follow
verb
ˈfɒləʊ verb
1
GO AFTER
在…之后去
to go, walk, drive etc behind or after someone else 跟着，跟随 I,T
Are those men following us?
那些人在跟着我们吗？
The patrol car followed the BMW for a few miles and then lost it.
巡逻车跟了那辆宝马几英里，后来就跟丢了。
Tom’s already gone out to Rome and his wife and children will follow shortly.
汤姆已经去罗马了，他的妻儿很快就会跟着去。
follow sb into/to etc sth
Peggy followed her out onto the landing.
佩奇跟着她出来走到楼梯平台上。
2
HAPPEN AFTER
在…后发生
to happen or do something after something else 在…后发生 （做） I,T
The agreement followed months of negotiation.
经过数月的谈判，达成了协议。
The assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968 was followed by that of Robert Kennedy.
1968 年马丁．路德．金遭暗杀，之后是罗伯．肯尼迪。
there follows sth
After weeks of intense fighting, there followed a brief period of calm.
几个星期的激战之后，接下来是短暂的平静。
Most EU countries have signed the agreement and the US is expected to follow shortly (=soon) .
大多数欧盟国家已签署这个协议，预计美国也会很快跟上。
3
COME AFTER
在…之后来
to come directly after something else in a series, list, or order 位于…之后，在…之后 I,T
The chapters that follow deal mainly with mathematics.
之后的几章主要讲数学。
In English, the letter Q is always followed by U.
英语中，字母 Q 之后总是接着字母 U。
We had vegetable casserole with a fruit salad to follow (=as part of a meal) .
我们吃了蔬菜堡，然后是水果色拉。
there follows sth
There followed several pages of incomprehensible statistics.
接下来是数页难懂的统计资料。
4
as follows
used to introduce a list of things that you will mention next 如下
The winners are as follows: in third place, Mandy Johnson; in second place ...
获胜者如下: 第三名，曼迪．约翰逊; 第二名…
5
DO WHAT SB SAYS
按某人说的做
to do something in the way that someone has told or advised you to do it 听从 T
He followed the doctor’s advice and had no further trouble.
他接受了医生的建议，后来就没有问题了。
Follow the instructions very carefully when filling in the form.
认真地按照说明填写表格。
They followed the plan that Elizabeth had worked out.
他们采用了伊丽莎白的计划。
6
follow the signs/sb’s directions
to go somewhere by a particular way according to road signs or to what someone has told you 跟着路标/某人指引的方向
Just follow the signs for the airport.
跟着机场方向的路标就行了。
I followed Brown’s directions and found the farm quite easily.
我按着布朗指的路很容易就找到了农场。
7
DO THE SAME THING
做同样的事
to do the same thing as someone else 仿效 I,T
Some state schools follow the example of private schools in asking parents to donate money.
有些公立学校仿效私立学校的做法，要求家长捐款。
Environmentalists are urging the government to follow the lead of Scandinavian countries in this matter.
环保主义者敦促政府在这件事上仿效斯堪的纳维亚半岛国家的做法。
She’s just like any young woman who enjoys following the latest fashions (=wearing fashionable clothes) .
她和任何一个年轻女性一样，喜欢追逐时尚。
follow sb into sth (do the same job as someone else) 追随某人做某事
He does not want to follow his father into a scientific career.
他不想追随父亲从事科学工作。
8
BELIEVE IN STH
信仰某事物
to believe in and obey a particular set of religious or political ideas 信奉〔某一宗教或政治主张〕 T
9
GO IN PARTICULAR DIRECTION
朝某一方向走
a. to continue along a particular road, river etc b. to go in the same direction as something else, or to go parallel to something else 沿着…延伸; 与…平行 T
I followed the main road up the mountain.
我沿大路上山。
Tom followed the track that leads to the old Roman road.
汤姆沿着通往古罗马大路的小道走。
The road follows the line of the river.
这条路与河平行。
10
UNDERSTAND
理解
to understand something such as an explanation or story 理解，明白; I,T
I didn’t quite follow what he was saying.
我不太明白他说的话。
easy/difficult/hard etc to follow
The plot is a little difficult to follow.
这个情节有点难以理解。
11
BE A RESULT
成为结果
to be true as a result of something else that is true 是结果 I
[+ from ]
The conclusion that follows from these findings is that inner city schools need more investment, not less.
根据这些调研得出的结论是，市中心区的学校需要增加资金投入，而不是要减少。
It doesn’t necessarily follow that you’re going to do well academically even if you’re highly intelligent.
即使你非常聪明，也不能说学习成绩就一定优秀。
12
BE INTERESTED
感兴趣
to be interested in something and in the way it develops 关注 T
Have you been following that crime series on TV?
