(1)道歉(的话)(statement to say one is sorry for a fault，causing trouble or pain)[C] [N(to) (for)]：Please accept my humble/sincere～ies.请接受我的俯首/诚心道歉。be full of～ies 满怀歉意;demand an immediate～要求马上道歉;He made his～ies to me and left. 他向我表示道歉后离开了。accept sb's～ies for being late 接受某人因为迟到而道歉;make one's～ies for not attending/breaking a glass 为没有出席/打破了一只杯子而道歉;offer sb an～for not arriving on time 因到晚了向某人道歉;owe sb an～for one's rudeness 因为自己的粗鲁应向某人道歉;send sb a letter of～给某人寄一封致歉信;

(2)辩护(defence or explanation in speech or writing as for a belief，cause or idea，etc)[C](fml)：The writer's autobiography was really an～for the way he had lived.那位作家的自传实际上是对他自己所走过的道路的辩白.“A～for Poetry”(雪莱)《诗辩》;an～for capital punishment/the Christian religion为死刑/基督教辩护;〖同〗explanation，justification，defence，excuse;

(3)次等品，极差的替代物(very poor and not really acceptable replacement of sth)[C](infml)：The raft was a sad～for a boat.这木筏权且充当了船只。The girl was wearing an～for a bathing dress.那女孩穿着一件随便的衣服当泳衣。a wretched～for a meal 一顿好歹凑合的饭;

→ a͵polo′getic adj 抱(道)歉;歉疚的;a͵polo′getically adv 抱(道)歉地;a͵polo′getics n 辩护术;a′pologist n 辩护士;a′pologise，-ize vi;

【辨异】apology与excuse都表示对过错的解释。但 apology是承认错误并表示道歉;excuse则含有企望不受惩罚和斥责的意思，译为“辩解，借口”。