vt.扣留；拘押；耽搁；延误
You cannot detain the eagle in the forest. 你没有法子将一只老鹰扣留在森林里。
We shall have to detain him and question him. 我们只好把他扣起来，讯问他一下。
Allow me to detain you for a moment. 请允许我耽搁你一会儿。
This matter isn't very important, and shouldn't detain us very long. 这事不很重要，不该耽搁我们很久。
I was detained by an unexpected caller that morning. 那天早晨我被一个突然的来访者缠住了。
detain的基本意思是“使延迟”“使延误”,可用于出发、到达,也可用于某种想法的出现,也可表示由于各种理由而被滞留某地; 还可表示依法抓住并关押或监护起来。
detain是及物动词,接名词或代词作宾语,偶尔也可接以动词不定式充当补足语的复合宾语。可用于被动结构。
