take on
1．employ雇佣
Our factory will take on twenty more workers next month．我们厂下个月将再雇用20名工人。
No more workers are being taken on at present．眼下不再招收工人。
2．undertake 承担
She takes on extra work on Sundays．她星期天还承担了额外工作。
Is he willing to take on the responsibility？他愿意承担责任吗？
I'll take the work on，but I can't tell you exactly when I'll finish it．我会承担这项工作，可我不能确切地告诉你什么时候完成。
You should never take on more than you can do．你切莫承担力不能及的工作。
3．become excited；show great emotion（excitement，grief or anger）激动；表现出强烈的感情（激动、悲痛、气愤等）
At the news of her husband's death she took on like a mad woman．听到丈夫逝世的消息，她伤心得象疯了一样。
She took on something dreadful when she was accused of telling lies．当被指控说谎时，她的脸部表情很可怕。
She took on terribly when her sister was so badly hurt．妹妹受伤这么厉害，她伤心得不得了。
The indignant passenger took on about the rudeness of the bus conductor．愤怒的乘客对公共汽车售票员的粗鲁无礼发起火来了。
4．put on；take the appearance of；start to have the look of披上；带上；呈现面貌
Our institute has taken on a new look recently．我们学院最近面目一新。
The city took on a festive air．全市呈现出一派节日景象。
After the students put up Christmas decorations，the classroom took on a holiday appearance．同学们挂上圣诞装饰后，教室里呈现出一片节日的景象。
His writing has taken on a very peculiar style．他写的作品体现了一种非常独特的风格。
5．be generally adopted；become popular 被普遍接受；受大家的欢迎
The idea somehow failed to take on．那主意不知为何未被大家接受。
The new style didn't take on，so it was quickly dropped．这种新式样没有能够流行，于是很快就被淘汰了。
I didn't expect pointed shoes to take on，but they have．我原来以为尖头皮鞋不会流行，可还真的流行了。
6．accept as an opponent in a contest；accept the challenge of（在竞赛中）接受…作为对手；接受…的挑战
We knew their football team was bigger and stronger，but we took them on anyway and beat them．我们知道他们的足球队比我们强大，但是我们仍然和他们比赛，而且把他们打败了。
I don't mind playing against a beginner，like myself，but I'm not going to take on someone who has been playing chess for years．跟一个象我自己一样的初学者比赛我不反对，但是我不会接受和一个下了多年棋的对手进行比赛。
7．load; receivefor carrying； be loaded with； allow to enter装载；接纳；允许进入
The tanker took on water at that port．油船在那个港口加了水。
A big ship was at the dock taking on automobiles in crates to carry overseas for sale．一艘大船停在码头上装载用板条箱运送的汽车，将它们运到海外去销售。
The bus driver stopped to take the children on．公共汽车停下让孩子们上车。
8．absorb; acquire吸收；获得
The cloth took on red from the skirt that was washed in the same tub．那块布跟裙子在一个盆里洗染上了红色。