/ə'ləʊn; ə`lon/
adj [pred 作表语], adv
1 (a) without any companions 无伴; 独自; 孤单; 孤独
*I don't like going out alone after dark. 我不愿意天黑後独自外出.
* She lives all alone in that large house. 她独自一人住在那所大房子 .
* (fig 比喻) She stands alone (ie is without equal) among modern sculptors. 她在现代雕塑家中是独一无二的.
(b) without the help of other people or things 无他人或事物相助; 单独（的）; 独力（的）
*It will be difficult for one person alone. 单独一个人很困难.
* She raised her family quite alone. 她独力养家.
* I prefer to work on it alone. 我愿意独力做这件事. Cf 参看 lone, lonely 1. =>Usage 见所附用法.
2 (following a n or pron 用于名词或代词之後) only; exclusively 只有; 仅仅
*The shoes alone cost 100. 光是鞋就花了100英镑.
* (saying 谚) Time alone will tell. 日久自明.
* He will be remembered for that one book alone. 仅仅那一本书就可以使他留名于世了.
* You alone can help me. 只有你才能帮助我.
3 (idm 习语) go it a`lone (attempt to) carry out a task or start a difficult project without help from anyone （试图）独力执行一任务或开始一艰难工作; 单干
*He decided to go it alone and start his own business. 他决定单干创业. leave/let sb/sth alone not take, touch or interfere with sb/sth; not try to influence or change sb/sth 不带走, 不触摸, 不干涉某人[某事物]; 不想左右或改变某人[某事物]
*She's asked to be left alone but the press keep pestering her. 她要求不要打扰她, 但报界总是缠着她不放.
* I've told you before leave my things alone! 我早已告诉过你--不要动我的东西! leave/let well alone => well3. let alone without considering 不必考虑
*There isn't enough room for `us, let alone six dogs and a cat. 连我们的地方都不够, 更不必说六条狗和一支猫了.
* I haven't decided on the `menu yet, let alone bought the food. 我还没决定吃什么菜呢, 更不必说买好了. not be alone in doing sth be one of several people who think, feel, etc sth 不单一个人这样想, 感觉等某事物
*He is not alone in believing (ie Other people agree with him) that it may lead to war. 不单他一个人认为那会引起战争.

NOTE ON USAGE 用法
*
1 Alone and solitary describe a person or thing that is separate from others. *alone和solitary都用以形容一人或一事物与他人或他事物相分离. A person may prefer to be alone/solitary and these words do not suggest unhappiness. 用 alone/solitary , . Alone is not used before a noun *alone不可用于名词之前
*I look forward to being alone in the house. 我盼望着能自己一人在这所房子 .
* Our house stands alone at the end of the lane. 我们的房子座落在这条小巷的尽头, 没有左邻右舍.
* She goes for long solitary walks. 她独自漫步, 走了很长的路. In this sense on my, our, etc own or by myself, ourselves, etc are often used in informal speech instead of alone 在口语中表达这种含义常用 on my, our ...own或by myself, ourselves等, 而不用alone
*She's going on holiday on her own this year. 她今年独自一人去度假.
2 Lonely and, in US English, lonesome suggests that someone does not want to be alone and is unhappy *lonely及在美式英语中用的lonesome, 指并非本人愿意如此, 含有不愉快之意
*He was very lonely at first when he moved to London. 他当初刚到伦敦时很孤单.
* She led a solitary existence but was seldom lonely. 她独自生活却很少感到孤单.
3 Lonely and solitary can describe out-of-the-way places where people rarely go *lonely和solitary可用以形容很少有人到的偏僻地方
*a lonely/solitary cottage on the moors 荒野中孤零零的农舍.

adj, adv [not before noun]
[Date: 1200-1300; Origin: all one 'wholly one']
if you are alone in a place, there is no one with you
= by yourself
　She lives alone .
　You shouldn't leave a child alone in the house.
　My wife and I like to spend time alone together away from the kids.
without any friends or people you know
　It was scary being all alone in a strange city.
　She was all alone in the world (=she had no family or friends to help her or look after her) .
feeling unhappy and lonely
　I cried like a child because I felt so alone .
without any help from other people
　He was left to raise their two children alone.
without including anything else
　The case will cost thousands of pounds in legal fees alone.
you/he etc alone
used to emphasize that there is only one person who knows, can do something etc
　Julie alone knew the truth.
go it alone
to start working or living on your own, especially after working or living with other people
　After years of working for a big company I decided to go it alone.
leave sb alone
let sb aloneold-fashioned
to stop annoying or interrupting someone
　'Leave me alone!' she screamed.
leave sth alonealsolet sth aloneold-fashioned
to stop touching an object or changing something
　Leave those cakes alone. They're for the guests.
leave well (enough) alone
(=not change something that is satisfactory)
　In economic matters, they should leave well alone.
be yours/hers/his etc alone
used to emphasize that something belongs to someone
　The responsibility is yours and yours alone.
not be alone in (doing) sth
to not be the only person to do something
　You're not alone in feeling upset, believe me.
stand alone
a) to be strong and independent
　the courage to stand alone
b) to be at a distance from other objects or buildings
　The house stood alone at the end of the road.