1.sale的基本意思是“卖,出售,销售”,可指抽象的出售的行为,也可指具体的出售的动作,还可指某产品的销售总量,即“销售额,销售量”。也可指某商品以低于其原有价格水平的价格出售,即“廉售,贱卖”,还可指某商品的“销路,市场需求”。
2.sale可用作可数名词,也可用作不可数名词,作“销售额,销售量”解时通常用复数形式。
3.sale常用于for sale和on sale短语中,前者意为“待售”,后者意为“上市”“减价销售”。
4.sale可用在其他名词前作定语,作“销售的”解时一般用复数形式,作“廉价的”解时一般用单数形式。

for sale
待售 intended to be sold
There's a “For Sale” sign outside their house.他们那所房子外面有一块写着“待售”字样的牌子。
I'm sorry this painting's not for sale.很抱歉,这幅画是非卖品。
Have you any pictures for sale?你有画片卖吗?

on sale
1.有售,上市 available to be bought
The new model is not on sale.这种款式尚未上市。
The latest model of this video recorder is now on sale in our shops.这种最新型号的录像机目前正在我们商店中出售。
There are many houses on sale but few for rent.有很多房屋出售,但提供出租的却很少。
2.廉价出售 being offered at a reduced price
This ten-dollar hat is now on sale for five.10美元一顶的帽子现在减价卖5美元。

sale or return
卖不出去可以退货,托售,寄售 supplied to a seller in such a way that the seller pays only for what he or she sells, and can send the rest back
The newspapers are supplied to the shop on a sale or return basis.报纸是以剩货包退的方式批发给商店去卖的。

The money was raised by the sale of raffle tickets.这笔款是通过出售购物彩券筹集的。
The law forbids the sale of alcohol to people under 18.法律禁止向18岁以下的人出售含有酒精的饮料。
I told her how marvellous the new product was, and I soon made a sale.我对她大讲这种新产品如何好,于是没过一会儿她便买下来了。
I haven't made a sale all week.我整个星期没有卖出东西。
She gets ￡10 commission on each sale.她每卖出一批货可得10英镑的佣金。
Sales of electric heaters have increased.电暖器的销售量增加了。
We're hoping for large sales for our new product.我们希望我们的新产品能大量售出。
The shop's sales grew by 140％ a year in the first five years.在头5年里,这家商店的销售额以每年140％的幅度增长。
This shirt was a bargain— only ￡10 in a sale.这件衬衫是便宜货,大减价时只卖10英镑。
Our school is having a book sale next week.我校下星期将进行图书廉价出售。
Have the January sales started yet?元月大减价开始了吗?
Don't buy that hat now, wait for the sales.现在别买那顶帽子,等待廉价出售吧。
There's always a ready sale for high-quality furniture.高档家具总是很畅销。
They found no sale for their goods.他们的商品没有销路。
There's no sale for watches of that kind nowadays.如今那种手表已无销路。
Will there be any sale for these goods in this season?眼下这个季节这些货物有销路吗?
They bought a lot of sale goods yesterday.他们昨天买了许多廉价货。
She is the sales manager of this department.她是这个部门的销售经理。

for sale, on sale
这两个短语的共同意思是“出售”。其区别是:for sale往往用来指出售自己的物品或代销别人的物品; 而on sale没有这种限制,只表示“有售”,使用广泛,相当于on the market。试比较:
This is my bicycle for sale.
这就是我准备出售的自行车。
Pear has been on sale.
梨已经上市了。
下面三句意思相同:
I got this hat on sale.
I got this hat at a sale.
I bought this hat in a sale.
我这顶帽子是降价时买的。

1.这些苹果都有待出售。
［误］  These apples are on sale.
［正］  These apples are for sale.
这辆旧汽车是要卖吗?
［误］  Is the used car on sale?
［正］  Is the used car for sale?
这书店里正出售大批西欧古典文学作品。
［误］  A large number of classical literary works of Western Europe are for sale in the bookstore.
［正］  A large number of classical literary works of Western Europe are on sale in the bookstore.
这种新产品赶在下个月上市吗?
［误］  Will the new product be for sale as early as next month?
［正］  Will the new product be on sale as early as next month?
［析］  on sale和for sale都可以表示“出售的”。for sale的确切含义是“待售”,表示个人行为,通常由物主或代理人经手,且常作为广告张贴用语; on sale通常指商店等出售。
2.今天的销售额比昨天多。
［误］  Today's sale was larger than yesterday's.
［正］  Today's sales were larger than yesterday's.
［析］  sale作“销售额”解时通常用复数形式。
3.番茄汤原价一罐12美分,现正以一罐8美分的价格削价出售。
［误］  Tomato soup that is usually sold at twelve cents a can is now for sale for eight cents.
［正］  Tomato soup that is usually sold at twelve cents a can is now on sale for eight cents.
［析］  当表示“削价出售”时,美式英语用on sale,不用for sale。
4.他在一家公司的销售部门工作。
［误］  He works in the sale department of a company.
［正］  He works in the sales department of a company.
［析］  当sale作名词的定语时,我们常用其复数形式sales,如sales manager等。

［同义词］   business, commerce, trade; deal, trading, transaction, clearance, reduction
［词源］  ＜中古英语＜古英语sala＜古挪威语sala(卖,售)