“point” 一词本意是 “点”，但在具体的语境中它的意思往往得到引申和扩展，具有很丰富的内涵。下面让我们来总结一下和“point” 有关的一些短语。

1. a case in point 恰当的例子，说明问题的事例。如:

I’m always ill when I go abroad; what happened on our last holiday is a case in point.

我出国时总是生病，我们上次度假时的事情就是一个很好的例子。

2. at the point of 几乎要。如:

When Mary broke her favorite bracelet, she was at the point of tears.

当玛丽打碎了她心爱的手镯时，她几乎都要哭了。

3. to the point 中肯，切题。如:

He didn’t speak for long, but he spoke very much to the point.

他的讲话不长，但很中肯。

4. beside/off the point  不切正题， 无关紧要。如:

The student received low marks for his essay, as much of it was off the point.

由于大部分内容都跑题了，这个同学的作文得分很低。

5. point by point 逐条。如:

He explained the plan point by point.

他逐条解释了这个计划。

6. be on the point of 正要(去做某事)。如:

The coach was on the point of giving up the game when our team scored two points.

教练正打算放弃这次比赛时， 我们队得了两分。

7. come to the point 谈正题，谈主要问题。如:

A good newspaper story must come right to the point and save the details for later.

一篇好的新闻报道必须开门见山，把细节留到后面。

8. make one’s point充分阐述自己观点。如:

All right, you’ve made your point; now keep quiet and let others say what they think.

好啦，你已经把话说清楚了；那就别说了，让别人谈谈看法吧。

练一练

Put the following sentences into Chinese.

① As I was in a hurry I asked him to come to the point at once.

② All right, you’ve made your point; there is no need to go on about it.

③I was on the point of going when you came in.

④ I answered him point by point.

⑤ What we have to decide is whether he is guilty; that he is a person of good character is beside the point.

⑥ He asked us to be brief and to the point as he had little time to spare.

⑦ The boy injured in the car accident lay at the point of death for a week; then he got well.

⑧ She is a selfish girl; that she refused to share her drinks when we were on holiday at the seaside is a case in point.

Keys:

① 因为我很着急，因此请他开门见山地阐述他的观点。

②好啦，你想说什么我都听明白了，不必再讲下去了。

③当你进来时，我正要走。

④我逐条回答了他的问题。

⑤我们要确定的是他是否有罪。至于他是否是个品质优良的人与主题无关。

⑥他让我们简明扼要地讲一讲，因为他几乎腾不出时间来。

⑦在车祸中受伤的那个男孩在死亡的边缘挣扎了一周，后来终于好了。

⑧她是个很自私的女孩。上次在海边度假时，她不肯和大家分享她的饮料的事就很能说明问题。