a :to give a reason or explanation for (something)解释;说明
Eventually, you will need to account for your actions/behavior.你终究得对自己的行为做出解释。
How do you account for [=explain] your success?你认为自己是怎样取得成功的?
◊ The informal saying there's no accounting for taste means that there is no way to understand why some people like something while other people do not.人各有所好;萝卜青菜各有所爱。
I don't see why they liked the movie, but there's no accounting for taste.我不明白他们为什么喜欢这部电影,不过人各有所好嘛。
b :to be the cause of (something)引起;导致
The disease accounted for over 10,000 deaths last year.去年,这种病导致1万多人死亡。
These new features account for the computer's higher price.这些新功能使得这款电脑价格较高。
The disease cannot be accounted for [=explained] by genetics alone. There must be other causes as well.仅从遗传学的角度难以解释这种疾病,一定还有其他病因。
c :to make up or form (a part of something)组成
Women account for [=constitute, compose] only 25 percent of our employees.女员工仅占我们员工总数的25%。
d US:to think about (something) before doing something:to take (something) into consideration将…纳入考虑范围
The researchers failed to account for the fact that most of the students were poor.研究者没有考虑这样一个事实:这些学生大部分都很穷。
2
account for (someone or something)
a :to show what happened to (someone or something)对…做出说明;对做出解释
We have to account for the time [=to say how much time] we spend on each activity.我们得对花在每一项活动上的时间加以说明。
I'll have to account for the money I spent.我得说明那些钱我是怎么花的。
:to know the location of (someone or something)知道下落;明白去处
The government couldn't account for millions of dollars of the taxpayers' money.政府无法说明将纳税人数百万的资金用在何处。
Is everyone accounted for? [=do we know where everyone is?]所有人的下落都知道了吗?
All present and accounted for. [=everyone who is supposed to be here is here]该到的人都到齐了。
b :to destroy or kill (someone or something)摧毁;消灭
Enemy fighters have accounted for most of our bombers, Sir.长官,敌机摧毁了我们的大部分轰炸机。
alsochiefly British:to defeat or beat (someone or something)击败;战胜
We accounted for [=dispatched] the challengers 3-2.我们以3:2击败了挑战者。