matter

	It's a private matter. 这是件私事儿。
	They had important matters to discuss. 他们有些重要的问题要讨论。
	She may need your help with some business matters. 她也许需要你帮助处理一些生意方面的事情。
	I always consulted him on matters of policy. 我总是向他咨询一些政策问题。
	It's a matter for the police(= for them to deal with) . 这事须由警方处理。
	That's a matter for you to take up with your boss. 这个问题你得去和你的老板进行交涉。
	Let's get on with the matter in hand(= what we need to deal with now) . 我们继续解决手头的问题吧。
	I wasn't prepared to let the matter drop(= stop discussing it) . 我没打算把这件事搁下不提。
	It was no easy matter getting him to change his mind. 让他改变主意可不是件容易的事儿。
	It should have been a simple matter to check. 检查核对本来应该是件简单的事情。
	And then there's the little matter of the fifty pounds you owe me. 还有件小事儿，你欠我五十英镑呢。
	It was a matter of some concern to most of those present(= something they were worried about) . 这是当时在场的多数人关心的问题。
	I did not feel that we had got to the heart of the matter(= the most important part) . 我认为我们还没有触及问题的关键。
	And that is the crux of the matter(= the most important thing about the situation) . 这就是问题的症结所在。

2.	[pl] 事态；当前的状况the present situation, or the situation that you are talking about

	Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to improve matters. 很遗憾，我们无力改善目前的状况。
	I'd forgotten the keys, which didn't help matters . 我忘记带钥匙了，这让我情况更糟。
	Matters were made worse by a fire in the warehouse. 仓库失火使得事态更为严重。
	And then, to make matters worse , his parents turned up. 接着，更糟糕的是，他的父母亲来了。
	I decided to take matters into my own hands(= deal with the situation myself) . 我决定亲自处理问题。
	Matters came to a head(= the situation became very difficult) with his resignation. 随着他的辞职，局面恶化得难以收拾。

问题problem

3.	[sing] （用于询问某人的情况）used (to ask) if sb is upset, unhappy, etc. or if there is a problem

	What's the matter? Is there something wrong? 怎么了？出了什么事儿吗？
	Is anything the matter ? 有什么问题吗？
	Is something the matter with Bob? He seems very down. 鲍勃有什么事儿吧？他好像情绪很低落。
	There's something the matter with my eyes. 我的眼睛出了点毛病。
	‘We've bought a new TV.’ ‘What was the matter with the old one?’ “我们买了台新电视。”“那台旧的怎么了？”
	What's the matter with you today(= why are you behaving like this) ? 你今天是怎么了？

关于…的问题a matter of sth/of doing sth

4.	[sing] 关乎…的事情a situation that involves sth or depends on sth

	Learning to drive is all a matter of coordination. 学开车主要是靠协调。
	Planning a project is just a matter of working out the right order to do things in. 规划一个项目就是要设计出正确的工作顺序。
	That's not a problem. It's simply a matter of letting people know in time. 这没问题，不就是及时通知大家吗。
	Some people prefer the older version to the new one. It's a matter of taste . 有些人喜欢老版本而不喜欢新版本。这只是个趣味问题。
	She resigned over a matter of principle . 她因为原则问题而辞职。
	The government must deal with this as a matter of urgency . 政府必须将此事当作紧急的事情来处理。
	Just as a matter of interest(= because it is interesting, not because it is important) , how much did you pay for it? 我只是感兴趣，你这是花多少钱买的？
	‘I think this is the best so far.’ ‘Well, that's a matter of opinion(= other people may think differently) . “我认为这是迄今为止最好的。”“唔，仁者见仁，智者见智嘛。”

物质substance

5.	[u] （统称）物质physical substance in general that everything in the world consists of; not mind or spirit

to study the properties of matter

研究物质的属性

6.	[u] （某种）东西，物品，材料a substance or things of a particular sort

	Add plenty of organic matter to improve the soil. 施用大量的有机肥料以改良土壤。
	elimination of waste matter from the body 体内废物的排除
	She didn't approve of their choice of reading matter . 她不赞同他们选用的阅读材料。

IDM

It's a nice place. We've stayed there ourselves, as a matter of fact.

那个地方不错。事实上，我们在那儿待过。

‘I suppose you'll be leaving soon, then?’ ‘No, as a matter of fact I'll be staying for another two years.’

