1.business的基本意思是指某人为谋利(尤为自己)的“日常工作”或“职业”,引申可表示“职责,事务”。business现在多用来指“商业,生意,贸易”(不可数),引申可表示“商店,商行”(可数)等。business还可用来表示“演员舞台的动作、表情等”,作“怪事,勾当”解时常用作贬义。
2.business可用于其他名词前作定语。

do the business
命中 hit the target or mart
The four shots did the business.One of the enemies fell.开了四枪后,有一个敌人中弹倒了下来。

get〔come〕 to business
着手开始工作; 言归正传 start the work that must be done
Time is short; let's get to business.时间不多了,咱们开始工作吧。

give〔get〕 the business
1.作出最大的努力 the greatest effort
Ade gave the try-outs the business but he failed to make the team.艾德选拔时全力以赴,但未被选上。
2.给予最大的伤害 the greatest damage or hurt
Brooks got the business when Haas caught him with his watch.哈斯抓到偷他的手表的布鲁克斯时,狠狠地揍了他一顿。
3.苛责 a harsh scolding
The boss gave her the business when Cage came late again.凯奇又迟到了,老板痛责了她一顿。

go out of business
停业,歇业 stop doing business
Some of old newspapers had to go out of business for low sales.有些老的报社由于销量低而倒闭了。
This shop has gone out of business for two months.这家商店已经停业两个月了。

have no business
无权〔不该〕(干某事) have no right (to do sth)
▲have no business to-v/v-ing
You have no business to do that.你没权做那事。
The weather has no business to be so hot in spring.春天的气候不该这么热。
You have no business saying things about me.你无权谈论我的是非。
He had no business getting mixed up in such a matter.他不该卷进这样的一件事情中去。

know one's business
精通业务 expert in one's affairs or work, etc.
Imes knows his business because he has been in this line for years.因为艾姆斯干这行多年,所以他精通业务。

land-office business
〈非正〉生意兴隆 a great rush of business
It was a hot day.Drive-ins were doing a land-office business in ice cream and cold drinks.那天很热,“免下车”餐馆的冰淇淋和冷饮生意兴隆。

make a business of
以…为业 work as
Jim made a business of book-selling.吉姆以售书为业。

make a great business of it
非常辛苦地做它 try one's best to do it or to be very hard to do sth
To master the skill of playing basketball he is making a great business of it.为掌握好打篮球的技巧,他在进行艰苦的练习。

mean business
认真的,严肃的 be serious
I mean business, so you must be careful.我是认真的,所以你得小心。

mind one's own business
少管闲事 not interfere in other's matters
You'd better mind your own business.你最好少管闲事。
He was sensible enough to mind his own business.他颇有见识,不去管闲事。

monkey business
〈口〉不正当行为; 胡闹 any activity that is furtive or deceitful
Come on boys, let's cut out the monkey business and get down to work.各位,别胡闹了,快办正事。

send about sb's business
把(某人)赶走 send sb away and tell him not to interfere
▲send sb about sb's business
I sent my servant about her business.我把仆人打发走了。