你一直在看那部罪案电视连续剧吗？
I’ve been following his progress very closely.
我一直非常密切地关注着他的进展。
She just doesn’t understand people who follow football or any other kind of sport.
她就是不能理解热衷足球或其他体育运动的人。
13
follow a pattern/course/trend etc
13. to continue to happen or develop in a particular way, especially in a way that is expected 按照某一模式/遵循某一进程/按照某种趋势等
In Australia, the weather follows a fairly predictable pattern.
在澳大利亚，天气变化的模式基本上是可以预料的。
14
follow suit
14. to do the same as someone else has done 跟着做，照着做，仿效
Budget companies have been so successful that other airlines have had to follow suit and lower their fares.
廉价航空公司很成功，其他航空公司只得仿效，降低票价。
15
follow in sb’s footsteps
15. to do the same job or to work or live in the same way as someone else before you, especially someone in your family 步某人的后尘，继承某人〔尤指家人〕的事业
He is a doctor and expects his son to follow in his footsteps.
他是医生，期盼儿子继承他的事业。
16
BE ABOUT
关于
to show or describe someone’s life or a series of events, for example in a film or book 〔电影、书等〕呈现，叙述 T
The book follows the plight of an orphaned Irish girl who marries into New York society.
这本书讲述了一个爱尔兰孤女嫁入纽约上流社会所面临的困境。
17
be a hard act to follow
17. to be so good or successful at something that it will be difficult for the next person, team etc to be as good 是难以企及的
We’re looking for a replacement for Sue, but she’s going to be a hard act to follow.
我们正在找人接替休，然而她是别人难比的。
18
WATCH CAREFULLY
仔细观察
to carefully watch someone do something 密切注视 T
She followed Simon with her eyes as he walked to the gate.
西蒙走向大门口，她的目光一直追随着他。
19
THINK ABOUT/STUDY
考虑/研究
to study or think about a particular idea or subject and try to learn something from it 考虑，研究 T
It turned out we were both following the same line of research.
原来我们俩做的是同样的研究方向。
If you follow that idea to its logical conclusion, we’d have to ban free speech altogether.
如果把那种想法的逻辑推理到极致，那我们就必须要完全禁止言论自由了。
20
follow your instincts/feelings/gut reaction etc
20. to do the thing that you immediately feel is best without needing to stop and think about it 凭直觉/感情/本能反应等
21
follow the herd/crowd
21. to do the same thing that most other people are doing, without really thinking about it for yourself – used in order to show disapproval 随大溜〔含贬义〕
22
follow your nose
22. a. to go straight forward or continue in the same direction b. to go to the place from where there is a particular smell coming c. to do something in the way that you feel is right 凭直觉 informal
Just follow your nose until you come to a small bridge.
一直向前，走到一座小桥那里。
I followed my nose to the kitchen, where Marcie was making coffee.
我闻着味道来到厨房，马西正在那里煮咖啡。
After a few years in the detective game, you learn to follow your nose.
干了几年侦探行当，你就学会凭直觉行事了。
23
follow a profession/trade/way of life etc
23. to do a particular job or have a particular way of life 从事某种职业/从事某种行业/遵循某种生活方式等
24 to follow someone everywhere they go, especially when this is annoying 到处跟随某人〔尤指很让人讨厌〕
She told him to go away and stop following her around.
她叫他走开，别到处跟着她。
25
follow-on
to happen after something else and be connected with it 继续下去; ⇒ follow-on
[+ from ]
The discussion sessions are supposed to follow on from this morning’s lecture.
讨论课应该是对今天早上这个讲座的继续。
26 to go to the same place as someone else at a later time 跟着去，随后去
You go ahead – I’ll follow on later.
你先走 — 我随后就来。
27 to do what needs to be done to complete something or make it successful 将〔某事〕进行到底; 执行
The project went wrong when the staff failed to follow through.
项目出了问题 — 员工没有执行下去。
follow sth ↔ through
If you have followed through all the exercises in this book, you should be ready for the second year course.
如果你完成了本书的全部练习，就可以学第二年的课程。
28 to continue moving your arm after you have hit the ball in tennis, GOLF etc 〔网球、高尔夫球等击球后〕做随球动作;
29 to find out more information about something and take action if necessary 跟进，追查〔更多的信息〕
The police take people’s statements and then follow them up.
警方会按照人们的供述继续追查。
30 to do something in addition to what you have already done in order to make it more likely to succeed 在…之后再采取进一步行动
[+ with ]
If there is no response to your press release, follow it up with a phone call.
要是你的新闻稿没有回应，再打个电话跟进一下。
This experiment was quickly followed up by others using different forms of the drug.
在这个实验之后，很快又用了这种药品的其他几种形态进行了进一步的实验。