1.rail用作名词时,是“横杆,横栏”的意思,转化为动词作“给…装横档,用栏杆围…”解,用作及物动词时,接名词或代词作宾语。
2.rail用作不及物动词时,意思是“责备,辱骂,抱怨”。常与介词against, in连用。

rail against〔at〕(v.+prep.)
反对(某事); 严厉责骂(某人) express opposition to (sth), usually in bitter words; scold (sb) bitterly
▲rail against〔at〕 sb/sth
He's always railing against his wife about her extravagance.他总是责怪妻子奢侈浪费。
It's no good railing against fate, better learn to live with what you have.抱怨命运是无济于事的,你最好学会随遇而安。
He rails at his hard luck.他抱怨他的运气不太好。
A man of character does not rail at his fate.一个有志气的人是不会抱怨命运的。
He used to rail at the volume of paper-work he had to do.他以前老是因为不得不做大量的文职工作而大发牢骚。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
He had been railed against by them as a prig and a poseur.他们责骂他是一个沾沾自喜、装腔作势的人。

rail in(v.+adv.)
用栏杆围住… enclose (an area or animal) with a wooden fence
▲rail sth ⇔in
They railed the area in.他们把那块空地用栏杆围了起来。
The farmer railed in his orchard.农民用栏杆把自己的果园围了起来。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
The children's playground hsa been railed in so that the children do not wander on to the main road.孩子们的操场已用栏杆围在里面,这样孩子们就跑不到主干道上去。

rail off(v.+adv.)
用栏杆把…隔开 separate (part of sth such as land) with a wooden fence
▲rail sth ⇔off
They've railed off the garden.他们已经给花园围上了栏杆。
They have railed the meadows off from the new railway cutting.他们已用栏杆把草地和新铁道的路堑隔离开来。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
So many people had fallen into the pond that it had to be railed off.有这么多人掉进这水塘,所以只好把它用栏杆隔开。
This part of the field has been railed off to keep the cattle out.这部分地已用栏杆隔开,以防止牲口跑出去。

用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
The cliff edge is dangerous and should be railed.崖边危险,应该用栏杆围起来。

rail也可用作名词,意思是“栏杆,横杆”“铁轨,轨道”“铁路”。例如:
There is a towel rail near the door.门附近有一个挂毛巾用的横杆。
The accident was caused by some of the rails becoming bent in the heat.这起事故是由一些因热变弯的铁轨引起的。
Please send these goods by rail.请通过铁路运送这些货。

［词源］＜拉丁语regula(直杆)