towards
preposition mainly UK uk/təˈwɔːdz/ /twɔːdz/ us/tɔːrdz/ /twɔːrdz/ (also mainly US toward)
(MOVEMENT)
B1 向，朝；对着
in the direction of, or closer to someone or something
She stood up and walked towards him. 她站起身来，向他走去。
He leaned towards his wife and whispered, "Can we go home soon?" 他侧过身子轻声地问妻子：“我们快点回家好吗？”
She kept glancing towards the phone. 她不停地朝电话机那儿瞅。
The country seems to be drifting towards war. 这个国家似乎正慢慢地走向战争。
There is a trend towards healthier eating among all sectors of the population. 目前各行各业的人都有一种追求健康饮食的趋势。
- More examples
- A wasp came towards us and Howard started flailing his arms around.
- We were heading towards Kumasi when our truck broke down.
- The horse and cart jogged down the rough track towards the farm.
- I walked backwards towards the door.
- When she came towards me shouting, I retreated behind my desk.
(RELATION)
B2 对，对于；关于
in relation to something or someone
They've always been very friendly towards me. 他们对我总是很友好。
There has been a change in government policy towards energy efficiency. 政府针对能源效率的政策有了变动。
He feels a lot of anger/hostility/antagonism/animosity towards his father. 他很生父亲的气／对父亲怀有很大的敌意／对父亲心怀极大怨恨／非常憎恨父亲。
A lot of people think that most newspapers are biased towards one particular political party. 许多人认为大多数报纸都偏袒某一政党。
- More examples
- He's always behaved courteously toward my family.
- He's adopted a remarkably light-hearted attitude towards the situation.
- A parent must be careful not to show favouritism towards any one of their children.
- They showed open hostility towards their new neighbours.
- He claims that society has been far too permissive towards drug taking.
(POSITION)
C1 接近，靠近;将近
near to, just before, or around a time or place
Our seats were towards the back of the theatre. 我们的座位靠近剧院的后排。
I often get hungry towards the middle of the morning. 我常常半上午的时候感到饿。
We're getting towards winter and it's getting dark earlier. 快到冬天了，天黑得越来越早。
- More examples
- He went mad towards the end of his life.
- The weather is expected to settle towards the end of the week.
- The tape speeded up towards the end.
- Johnson came on as a substitute towards the end of the match.
- The shop becomes a lot less busy towards lunchtime.
(PURPOSE)
C1 为了
for the purpose of buying or achieving something
I'm saving up to buy a car, and Dad has given me some money towards it. 我正在攒钱买车，爸爸也资助了我点儿钱。
Would you like to make a contribution (= give some money) towards a present for Linda? 你愿意为给琳达买礼物出点儿钱吗？
The work that students do during the term counts towards their final grade. 学生平时的功课会算到期末总分里。
- More examples
- Aren't you going to contribute towards Jack's leaving present?
- The work that the students do during the year will count towards their final degrees.
- Their policies are all towards the creation of wealth.
- Do you agree with the principle that everyone should pay something towards the cost of health care?
- The Friends of the Royal Academy raised £10 000 towards the cost of the exhibition.