一提到“吃”，人们自然而然想到的英语对等词就是“eat”，但是，这个简单的“吃”的意义决不是一个“eat”就能完全表达的。除了eat之外，还应该根据不同的情景和意义给予恰当的表达。常见的表达法如下：

1．译作take 或 have。
The patient can't take food yet．病人还不能吃饭。
We are having dinner now．我们现在正在吃晚饭。

2．译作dine，feed，taste，touch，graze等词。
She invites me to dine with her tomorrow．
她邀请我明天和她一起吃饭。
Have you fed yet？你吃饭了吗？
He hasn't touched ／tasted food for two days．他两天没吃东西了。
The horses were grazing quietly in the field．
马群正在田野里静静地吃草。

3．译作like，love，prefer，enjoy，care for， be fond of等。
Would you like `ice-cream`？你想吃冰淇淋吗？
She loves bananas．她爱吃香蕉。
Southerners prefer rice while northerners prefer noodles．
南方人喜欢吃米饭而北方人喜欢吃面条。
He is enjoying his dinner．他正津津有味地吃晚饭。
Tom doesn't care for meat．汤姆不怎么喜欢吃肉。
Ants are fond of sweet food．蚂蚁喜欢吃甜食。

4．译作feed on，live on等短语动词。
Cattle feed chiefly on grass．牛主要靠吃草为生。
Monkeys live on wild fruit．猴子以吃野果为生。

5．译作某些介词短语。
It's time for lunch．该吃午饭了。
Please sit down at table．请坐下吃饭吧。

6．某些引申意义的“吃”，可根据具体意义用适当的词或词组表示。
You'd better not ask for trouble．你最好不要自讨苦吃。
He's always the first to bear hardships．
他总是吃苦在前。
The enemy troops suffered one defeat after another．
敌军连吃败仗。
This is a hard way to earn a living．这碗饭不容易吃。
A wise man does not fight when the odds are against him．
好汉不吃眼前亏。
Such a style is unpopular anywhere．这种作风到哪儿都吃不开。
Mechanical copying of anything foreign would be disastrous．
机械地照搬外国的东西要吃大亏的。
It may be too much for you to walk such a long way．
走这么长的路恐怕你吃不消。
A fall into the pit，a gain in your wit．吃一堑，长一智。
That's a thankless task．那是吃力不讨好的事。
Only if you can stand the hardest of hardships can you hope to rise in society．
吃得苦中苦，方为人上人。
She was so jealous that she wouldn't let her husband dance with anyone else．
她好吃醋，总不让丈夫跟其他人跳舞。
This kind of paper does not absorb ink．这种纸不吃墨。