imagination
noun
ɪˌmædʒɪəˈneɪʃən noun
1 the ability to form pictures or ideas in your mind 想象力 C,U
2
be (a figment of) sb’s imagination
to be something that someone imagines, not something that really exists or happens 是某人的幻想 （幻象 ）
Did you hear that noise, or was it my imagination?
你听到那个声音了吗？ 还是我的幻觉？
These people do exist; they’re not figments of my imagination.
这些人物确实存在，不是我想象出来的。
3
in sb’s imagination
only existing or happening in someone’s mind, not in real life 只存在 （发生 ）于某人脑海中
For the refugees, home exists only in their imagination.
对于这些难民来说，家是遥不可及的事。
4
capture/catch sb’s imagination
to make people feel very interested and excited 使某人出神，使某人入迷
American football really captured the imagination of the British public.
美式足球确实使英国民众入迷。
5
leave sth to sb’s imagination
to deliberately not describe something because you think someone can guess or imagine it 将某事留给某人自己去想象〔因认为某人能够猜测或想象到〕
Mercifully, the writer leaves most of the physical horrors to our imagination.
幸而作者把大部分有形的恐惧留给我们自己去想象。
6
leave little/nothing to the imagination
a. if someone’s clothes leave little or nothing to the imagination, the clothes are very thin or are worn in a way that shows the person’s body b. if something sexual or violent is described in a way that leaves nothing to the imagination, it is described in too much detail 〔性爱或暴力事件的描述〕很露骨
Her black satin dress left nothing to the imagination.
她的黑色缎纹连衣裙令身段暴露无遗。
7
use your imagination
used to tell someone that they can easily guess the answer to a question, so you should not need to tell them 动动脑筋 spoken