adj.短暫的；短期的；簡短的；扼要的

n.摘要；案件陳述

vt.作…的概述；（向…）簡單介紹

There was a brief pause in the conversation. 對話中有短暫的停頓。

We have a tight schedule for your brief visit. I hope you don't mind. 對您短暫的訪問,我們?yōu)槟才诺娜粘毯芫o,希望您不介意。

In the beginning, the teacher gave us a brief introduction about the subject. 開始時,老師給我們做了關(guān)于這門課程的簡短介紹。

I don't want to keep you long, so let me be brief. 我不想浪費大家的時間,就簡明扼要地講幾句吧。

He drew up a brief for his speech. 他起草了一份講話的摘要。

The lawyers declared on a court brief that they will argue Mr. Brown's innocence by reason of insanity. 律師們在呈交法庭的辯護狀上聲明,他們將以神經(jīng)錯亂為由為布朗先生作無罪辯護。

The chairman will brief the Board on the most recent developments. 主席將向董事會概述最近的發(fā)展。

I'd like to ask Mr. Dean to brief us on the situation. 現(xiàn)在由院長先生來簡單介紹一下形勢。

brief的基本意義是“短暫的”,含有“壓縮”的味道。只用于時間而不用于距離。偶爾用于長度時多含有滑稽可笑的意味。

brief還可指內(nèi)容“簡潔的；簡要的”。