1. N-COUNT A lapse is a moment or instance of bad behaviour by someone who usually behaves well. (一時(shí)的) 行為失檢

On Friday he showed neither decency nor dignity. It was an uncommon lapse. 星期五他既不莊重也不體面。這可是他少有的失禮。

2. N-COUNT A lapse of something such as concentration or judgment is a temporary lack of that thing, which can often cause you to make a mistake. (一時(shí)的) 走神; 判斷錯(cuò)誤

I had a little lapse of concentration in the middle of the race. 我在比賽中走了一下神。

He was a genius and because of it you could accept lapses of taste. 他是一個(gè)天才，因此他偶失得體，人們也可以接受。

3. V-I If you lapse into a quiet or inactive state, you stop talking or being active. 陷入 (某種靜止?fàn)顟B(tài))

She muttered something unintelligible and lapsed into silence. 她咕噥了幾句難以理解的話，然后就陷入了沉默。

4. V-I If someone lapses into a particular way of speaking, or behaving, they start speaking or behaving in that way, usually for a short period. 開(kāi)始 (以某種方式) 說(shuō)話; 開(kāi)始行事

She lapsed into a little girl voice to deliver a nursery rhyme. 她用小女孩的聲音唱起了一首童謠。

5. N-COUNT Lapse is also a noun. 開(kāi)始說(shuō); 開(kāi)始做

Her lapse into German didn't seem peculiar. After all, it was her native tongue. 她開(kāi)始說(shuō)德語(yǔ)并不奇怪，畢竟那是她的母語(yǔ)。

6. N-SING A lapse of time is a period that is long enough for a situation to change or for people to have a different opinion about it. (時(shí)間的) 間隔

...the restoration of diplomatic relations after a lapse of 24 years. …間隔24年后外交關(guān)系的恢復(fù)。

7. V-I If a period of time lapses, it passes. 流逝

New products and production processes are transferred to the developing countries only after a substantial amount of time has lapsed. 只有經(jīng)過(guò)很長(zhǎng)時(shí)間以后，新產(chǎn)品和新生產(chǎn)流程才轉(zhuǎn)移到發(fā)展中國(guó)家。

8. V-I If a situation or legal contract lapses, it is allowed to end rather than being continued, renewed, or extended. 終止

The terms of the treaty lapsed in 1987. 協(xié)定的條款在1987年就終止了。

9. V-I If a member of a particular religion lapses, they stop believing in it or stop following its rules and practices. 放棄 (宗教信仰)

I lapsed in my 20s, returned to it, then lapsed again, while writing the life of historical Jesus. 我20來(lái)歲就放棄信教，后來(lái)又信了。到后來(lái)在寫(xiě)歷史上的耶穌生平時(shí)又放棄了信教。