speech
noun uk/spiːtʃ/ us/spiːtʃ/
(SAY WORDS)
B1 [ U ]说话能力;说话;谈话;言语
the ability to talk, the activity of talking, or a piece of spoken language
Children usually develop speech in the second year of life. 儿童通常在两岁的时候开始说话。
People who suffer a stroke may experience a loss of speech. 中风患者可能会丧失说话能力。
[ U ]说话方式
the way a person talks
His speech was slurred and I thought he was drunk. 他说话含混不清，我想他是喝醉了。
B1 [ U ]口语
the language used when talking
Some expressions are used more in speech than in writing. 有些表达方式在口语中比书面语中用得多。
[ C ]（戏剧中的）台词
a set of words spoken in a play
Do you know the words to Hamlet's famous speech at the beginning of Act III? 你知道第3幕开头哈姆雷特那段著名的台词具体怎么说吗？
- More examples
- She suffers from a speech defect.
- From her slow, deliberate speech I guessed she must be drunk.
- Freedom of speech and freedom of thought were both denied under the dictatorship.
- As a child, she had some speech problems.
- We use these aids to develop speech in small children.
(FORMAL TALK)
B2 [ C ]演说;发言;讲话
a formal talk given usually to a large number of people on a special occasion
I had to give/make a speech at my brother's wedding. 我得在我弟弟的婚礼上致辞。
The Governor of New York delivered a rousing speech to the national convention. 纽约州州长在全国代表大会上作了激动人心的发言。
He gave the after-dinner speech (= a talk given after a formal evening meal at which a large number of people are present). 他在晚宴后作了演说。
Did you hear her acceptance speech at the Oscars ceremony? 你听了她在奥斯卡颁奖典礼上的获奖感言了吗？
See also: speak (FORMAL TALK)
- More examples
- Her speech was received with cheers and a standing ovation.
- She closed the meeting with a short speech.
- The vicar's forgetting his lines in the middle of the speech provided some good comedy.
- Her speech caused outrage among the gay community.
- She concluded the speech by reminding us of our responsibility.