His business there was routine cleaning and inspection.他在那儿的工作是例行的清扫和检查。
His business was wrecked.他的事业失败了。
Business is at a standstill.商业在停顿中。
The business is under the control.业务得以控制。
Taylor's business just managed to break even last month.上月泰勒的生意不赔不赚。
I wish to advise you that business has been done at 100 yuan per ton.我愿告诉你有笔生意已按每吨100元成交。
The insurance business is built on trust.保险业建立在信任的基础上。
Business is business.公事公办。
Mind your own business!少管闲事！
My business is with you.我的事关系到你。
Has your business been attended to by her in your absence?你不在的时候,事务一直由她处理吗?
We'll have to find some place else to do business.我们得找别的地方去做生意。
The company has done business with many countries.该公司与许多国家进行商业贸易。
He has a good business as a greengrocer.他开了一家很好的青果商店。
The chairman made a preliminary statement before beginning the main business of the meeting.在会议主要议程之前主席致了开幕词。
Underinvoicing is not the proper way of doing business.开假发票不是做生意的正当办法。
He has built up a good business.他已使他的生意兴隆起来。
He takes the business in hand.他从事于这件事。
They commenced a business.他们开始一种营业。
We shut up business at six.我们6点停业。
We directed our own business.我们经营自己的业务。
We transacted business with the firm.我们和这家公司交易。
When he had established a flourishing business, he was bought out by a larger concern.正当生意兴隆时,他的全部股权被一家较大的商行买下了。
I stood for five minutes thinking the business over.我站了5分钟,把事情从头到尾想了一遍。
Tell me your business shortly.把你的事简略地告诉我。
I have my business to attend to.我有事要料理。
He attended to his business.他专心于他的事务。
He's in the wool business.他做羊毛生意。
Efficiency is the dominant idea in many businesses.效率是许多事业中居首位的观念。
He made a fortune in the coal and iron business.他在煤铁业经营中发了财。
It takes hard work to get ahead in business.要想在商业上获得成功需要努力。
In business, a prompt reply is imperative.在商业上迅速的回复是必要的。
He established himself in business.他立足于商界。
He is absent on business.他出差了。
I shall go to Shanghai on commercial business.我将去上海办商务。
On what business did she come here this morning?今天早上她为什么事而来?
He is smart about business.他做生意很精明。
I am deeply sorry about the whole business.我对整个事件深表遗憾。
They're keeping very close about the whole business.对于整个事情的来龙去脉,他们一直保守秘密。
The old woman is curious about other people's business.这位老太婆爱打听别人的事。
Some kinds of business are competitive.有些商业是要竞争的。
The collapse of the business was a mortal blow to him and his family.生意的破产给他和家庭以致命的打击。
What brought about the failure of the business? 是什么原因造成经营失败的?
He wants to be promoted to the upper ranks of the business.他想晋升为本商行较高的职位。
We shall have to appoint another day for the rest of our business.我们只好再约一天来处理其余的事。
The telephone office is open for public business.这个电信局对外营业。
The new stock exchange was open for business yesterday.这家新证券交易所昨天开业。
She had no head for business, and it was not long before she went under.她没有做生意的头脑,不久就失败了。
He is a business man all the time.他一向是做生意的。
Below is an example of a typical business letter.下面是典型商业书信的一个例子。
He advised her about her business affairs.他对她的生意经营提出一些意见。
The business secret appears to have leaked.看来商业机密被泄露出去了。
During the business depression, half the machines in the factory were idle.商业萧条期间,这个工厂的机器半数是闲置的。
He associated himself with his friend in a business undertaking.他与朋友合伙经商。
It is the business of the police to keep order.维护治安是警察的职责。
It was a legal business.这是合法的营业。
It's a lucrative business.这是一笔赚钱的生意。
It's a profitable little business.这是一家非常赚钱的小商店。

business, affair, concern, matter, thing
参见affair条。
business, industry
参见industry条。
business, occupation, profession, trade, vocation
参见trade条。
business, busyness
这两个词仅一个字母之差,读音和意思却迥然不同。business读作［'bɪznəs］,意为“生意”“商业”“任务”; 而busyness读作［'bɪzɪnəs］,意为“忙碌”“繁忙”。
talk business, talk shop
参见talk条。
下面每组中两个短语的意思不同：
go into business
经商
get down business
干正经事，谈正经事
in business
经商；在商界
on business
因公；办理事务

1.他因事已去伦敦。
［误］  He has gone to London on a business.
［正］  He has gone to London on business.
［析］  可说on business(因事),也可说on a little business(因一件小事),但不可说on a business。
2.她的丈夫是个实业家。
［误］  Her husband is a businessman.
［正］  Her husband is a man of business.
［析］  a businessman的意思是“商人”, man of business的意思是“实业家”。
3.你想干什么,是经商还是当律师?
［误］  Which do you want to do, go to business or become a lawyer?
［正］  Which do you want to do, go into business or become a lawyer?
［析］  go to business是“去上班”的意思, go into business才是“经商”的意思。
4.非公莫入。
［误］  No admittance except in business.
［正］  No admittance except on business.
［析］  in business的意思是“经商”, on business才是“因公,因事”的意思。

［同义词］   affair, commerce, company, concern, firm, occupation, trade, corporation