Be off，to be off

这两个短语的涵义并不相同。

Be off!的意思是“走开!”、“滚开!”，相当于英语的Be gone!或Get away!例：

Be off! you wretch!

滚开!你这个卑鄙的家伙!

Be off! or I’ll call the police.

你出去，否则我要报警啦。

Be off!亦可写作 Be off with you!或 Off with you!这三种形式可互换使用。

To be off的涵义较多，有“离去”、“出发”、“脱离”、“暂停”、“中断”、“取消”等义。例：

I must be off.(=I must leave now.)

我该走了。

We are off!(=Off we go!)

我们出发了!

值得注意的是，We are off!和Off we go!可根据不同的场合和上下文，表达不同的时间概念。它们能表示We have started、We are starting和We are about to start等义。同样，They are off to Macau根据不同的场合，可分别译作：“他们已去澳门”、“他们正在动身去澳门”和“他们将要去澳门”。

Her shoes are off!

她把鞋脱了!

The electricity(water or gas)is off!

断电(水或煤气)啦!

Their engagement is off.

他们的婚约取消了。

除上列各义外，to be off还可用以表述下列意思：

We are off every Wednesday.

我们每星期三休息。

She sounds off on the telephone.

谈电话时她有点不客气/不自然/不对劲。

All books have 20% off.

所有的书籍均八折出售。

This fish is slightly off.

这鱼有点不新鲜。

The motor is off.

马达停了。

To be off 还可用在某些固定的说法里。如：

to be off with the old love and on with the new(另找新欢)