mem‧o‧ry S2 W1 / mem ə ri / 名词 ( 复数形式 memories )
1 ability to remember [可数和不可数名词] someone’s ability to remember things, places, experiences etc
memory for
She has a terrible memory for names.
from memory
The pianist played the whole piece from memory.
in your memory
The image has remained in my memory ever since.
2 something you remember [可数名词，通常复数] something that you remember from the past about a person, place, or experience
memory of
She talked about her memories of the war.
He has lots of happy memories of his stay in Japan.
When I saw the pictures, the memories came flooding back (= I suddenly had many memories about something ) .
3 computer
a) [可数名词] the part of a computer where information can be stored :
The data is stored in the computer’s memory.
b) [不可数名词] the amount of space that can be used for storing information on a computer :
128 Mb of memory
Personal computers now have much increased memory capacity.
4 in/within memory during the time that people can remember :
the worst floods in living memory (= since the earliest time that people now alive can remember )
It’s certainly the best England team in recent memory.
The disaster was within the memory of many men still working at the station.
5 in memory of somebody if something is done or made in memory of someone, it is done to remember them and remind other people of them after they have died :
a statue in memory of those who died in the war
She set up a charitable fund in her father’s memory.
6 sb’s memory the way you remember someone who has died :
She died over 40 years ago but her memory lives on (= people still remember her ) .
to sb’s memory
There’s a bench to his memory in the local park.
7 a walk/trip down memory lane when you spend some time remembering the past :
She returned to her old school yesterday for a trip down memory lane.
8 sb’s memory is playing tricks on them spoken used to say that someone is remembering things wrongly :
My memory must be playing tricks on me; I’m sure I put that book on the desk.
COLLOCATIONS
形容词
good/excellent I wish my memory was as good as yours.
bad/poor/terrible A student with a poor memory may struggle in school.
short-term memory (= your ability to remember things that you have just seen, heard, or done ) The drug can damage your short-term memory.
long-term memory (= your ability to remember things that happened a long time ago ) Most people’s long-term memory is limited.
visual memory (= your ability to remember things you have seen ) Poor spellers often have a weak visual memory.
a photographic memory (= the ability to remember every detail of things that you have seen ) Unless you have a photographic memory, you forget half of what you read as soon as you close the book.
动词
remain/stay/stick in your memory (= be remembered for a long time ) That day will remain in my memory forever.
refresh/jog your memory (= help someone to remember something ) Perhaps this photograph will refresh your memory?
lose your memory (= become unable to remember things that happened in the past ) The blow on the head caused him to lose his memory.
commit something to memory formal (= make yourself remember something ) I’ve already committed his name to memory.
短语
have a short memory (= if you have a short memory, you soon forget things ) Voters have short memories.
have a long memory (= if you have a long memory, you remember things for a long time ) He has a long memory for people who have let him down.
have a memory like a sieve (= forget things very easily ) I’m sorry, I have a memory like a sieve. I forgot you were coming today!
loss of memory/memory loss (= when you cannot remember things ) The condition can cause dizziness and memory loss.
a lapse of memory/a memory lapse (= when you cannot remember something for a short time ) The alcohol seemed to make him suffer lapses of memory.
if my memory serves (me correctly/right) (= used to say that you are almost certain you have remembered something correctly ) If my memory serves me correctly, Johnson was also there.
something is etched in your memory (= it is impossible to forget ) The date was etched in my memory.
COLLOCATIONS
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + memory
good/bad etc memories He left school with good memories of his time there.
happy/unhappy memories Many people have unhappy memories of being forced to play team sports.
fond memories (= about someone or something you like ) She had fond memories of her aunt and uncle.
a painful memory (= very upsetting ) He sobbed as he relived the painful memory.
a vivid memory (= very clear and detailed ) I have vivid memories of that summer.
a clear memory I have a clear memory of the first time I met David.
a dim/distant memory (= not clear, from a long time ago ) He had only dim memories of his father, who had died when he was four.
a vague memory (= not clear ) I have a vague memory of visiting them when I was small.
a childhood memory Going to the farm brought back happy childhood memories.
somebody’s earliest memory My earliest memory is of being bitten by a dog.
an abiding/enduring/lasting memory (= that you will always have ) The children’s abiding memory of their father is of his patience and gentleness.
动词
have a/have no memory of something (= remember/not remember something ) She had no memory of the accident.
relive a memory (= talk about past events so you remember them again ) Seeing her again was an excuse to relive old memories.
bring back memories ( also rekindle/revive memories formal ) (= make you remember something ) For many older people, the film brought back memories of the war.
memories come flooding back (= you suddenly remember things clearly ) Evelyn hugged her daughter, as memories came flooding back to her.
a memory fades (= becomes less clear and accurate ) Write down how you felt before the memory fades.
短语
a place is full of memories (= makes you remember things that happened there ) My old home is full of unhappy memories.
be haunted by the memory of something (= be unable to forget something unhappy ) He is haunted by memories of his unhappy childhood.
shudder/wince at the memory of something (= be upset by remembering something ) She shuddered at the memory of her parents fighting.