“我想你快要离开了吧？”“不。事实上，我还要再待两年呢。”

as a matter of fact

事实上；其实；说真的used to add a comment on sth that you have just said, usually adding sth that you think the other person will be interested in

It's a nice place. We've stayed there ourselves, as a matter of fact.

那个地方不错。事实上，我们在那儿待过。

（表示不同意）事实上，其实used to disagree with sth that sb has just said

‘I suppose you'll be leaving soon, then?’ ‘No, as a matter of fact I'll be staying for another two years.’

“我想你快要离开了吧？”“不。事实上，我还要再待两年呢。”

I know which area they live in, but whether I can find their house is a different matter.

我知道他们住在哪一地区，但能不能找到他们的房子则是另外一回事了。

be another/a different matter

另外一回事；又是一回事；另当别论to be very different

I know which area they live in, but whether I can find their house is a different matter.

我知道他们住在哪一地区，但能不能找到他们的房子则是另外一回事了。

I didn't like it much. Nor did the kids, for that matter.

我不怎么喜欢它。孩子们也同样不喜欢。

for that matter

就此而论；在这方面used to add a comment on sth that you have just said

I didn't like it much. Nor did the kids, for that matter.

我不怎么喜欢它。孩子们也同样不喜欢。

It's only a matter of time before they bring out their own version of the software.

他们推出自己的软件只是个时间问题。

its just/only a matter of time (before…)

早晚的事；只是时间问题used to say that sth will definitely happen, although you are not sure when

It's only a matter of time before they bring out their own version of the software.

他们推出自己的软件只是个时间问题。

We always check people's addresses as a matter of course.

我们总是照例检查一下人们的地址。

(as) a matter of course

（作为）理所当然的事；（当作）常规(as) the usual and correct thing to do

We always check people's addresses as a matter of course.

我们总是照例检查一下人们的地址。

	It was all over in a matter of minutes. 几分钟就全部结束了。
	The bullet missed her by a matter of inches. 子弹几乎擦着她的身体飞过。

a matter of hours, minutes, etc.|a matter of inches, metres, etc.

只有几个小时、几分钟（或几英寸、几米等）之多；不多于…only a few hours, minutes, etc.

	It was all over in a matter of minutes. 几分钟就全部结束了。
	The bullet missed her by a matter of inches. 子弹几乎擦着她的身体飞过。

a matter of life and death

生死攸关的事；成败的关键used to describe a situation that is very important or serious

a matter of record

有案可查的事something that has been recorded as being true

no matter

没关系；不要紧；不重要used to say that sth is not important

	They don't last long no matter how careful you are. 不管你如何小心，这些东西都维持不了很久。
	Call me when you get there, no matter what the time is. 无论什么时间，你到了那儿就给我打电话。

no matter who, what, where, etc.

不论…；无论…；不管…used to say that sth is always true, whatever the situation is, or that sb should certainly do sth

	They don't last long no matter how careful you are. 不管你如何小心，这些东西都维持不了很久。
	Call me when you get there, no matter what the time is. 无论什么时间，你到了那儿就给我打电话。

1.	[i][t] 事关紧要；要紧；有重大影响to be important or have an important effect on sb/sth

	The children matter more to her than anything else in the world. 对于她来说，在这个世界上没有比孩子更重要的了。
	‘What did you say?’ ‘Oh, it doesn't matter(= it is not important enough to repeat) .’ “你说什么？”“噢，没什么。”
	‘I'm afraid I forgot that book again.’ ‘It doesn't matter(= it is not important enough to worry about) .’ “很抱歉，我又忘了把那本书带来了。”“没事儿。”
	What does it matter if I spent $100 on it─it's my money! 我花 100 元钱买这东西有什么关系，那是我的钱！
	As long as you're happy, that's all that matters . 你幸福就行了，这才是最重要的。
	After his death, nothing seemed to matter any more. 他死了以后，好像一切都无所谓了。
	He's been in prison, you know─ not that it matters(= that information does not affect my opinion of him) . 你知道，他坐过牢，可那倒无关紧要。
	Does it really matter who did it? 是谁干的真的很重要吗？
	It doesn't matter to me what you do. 你做什么我无所谓。
	It didn't matter that the weather was bad. 天气不好并没什么影响。