[U] (a) kind of natural radiation that makes things visible 光; 光线; 光亮: the light of the sun, a lamp, the fire, etc 阳光﹑ 灯光﹑ 火光. (b) amount or quality of this 光亮的程度: The light was beginning to fail, ie It was getting dark. 天色渐暗. * This light is too poor to read by. 这光线太暗不能看书. * the flickering light of candles 摇曳的烛光 * (fig 比喻) A soft light (ie expression) came into her eyes as she looked at him. 她望着他, 眼中闪露出柔情. Cf 参看 dark1. 
[C] source of light, esp an electric lamp 光源; （尤指）电灯: turn/switch the lights on/off 开[关]灯 * Far below the plane we could see the lights of London. 从飞机上俯视远处可以看到伦敦的万家灯火. * A light was still burning in his study. 他的书房里仍有孤灯独燃. * That car hasn't got its lights (ie headlights) on. 那辆汽车的前灯没有打开. * Keep going, the lights (ie traffic lights) are green. 继续开吧, 是绿灯. 
[C] (thing used to produce a) flame or spark 火焰; 火花; 点火物: Have you got a light? eg for acigarette. 你有火儿吗? （如为点香烟）. 
[U] understanding; enlightenment 了解; 领悟; 启发: I wrestled with the crossword clue for ages before light finally dawned, ie I understood the solution. 那纵横字谜的提示, 我琢磨了很长时间才恍然大悟. 
[C] (esp in compounds 尤用以构成复合词) (architecture 建) window or opening to admit light 采光的窗或孔: skylight * leaded light. 
[U, C usu sing 作不可数名词或可数名词, 後者通常作单数] (art 美术) part of a picture shown as lighted up （图画的）亮部: light and shade 亮部和阴暗部. 
(idm 习语) according to one's `lights (fml 文) in conformity with one's beliefs, attitudes or abilities 按照自己的信念﹑ 态度或能力: We can't blame him: he did his best according to his lights. 我们不能责怪他, 他已尽力而为了. at first light => first. be/stand in sb's `light be placed between sb and a source of light 挡住某人的光线: Can you move? You're in my light and I can't read. 借个光行吗? 你挡住亮我没法看书了. the bright lights => bright. bring sth to `light reveal sth; make sth known 揭露或暴露某事物: New facts have been brought to light. 已揭露出新的情况. by the light of nature without special guidance or teaching 天生的; 自然而然地. cast/shed/throw light on sth make sth clearer 使某事物清楚些: Recent research has shed new light on the causes of the disease. 最近的研究结果对该病的病因已有新的了解. come to light be revealed; become known 显露; 为人所知: New evidence has recently come to light. 新证据最近才为人知. give sb/get the green light => green1. go out like a `light (infml 口) faint or fall asleep suddenly 突然昏厥或入睡. hide one's light under a bushel => hide1. in a good, bad, favourably, etc `light (a) (of a picture, etc) so as to be seen well, badly, etc （指画等）看得清楚, 看不清楚: Two pictures have been hung in a bad light. 两幅画都挂在看不清的地方. (b) (fig 比喻) well, badly, favourably, etc 好; 坏; 有利地: Press reports make his actions appear in the worst possible light. 新闻报道极力丑化他的举动. * It is hard to view his conduct in a favourable light. 他的行为实难恭维. in the light of sth (US in light of sth) in view of sth; considering sth 鉴於某事物; 考虑到某事物: review the proposals in the light of past experience 照老经验来评论那些建议. jump the lights => jump2. light at the end of the tunnel success, happiness, etc after a long period of difficulty or hardship 历尽艰辛後的成功﹑ 愉快﹑ 幸福等; 苦尽甘来. lights out (in barracks, dormitories, etc) time when lights are (to be) turned out （军营﹑ 宿舍等的）熄灯时间: Lights out! 熄灯! * No talking after lights out. 熄灯後不许说话. see the `light (a) understand or accept sth after much difficulty or doubt （几经困难或怀疑後）明白或赞同某事物. (b) be converted to religious belief 皈依某宗教. see the light (of `day) (a) (rhet 修辞) be born 降生. (b) (of abstract things) be conceived or made public （指抽象事物）构想出或公开: The notion of a Channel Tunnel first saw the light of day more than a century ago. 海峡隧道的构想在一百多年前就已提出. set light to sth cause sth to start burning 引火烧某物. strike a light => strike2. sweetness and light => sweetness (sweet1).> light adj. Cf 参看 dark2.
1 full of light; not in darkness 光线充足的; 明亮的: a light airy room 明亮通风的房间 * In spring the evenings start to get lighter. 春天天渐渐黑得晚了.
2 pale 淡色的; 浅色的: Light colours suit you best. 你最适於穿浅色衣服. * light-green eyes 淡绿色的眼睛. `light-coloured adj: I prefer light-coloured fabrics. 我比较喜欢浅色的织物.
# `light bulb = bulb2.
`lighthouse n tower or other structure containing a beacon light to warn or guide ships 灯塔.
`light meter = exposure meter (exposure).
`light pen (computing 计) (also wand) photoelectric device, shaped like a pen, that can communicate with a computer either by making marks on the screen of a visual display unit or by reading the pattern of a bar code 光笔（人机通信光电装置, 呈笔形, 可用以在屏幕上作记号或读条形码）.
`lightship n moored or anchored ship with a beacon light, serving the same purpose as a lighthouse 灯塔船（系泊或碇泊的起灯塔作用的船）.
`light-year n 1 (astronomy 天) distance that light travels in one year (about 6 million million miles) 光年. 2 light-years [pl] (infml fig 口, 比喻) a very long time 极长的时期: Genuine racial equality still seems light-years away. 真正的种族平等似乎仍遥遥无期.