take on

承担；呈现；接受；从事；较量；开始雇用

verb

1. take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect

e.g. His voice took on a sad tone
The story took a new turn
he adopted an air of superiority
She assumed strange manners
The gods assume human or animal form in these fables

Synonym: assumeacquireadopttake

2. contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle

e.g. Princeton plays Yale this weekend
Charlie likes to play Mary

Synonym: meetencounterplay

3. admit into a group or community

e.g. accept students for graduate study
We'll have to vote on whether or not to admit a new member

Synonym: acceptadmittake

4. take on titles, offices, duties, responsibilities

e.g. When will the new President assume office?

Synonym: assumeadopttake over

5. accept as a challenge

e.g. I'll tackle this difficult task

Synonym: undertaketackle

1. 承担，接受(尤指艰巨工作或重大责任)
If you take on a job or responsibility, especially a difficult one, you accept it.

e.g. No other organisation was able or willing to take on the job...
没有任何别的组织有能力或愿意承担此项工作。
e.g. Don't take on more responsibilities than you can handle.
不要承担过多的责任。

2. 呈现，显出(新面貌或新特点)
If something takes on a new appearance or quality, it develops that appearance or quality.

e.g. Believing he had only a year to live, his writing took on a feverish intensity.
由于以为自己只剩一年的活头，他的文字开始变得激情澎湃。

3. (公共汽车、船舶等)上(客)，装(货)，补充(燃料)
If a vehicle such as a bus or ship takes on passengers, goods, or fuel, it stops in order to allow them to get on or to be loaded on.

e.g. This is a brief stop to take on passengers and water.
这是一次短暂停靠，上上客，加加水。

4. 雇用;录用
If you take someone on, you employ them to do a job.

e.g. He's spoken to a publishing firm. They're going to take him on...
他和一家出版公司谈过了，他们打算雇用他。
e.g. The party has been taking on staff, including temporary organisers.
这个政党一直在招募工作人员，包括临时的组织人员。

5. 与(尤指实力比自己强的人)较量;接受…的挑战
If you take someone on, you fight them or compete against them, especially when they are bigger or more powerful than you are.

e.g. Democrats were reluctant to take on a president whose popularity ratings were historically high...
民主党人不愿与一位有史以来民众支持率最高的总统较量。
e.g. I knew I couldn't take him on.
我清楚我斗不过他。

6. 擅自决定;自作主张
If you take something on or upon yourself, you decide to do it without asking anyone for permission or approval.

e.g. Knox had taken it on himself to choose the wine...
诺克斯擅自作主，选了葡萄酒。
e.g. He took upon himself the responsibility for protecting her...
他主动肩负起保护她的责任。

She refused to take on the traditional woman's role.(她拒绝承担传统妇女的角色。)

They are not always willing to take on untrained workers, but there's no harm in asking.(他们一般不愿意雇佣没有受过训练的工人，但是问问也无妨。)

The chameleon can take on the colours of its background.(变色龙可以变成周围环境的颜色。)

We've decided to take on some training staff, and I'd like to check details before I finalise their contracts.(我们已经决定雇用一些培训人员，在敲定他们的合同之前，我想先核实一下细节。)

The party began to take on an unreal, almost nightmarish quality.(聚会开始呈现出虚幻、近乎梦魇般的气氛。)

Empty houses quickly take on a forlorn look.(空无一人的房屋很快就显得凄凉。)

Employees may face increasing pressure to take on more of their own medical costs in retirement.(雇员们可能面临越来越大的在退休后自己负担更多医疗费用的压力。)

Every citizen should take on the responsibility to keep public toilets clean in order to build a more beautiful city.(为了建设一个更加美丽的城市，每个公民都应该承担起保持公共厕所清洁的责任。)

We can't take on any more work—we're fully stretched as it is.(我们不能再接受其他工作了—现在已经竭尽所能了。)

Events began to take on a more sinister aspect.(事情开始呈现较为不祥的征兆。)