crack 既可以作名词,也可以作形容词,还可以作动词,作动词时意为“破裂;裂开;断裂”等,例如:
He has cracked a bone in his arm.
他的手臂有一处骨裂。
Her lips were dry and cracked.
她的嘴唇干裂了。
短语动词 crack up 有如下几个意思,用于非正式的场合:
一、意为“垮掉,崩溃”,通常指因压力造成身体垮掉或精神崩溃,例如:
I think she's cracking up.
我想她快崩溃了。
You'll crack up if you carry on working like this.
你再这样干下去,身体会垮掉的。
解析:短语动词 carry on 后接动名词,表示继续或接着做某事。
I tried my best to control my emotions - but finally, I cracked up.
我尽力控制自己的情绪,但最后,我崩溃了。
二、意为“开始大笑起来”,例如:
He walked in and everyone just cracked up.
他一进来,人人都捧腹大笑起来。
The entire group cracked up at the joke of their teacher.
听到老师的笑话,整个小组都笑了。
解析:entire 较正式用词,只作定语,一般只用于修饰单数名词(包括集合名词),强调团体、时间段、数量等的整体,含不能有所削减或增添之意,用于修饰某一具体事物时常可与 whole 换用。
三、意为“使大笑起来”,例如:
He cracks me up whenever he tries to mimic me.
无论什么时候他想模仿我,都把我逗乐了。
解析:whenever 引导的让步状语从句,相当于 no matter when:
He cracks me up, no matter when he tries to mimic me.
Gill's so funny, she just cracks me up.
吉尔滑稽极了,逗得我哈哈大笑。