1
give sb/sth a wide berth
这个搭配原指船只与其他物体保持安全距离，也可用于比喻，表示避开或远离某人某物。
The captain gave the sandbank a wide berth.
船长与沙洲保持足够的安全距离。
（船、火车、房车上的）铺位；卧铺
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
（船、火车、房车上的）铺位；卧铺
a bed or bunk on a ship, train, or caravan
The captain gave the sandbank a wide berth.
船长与沙洲保持足够的安全距离。
主要用于“宽裕停泊”:船只在水中停泊或操作时与其他船只、岩石或岸边保持足够的距离。
Chiefly in wide berth: a sufficient space in the water for a ship or other vessel to lie at anchor or manoeuvre without getting in the way of other vessels, or colliding into rocks or the shore.
组织中的职位
a job in an organization
(主要是历史上)马车或其他交通工具中分配给某人的位置,或(军事中)在营房中的位置。
An assigned place for a person in (chiefly historical) a horse-drawn coach or other means of transportation, or (military) in a barracks.
船只可系泊的地方
a place where a craft can be made fast
She finally secured a berth as a junior editor at a publishing house.
她终于在一家出版社获得了初级编辑的职位。
The cargo vessel was assigned a berth at Pier 7.
这艘货轮被分配到了7号码头的一个泊位。
I prefer a lower berth when traveling by sleeper train.
乘坐卧铺列车时，我更喜欢下铺。
这个搭配原指船只与其他物体保持安全距离，也可用于比喻，表示避开或远离某人某物。
The captain gave the sandbank a wide berth.
船长与沙洲保持足够的安全距离。
在火车或轮船等交通工具上，berth 指可供睡觉的铺位。
She booked a berth on the night train to Berlin.
她订了一张去柏林的夜班火车卧铺票。
这里的 berth 指职位或名额，常用于体育比赛或机构中。
The young athlete won a berth on the Olympic team.
这位年轻运动员在奥运代表队中赢得了一席之地。
Not this
The ship needs a wide birth to turn around safely.
Use this
The ship needs a wide berth to turn around safely.
这里应使用 berth 表示船只的“安全距离/泊位”，而 birth 是同音词，意思是“出生”。注意拼写，wide berth 是固定搭配，意为“足够的安全间距”。
Not this
I don't like him, so I gave him a berth at the party.
Use this
I don't like him, so I gave him a wide berth at the party.
表示“回避、躲开某人”时，必须用固定习语 give someone a wide berth，不能省略 wide。少了 wide，句子就没有“躲开”的意思。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
避开；保持距离
He gave the dog a wide berth after it growled at him.
那条狗对他吠叫后，他远远地避开了它。
卧铺
She booked a sleeping berth on the overnight train.
她在夜班火车上订了一个卧铺。
系泊泊位
The ferry moved into its mooring berth at the harbor.
渡轮驶入港口的系泊泊位。
内阁职位
He was offered a cabinet berth in the new government.
他被邀请在新政府中担任内阁职务。
赢得参赛资格
The team earned a berth in the finals.
该队赢得了决赛的参赛资格。
避开，对……敬而远之
After the argument, she gave her colleague a wide berth.
争吵之后，她对同事避而远之。
赢得席位，获得参赛资格
The team earned a berth in the playoffs after a late-season winning streak.
该队在赛季末取得连胜后，获得了季后赛席位。
Use berth naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
联想：berth 是船靠岸的“泊位”，也是车船上的“铺位”；记住首字母 b 像船头靠岸，就有地方停、有地方睡。
语域：mixed 常见场景：nautical contexts、train/ship travel、workplace discussions 该词作名词时有多个义项，语域随语境变化：‘泊位/停泊处’多用于海事或港务语境，较正式；‘铺位/卧铺’常见于火车、船舶等旅行住宿场景，通常为中性；‘职位’多用于正式或稍显旧式的书面语。固定搭配 wide berth 则比较常见于日常叙述，表示‘避开’。学习时建议根据具体含义选择合适的语域和搭配。
通常指船上的铺位、泊位或职位，是可数名词。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY, WORDNET.