🔑af·fairBrE/əˈfeə(r)/NAmE/əˈfer/noun➤public/politicalactivities公共/政治活动🔑affairs[pl.]eventsthatareofpublicinterestorpoliticalimportance公共事务；政治事务◆world/international/businessaffairs世界/国际/商业事务◆anexpertonforeignaffairs(= politicaleventsinothercountries)外事专家◆affairsofstate国务➡ see alsocurrent affairs➤event事件🔑[C, usually sing.]aneventthatpeoplearetalkingaboutordescribinginaparticularway事件；事情◆Thenewspapersexaggeratedthewholeaffairwildly. 报章毫无根据地夸大了整个事件。◆Thedebatewasaprettydisappointingaffair. 那次辩论使人颇感失望。◆Shewantedthecelebrationtobeasimplefamilyaffair. 她希望庆祝活动仅限于家人参加。➤relationship关系🔑[C]asexualrelationshipbetweentwopeople, usuallywhenoneorbothofthemaremarriedtosbelse（尤指已婚男女的）私通，风流韵事◆Sheishavinganaffairwithherboss. 她跟老板有暧昧关系。➡ see alsolove affair (1)
affair, date, go out with sbgo, jealous, love, marriage, partner, passionate, relationship, romantic
➤privatebusiness私人业务🔑affairs[pl.]mattersconnectedwithaperson'sprivatebusinessandfinancialsituation私人业务◆Ilookedaftermyfather'sfinancialaffairs. 我照管父亲的财务。◆Shewantedtoputheraffairsinorderbeforeshedied. 她想在去世前把自己的事务安排妥当。[sing.]athingthatsbisresponsiblefor (andthatotherpeopleshouldnotbeconcernedwith)个人的事SYNbusiness◆HowIspendmymoneyismyaffair. 我如何用钱是我自己的事。➤object物品[C](old-fashioned) () anobjectthatisunusualordifficulttodescribe不寻常之物；难描述的东西◆Herhatwasanamazingaffairwithfeathersandahugebrim. 她的帽子嵌着羽毛，帽檐很宽，真是件奇物。●astateofafˈfairsasituation事态；情况；形势◆Thisstateofaffairscannolongerbeignored. 再不能无视这种情况了。situationcircumstances ⬥ position ⬥ conditions ⬥ things ⬥ the case ⬥ state of affairs
These are all words for the conditions and facts that are connected with and affect the way things are.以上各词均指情况、状况。
situation all the things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place指情况、状况、形势、局面：◆the present economic situation目前的经济形势
circumstances the facts that are connected with and affect a situation, an event or an action; the conditions of a person's life, especially the money they have指条件、环境、状况、境况，（尤指）经济状况：◆The ship sank in mysterious circumstances.那艘船神秘地沉没了。
position the situation that sb is in, especially when it affects what they can and cannot do指处境、地位、状况：◆She felt she was in a position of power.她觉得她自己有权力。
conditions the circumstances in which people live, work or do things; the physical situation that affects how sth happens指居住、工作或做事情的环境、境况、条件，影响某事发生的物质环境、状态、条件：◆We were forced to work outside in freezing conditions.我们被迫在户外天寒地冻的环境下工作。
circumstances or conditions?用 circumstances 还是 conditions？
Circumstances refers to sb's financial situation; conditions are things such as the quality and amount of food or shelter they have. The circumstances that affect an event are the facts surrounding it; the conditions that affect it are usually physical ones, such as the weather. * circumstances 指人的经济状况；conditions 指人的食宿等状况。circumstances 指影响某事的周边环境；conditions 通常指影响某事的物质环境，如天气。
things(ratherinformal) the general situation, as it affects sb指形势、局面、情况、事态：◆Hi, Jane! How are things?喂，简，近来怎么样？◆Think things over before you decide.先把情况考虑周全再作决定。
the case the true situation指实情、事实：◆If that is the case(= if the situation described is true), we need more staff.如果真是那样，我们就需要更多的员工了。
state of affairs a situation指事态、情况、形势：◆How did this unhappy state of affairs come about?这种不幸的情况是怎么发生的呢？
situation or state of affairs?用 situation 还是 state of affairs？
State of affairs is mostly used with this. It is also used with adjectives describing how good or bad a situation is, such as happy, sorry, shocking, sad and unhappy, as well as those relating to time, such as present and current. Situation is much more frequent and is used in a wider variety of contexts. * state of affairs 多与 this 连用，亦与表示形势好坏的形容词（如 happy、sorry、shocking、sad 和 unhappy）以及与时间有关的形容词（如 present 和 current）连用。situation 常用得多，且用于更广泛的语境中。
Patterns
in (a) particular situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs
