owe
verb
əʊ verb
1
MONEY
钱
to need to pay someone for something that they have done for you or sold to you, or to need to give someone back money that they have lent you 欠〔钱〕; 负债;
owe sb money/£10 etc
I owe my brother $50.
我欠我弟弟 50 美元。
owe sb for sth
I still owe you for the taxi.
我还欠你出租车的钱呢。
How much do I owe you (=often used to show that you want to pay for something) ?
我该付你多少钱？
owe sth to sb
the money owed to credit card companies
欠信用卡公司的钱
2
STH DONE/GIVEN
该做/该给的东西
to feel that you should do something for someone or give someone something, because they have done something for you or given something to you 应该做; 应给予; 对…负有…的义务
He asked for help from a colleague who owed him a favour .
他要一个欠他人情的同事帮忙。
owe sb a drink/letter etc
I owe Shaun a letter; I must write soon.
我欠肖恩一封信，我得快点写。
Thanks a lot for being so understanding about all this – I owe you one (=used to thank someone who has helped you, and to say that you are willing to help them in the future) !
非常感谢你对这一切这么通情达理 — 我欠你一个情！
owe sb (be in a position in which someone has helped you, so that you should help them) 该报答某人
Let’s go and see Joe – he owes me!
我们去找找乔看 — 他欠我的情！
3
owe sb an explanation/apology
to feel that you should give someone an explanation of why you did something, or say you are sorry 该向某人解释/致歉
You owe him an apology.
你应该向他道歉。
4
HELP TO ACHIEVE STH
帮助做成某事
a. to have something or achieve something because of what someone else has done b. to know that someone’s help has been important to you in achieving something 感激
owe sth to sb
He probably owes his life to her prompt action.
很可能是因为她行动迅速才救了他一命。
owe sb a lot/owe sb a great deal
‘I owe my parents a lot,’ he admitted.
“我非常感激我的父母。”他承认道。
He owes a great deal to his publishers.
他对他的出版商感激涕零。
owe it all to sb/owe everything to sb
I owe it all to you .
我把这一切都归功于你。
owe sb a debt (of gratitude)
the debt that we owe to our teachers
我们对老师们的感激之情
5
GOOD EFFECT
良好的效果
to be successful because of the good effect or influence of something or someone 归功〔于某事〕
[+ to ]
Their success owes more to good luck than to careful management.
他们的成功更多靠的是好运气，而不是苦心经营。
Pearson’s work owed much to the research of his friend, Hugh Kingsmill.
皮尔逊的工作成果很大程度上应该归功于他的朋友，休．金斯米尔的研究。
6
owe it to sb to do sth
to feel you should do something for someone, because they have helped you or given you support 〔认为〕应该为某人做某事
You owe it to your supporters not to give up now.
为了你的支持者，你现在不应该放弃。
7
owe it to yourself to do sth
to feel you should try to achieve something because it is what you deserve 〔认为〕自己应该做某事
You owe it to yourself to take some time off.
你该让自己休息一下了。
8
owe loyalty/allegiance etc to sb
to have a duty to obey someone 负有效忠某人的义务
provinces owing allegiance to the Emperor
效忠于皇帝的各省
9
think that the world owes you a living
to be unwilling to work in order to get things, and expect them to be provided for you – used to show disapproval 认为生来就该过舒服的日子〔含贬义〕