　　有些词条通过参见查阅，如：like anything ?誅 mad（P. 250）即like anything词条的意思可参见250页mad主词下的具体词条，查阅可知like anything与like mad意义、用法相同。但相比之下，前者不如后者常用，故提供参见方式查阅。 　　若部分词条意义相近，这些词条的用法中会注明各意义相近的词条及页码，供大家参照。如：Be my guest! 用作回答Can I...?　May I...？这类请求的一种相当友好、客气的常用语。另见feel free(P. 117)。 　　■　　词条分类 　　本词典将所收录的词条按其不同属性分成习语、惯用语或惯用句、客套语、俗语等几大类别。 　　习语『习』指那些由若干词组合而成产生新意的短语。如：Make no bones about it! Bob is your uncle! 　　俗语『俗』口语中极为常用的常言、谚语或格言在词典中均归入俗语类。如：Love is blind. Better late than never.　An apple a day keeps the doctor away. 　　惯用语或惯用句『惯』指在口语中用法较固定的常见短语或句子。如：As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t have it if you gave it to me. 　　客套语『套』指口语中仅在礼节性问候等场合下固定使用的短语或句子。如：Can I help you? Correct me if I am wrong. 客套语也包括一些只在正规场合下使用的短语或句子。如：No Comment! Compliments of the season! I beg to differ. 　　有些来自美国英语口语的词条，现已在英联邦各国普遍使用，这样的词条标明“(美)”字样。澳大利亚英语特有的口语词条标明“(澳)”字样。 　　■　　发音说明 　　为方便读者使用，本词典在词条后均标注其在实际口语中的发音。这种发音的标注与一般字典和发音指导参考书上的不大一样。采用的是English Pronouncing Dictionary（《英语发音词典》）第14版(J. M. Dent, 1977年由Daniel Jones教授主编，AC Gimson教授修订)的音标体系。许多词条中，单词之间在发音时发生连读的情况，词典则将其音标连在一起，以示自然语流中的发音。