固定表达，在语境中理解。

在……的早期阶段

In the early stages of the renovation, the crew discovered painted tiles beneath the floor.

最后；最终

In the end, we took a taxi because the last bus had already left.

万一；如果发生……

In the event of a power outage, the library will move its evening programs to the community hall.

如果……发生；万一

The FAA and NORAD had developed protocols for working together in the event of a hijacking.

在……看来；从……的角度看

In the eyes of the law, the signed agreement remains valid until both sides amend it.

面对；尽管遭遇

But in the face of considerable public pressure, Monsanto has agreed to stop developing infertile seeds.

在该领域；在实地工作中

Researchers in the field now use smaller sensors to monitor water quality.

归根结底；最终而言

In the final analysis, the project succeeded because local staff could maintain the system themselves.

首先；作为第一步

For routine repairs, tenants should contact the building manager in the first instance.

一开始；究竟（常用于反问）；起初；首先；从一开始；首先；当初；本来

Why did you put the spare key in the flowerpot in the first place?

以……的形式；呈现为

The medicine is sold in the form of small tablets that dissolve in water.

在前面；在前部

We kept the cooler in the front of the van for easy access.

将来；今后

In the future, the town plans to add more benches along the walking path beside the river.

在走廊里

We waited in the hallway while the nurse prepared the examination room.

由……掌管；在……手中

Once the appeal was filed, the final decision was in the hands of the review panel.

负债；处于亏损状态

After paying for the repairs, the café was two thousand dollars in the hole.

在医院里；住院；住院；在医院接受治疗

My uncle is in the hospital, but the doctor says he should be home by Friday.

在房子里；在家中

There are still a few boxes in the house after the move.

掌握内情的；消息灵通的

People in the know say the café will reopen next month.

处于领先位置

Our school was in the lead until the final round of the quiz.

丝毫；一点也（常用于否定句）

The delay did not bother her in the least.

结合；鉴于

In the light of recent repairs, the building manager has reopened the east staircase.

从长远来看；长期而言；从长远来看；最终

The cheaper option may cost more to maintain in the long run.

从长远来看

The real cause for concern is that HMOs may fail to control costs in the long term.

及时了解情况；掌握最新进展

I will keep you in the loop as the schedule changes.

通过邮件寄送；在邮寄途中

Your replacement card should arrive in the mail within a week.

总体上；大体而言

In the main, the revised guide is clearer, though several diagrams still need labels.

正在形成；在发展过程中

The first public version was years in the making, shaped by feedback from hundreds of readers.

与此同时；在此期间

The mechanic is checking the brakes; in the meantime, we can wait inside the café.

在中间；正在进行到一半

A power cut hit in the middle of dinner, so the family finished the story by flashlight.

在……过程中；在……当中；在……中间；在……过程中；在……中间；在……中央

We were in the middle of lunch when the fire alarm went off in the next building.

偏僻荒凉的地方；远离人烟之处

Their car broke down in the middle of nowhere, so they walked until they found a farmhouse.

正处于……之中；在……期间

Is MLB in decline or, as some claim, in the midst of a golden era?

有……的心情；想做……；有心情；有意愿

I'm not in the mood for a crowded restaurant tonight, so let's order dinner and stay in.

想要；有……的兴致

We were in the mood for something warm, so we stopped at the noodle shop on the way home.

以……的名义；打着……的旗号

The committee rejected restrictions introduced in the name of safety without supporting evidence.

不久的将来；近期

The clinic plans to add weekend appointments in the near future, once another nurse has been hired.

在附近；在这一带

The new bakery is in the neighborhood near the old train depot.

在办公室里

A spare umbrella is in the office if the rain gets heavier.

过去；以往；过去；以前

In the past, the library closed at five, but it now stays open until eight on weekdays.

在……存在时；有……在场时

The ceremony was conducted in the presence of the patient's family and the attending physician.

在过程中；同时；在此过程中；与此同时

The crew replaced the old pipes and, in the process, discovered a leak behind the kitchen wall.

正在……过程中；正在着手……

LSC is in the process of reviewing the test results in order to make appropriate improvements.

属于公有领域；不受专有版权保护

The original maps are in the public domain, so the museum can post scans online.

有理；做得对

After hearing both sides, the mediator agreed that Nina was in the right.

在正确的地方；找对位置

The astronomers were in the right place to photograph the comet before dawn.

在同一个地方；留在原处

Please leave the key in the same place so the night staff can find it.

在同一个房间里；同处一室

The staff put both printers in the same room so everyone could use them during the busy season.

以类似的方式；沿着相同思路

The final chapter offers advice in the same vein as the earlier chapters.

以同样的方式；同理

The second team tested the bridge in the same way so their results could be compared fairly.