alarm bell
noun [ C ] uk/əˈlɑːm ˌbel/ us/əˈlɑːrm ˌbel/
警铃
a device that makes a loud ringing sound to warn of danger
An alarm bell goes off if the monitor's readings fall below 40. 如果显示器的读数低于40，警铃就会响。
Alarm bells were sounding all over the building. 整栋大楼都警铃大作。
警钟
a sign or warning of serious problems or danger
Even if his account is not entirely accurate, it's an alarm bell. 即使他的叙述不完全准确，也是一个预警信号。
alarm bells go off/ring/sound (also an alarm bell goes off/rings/sounds)敲响警钟;发出危险预警
used to describe an occasion when you realize that there may be a serious problem or danger
When Frank suggested coming to stay for a couple of days, alarm bells started to ring in my head. 当弗兰克建议来住几天时，我的脑海里响起了危险预警。
Alarm bells went off in the industry when the law was proposed. 当这项法律被提议时，该行业内响起了警钟。
Suddenly, something caused an alarm bell to go off in my head.
When he heard who they had chosen to promote, alarm bells rang.
I'm not sure why, but an alarm bell sounded in me.
to raise/ring/set off/sound alarm bells (also to ring/sound an alarm bell, to set (the) alarm bells ringing)敲响警钟;引起警觉
to cause worry because of being a sign that there may be a serious problem
Her statement should have rung alarm bells but nobody took the precaution of checking the facts. 她的陈述本应敲响警钟，但没有人采取预防措施去核查事实。
Regardless of where the bacteria came from, the test results should sound an alarm bell. 无论细菌来自何处，检测结果都应该引起警觉。
This move is likely to raise alarm bells with the French government. 此举可能会给法国政府敲响警钟。
This takeover bid is bound to sound alarm bells at other tech companies.
Her description of her symptoms set alarm bells ringing. 她对症状的描述引起了警觉。
to ring/sound the alarm bell (also to ring/sound the alarm bells)敲响警钟;发出危险预警
to warn people about a serious problem or danger
Healthcare workers have been sounding the alarm bell about the shortage of hospital beds for several years. 几年来，医护人员一直在发出医院病床短缺的危险预警。
She is ringing the alarm bells about the world's lack of action on climate change. 她正在对世界在气候变化问题上缺乏行动发出危险预警。
The steel industry is usually the first sector to sound the alarm bells over rising imports.
I wrote this book to sound the alarm bell now, while we still have time to prepare to defend our country.
It's not time to ring the alarm bells just yet, but we do need to keep an eye on the economy.
- More examples
- Shortly after 2 a.m. an alarm bell went off.
- If anything goes wrong, don't hesitate to ring the alarm bell.
- Security experts say the attacks represent an alarm bell for the country's intelligence agencies.
- We've found that there are far fewer tigers than we'd thought in those forests and that's an alarm bell for us.