1. 发明物;创造的事物
    An invention is a machine, device, or system that has been invented by someone.

    e.g. It's been a tricky business marketing his new invention...
           推广他的新发明一直是件棘手的事情。
    e.g. The spinning wheel was a Chinese invention.
           纺车是中国人的发明。

2. 发明;创造
    Invention is the act of inventing something that has never been made or used before.

    e.g. More than eight million books were printed within fifty years after the invention of the printing press.
           印刷机发明以后的 50 年间,有 800 多万册图书被印刷。
    e.g. ...the invention of the telephone.
           电话的发明

3. 捏造;虚构
    If you refer to someone's account of something as an invention, you think that it is untrue and that they have made it up.

    e.g. In these and several other respects, there are many inventions and exaggerations...
           在这些方面和其他几个方面都存在许多捏造与夸张之处。
    e.g. The story was certainly a favourite one, but it was undoubtedly pure invention.
           这个故事当然特别受欢迎,但它无疑纯属虚构。

4. 发明才能;创造能力
    Invention is the ability to invent things or to have clever and original ideas.

    e.g. ...his great powers of invention.
           他出色的创造才能