Working

working adj[attrib 作定语] 1 (a) engaged in work, esp manual labour; employed 做工作的; （尤指）从事体力劳动的; 受雇的 the working man, ie manual workers in general 工人 The meeting must be held at a time convenient for working mothers. 会议召开的时间必须便於有孩子的女工参加. The working population of the country (ie The proportion of the population that works or is available for work) is growing smaller. 这个国家的劳力正在减少. (b) of, for or suitable for work 工作上的; 为工作的; 适於工作的 My working hours are (from) 9 to 5. 我的工作时间是（从）9点到5点. She was still dressed in her working clothes. 她还穿著工作服呢. The union has negotiated a 35-hour working week. 工会经谈判确定为每星期工作35小时. She had spent all her working life in the factory. 她一生的工作时间都是在这座工厂里度过的. Working conditions in the industry have improved greatly. 这一行业的工作环境已有很大改善. a working breakfast/lunch, ie one during which business is discussed 工作早餐[午餐]（边就餐边研工作的） He has a good working relationship with his boss. 他和老板工作关系很好. 2 functioning or able to function 起作用的; 能运转的 a working model of a steam engine 蒸汽机的工作模型 The government has a working majority, ie one that is sufficient to allow it to govern. 这个政府握有稳操胜券的多数票. 3 that is good enough as a basis for work, argument, etc and may be improved later; provisional 有起码的工作、 辩论等的基础的; 临时的 a working definition, hypothesis, theory暂定的定义、 假设、 理论 She has a working knowledge of French. 她的法语尚可应付工作. 4 (idm 习语) in (full) `working order (esp of a machine) able to function properly; running smoothly （尤指机器）能正常操作的, 灵活运转的. working, n 1 [C] (part of a) mine or quarry that is being or has been worked (work2 5) （正在开采的或已开采过的）矿坑, 采石场（的一部分） The boys went exploring in some disused workings, eg the shafts of an old tin mine. 那些男孩子到一些废弃的矿坑去探险（如旧锡矿的竖坑中）. 2 workings [pl] ~s (of sth) (process involved in) the way a machine, an organization, a part of the body, etc operates （机器、 组织、 身体某部等的）工作方式或过程 the workings of the human mind 人的头脑的活动方式 It was impossible to understand the workings of such a huge bureaucracy. 要想了解这样庞大的官僚体系的运作情况是不可能的.