1.life的基本意思是指使人或其他生物的活动、成长,从而有别于死的物体、岩石或其他无机物体的“生命”,也可指一切有生命的东西,即“生物”。life也可指“人生,人的存在”或人在一生中的经历,即“生活”。life还可指“人命,性命”。引申可指“一生,终身”“生命力,活力”“生活方式”。
2.life泛指“生命”时是不可数名词;泛指“性命”时是可数名词;泛指“生活”时是不可数名词,其前不加冠词,但指某种有比较具体内容的“生活”“生活方式”时则是可数名词。
3.for life的意思是“一辈子,一生”,当所指的人为复数时,也可以用复数形式for lives。
4.for one's life的意思是“拼命地”;for the life of one的意思是“无论如何”,只能用于否定结构。

bring (back) to life
使复活,给…以活力 make sb/sth live again
▲bring sb/sth (back) to life
The weather was so hot that three people fainted, and we had to call a doctor to bring them to life.天气这么热,有三个人晕倒了,我们只好请医生来将他们救醒了。
This play brings to life an experience I had many years ago.这个剧使我多年前的一段经历复活了。
Once someone is died, he cannot be brought back to life.人一旦死了,即不能复生。

come to life
苏醒过来,开始有生气 become animated
When the man came to life again, he found himself in a hospital bed.那人苏醒过来时,发觉自己躺在医院的病床上。
You really come to life when you are with your friends.你和朋友们在一起就会活跃起来。
The city comes to life at night.夜晚,这座城市又恢复了生机。
The party never really came to life, did it?那次聚会并不十分热闹,对吗?

for life
终生,终身 through life
He is lame for life.他终生残废。
She said she would not be married for life.她说她将终身不嫁。
Let's settle down in the countryside for life.让我们一辈子在农村安家落户吧。

for one's life
拼命地 in order to escape death
Run for your life.拼命跑吧。
I clung onto the branch for my life.我拼命地抓牢树枝。

for the life of one
无论如何 however
We should not depart from the broad masses for the life of us.无论如何,我们绝不要脱离广大群众。

from life
根据实物 depend upon the truth
This was painted from life, not from a photograph.这是根据实物而不是根据照片画的。
I like to draw from life.我喜欢写生。

take (a) life
杀人 kill sb
He was sentenced to death for taking a life.他因杀人而被判处死刑。

take one's life in one's hands
冒生命危险 risk being killed
Driving that car with those worn tyres would be taking your life in your hands.驾驶那辆轮胎磨损的汽车简直是玩命。
You take your life in your hands simply crossing the road these days!近来,就连过马路也得豁出命才行。

to the life
逼真的〔地〕,惟妙惟肖的〔地〕 copying or copied exactly
What an accurate portrait— it's him to the life!多准确的画像啊,酷似他本人!
The child can copy his teacher's manner of speaking to the life.这个孩子能惟妙惟肖地模仿他老师讲话的样子。

Life began on Earth millions of years ago.地球上的生命始于数百万年以前。
Honour is dearer than life.名誉重于生命。
He believes in eternal life after death.他相信死后有不朽的生命。
Food is essential for life.生命离不开食物。
The plant may recover;it's very dry and withered, but there's still life in it.这植物虽然干枯了,但有可能重现生机,因为它还没有死。
The waters swarm with life.水里充满着生物。
There is little plant life in the desert.沙漠里几乎没有什么植物。
He has seen much of life.他阅历很深。
She was then a girl of little life.那时,她是个涉世不深的女孩子。
The dying man put up a valiant, but hopeless fight for life.那个垂死的人为了活下去进行英勇但又无望的斗争。
The riot was brought under control without loss of life.骚乱得到控制,无人死亡。
The adolescent life is most important.青春期的生活是非常重要的。
She's always been very close about her past life.她对自己过去的生活始终守口如瓶。
It is clear that computers will come into our everyday life soon.很清楚，计算机很快会步入我们的日常生活。
There are few desirable things in one's life.生活中值得向往的事没有几件。
My life feels empty now because the children have left home.因为孩子们都离开了家,我觉得生活空虚。
The handicapped can enjoy happy lives in our country.在我国,残疾人能过上幸福生活。
Village life is too dull for me.我觉得农村的生活单调乏味。
He left the army and returned to civilian life.他退伍后恢复了平民的生活。
He is used to collective life and feels very lonely when he is left alone.他习惯于集体生活,只剩下他一个人的时候,他就感到很孤独。
We led an austere life in the mountain.我们在山里过着艰苦的生活。
He didn't want to live an empty life.他不想过一种空虚的生活。
My father has retired and is leading an easy life.我的父亲已经退休,过着安逸的生活。
Many men are content with a routine life.很多人都满足于常规生活。
His life-style is rather austere.他的生活方式相当简朴。
Doctors worked through the night to save the life of the injured man.医生彻夜工作以拯救伤员的性命。
Three lives were lost in the accident.事故中三人丧生。
The rabbit seems to be very alert all its life.兔子似乎一生都小心翼翼,十分警觉。
He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
Never in all my life have I known such a disgraceful exhibition of behavior.我一辈子也没见过这样丢脸的行为。
She lived her whole life in the country.她在农村度过一生。
Children are always so full of life.儿童总是那么朝气蓬勃。
The children are full of life this morning.孩子们今天早上都精神焕发。
Man's life is much longer than before.人的寿命比以前长多了。
Do you know the life of a man-made satellite?你知道人造卫星的寿命吗?

life, living
这两个词的共同意思是“生活”。其区别是:life指“生涯”,不指赚钱谋生;而living指“生计”,含有赚钱谋生之意。例如:
My life is really dreadful.我的生活真是糟透了。
He works for his living as a teacher.他靠教书为生。

1.在这场森林大火中有100多人丧生了。
［误］  Over a hundred people lost their life in the big forest fire.
［正］  Over a hundred people lost their lives in the big forest fire.
［析］  life作“生命”解时是可数名词。
2.在伦敦,生活费用很高。
［误］  In London the cost of life is very high.
［正］  In London the cost of living is very high.
［析］  the cost of life的意思是“生命的代价”;表示“生活费用”可以说the cost of living。

［同义词］   being, existence;energy, vigour
［词源］  ＜古英语lif(生命,生活)