A：Smith Steakhouse. Can I help you?
      史密斯牛排店。能为您效劳吗？

quarter

B：Yes, I’d like to make a reservation for (two at eight o’clock/ six at seven thirty/ three at a quarter to nine).
      好的。我想预订一张（八点钟的两人台/ 7点30的六人台/ 8点45的三人台）。

1. 四分之一
    A quarter is one of four equal parts of something.

    e.g. A quarter of the residents are over 55 years old...
           1/4的居民年龄在55岁以上。
    e.g. I've got to go in a quarter of an hour...
           一刻钟以后我就得走了。

2. 季度;季
    A quarter is a fixed period of three months. Companies often divide their financial year into four quarters.

    e.g. The group said results for the third quarter are due on October 29.
           该集团表示第三季度的结果将于10月29日公布。

3. 一刻钟；十五分钟
    When you are telling the time, you use quarter to talk about the fifteen minutes before or after an hour. For example, 8.15 is quarter past eight, and 8.45 is quarter to nine. In American English, you can also say that 8.15 is a quarter after eight and 8.45 is a quarter of nine.

quarter的近义词

    e.g. It was a quarter to six...
           当时是6点差一刻。
    e.g. See you about quarter to nine...
           8点45分左右再见。

4. 把…分成四等份
    If you quarter something such as a fruit or a vegetable, you cut it into four roughly equal parts.

    e.g. Chop the mushrooms and quarter the tomatoes.
           把蘑菇切成丁，再把西红柿切成四瓣。

5. 把…降至原先的四分之一;把…减少四分之三
    If the number or size of something is quartered, it is reduced to about a quarter of its previous number or size.

    e.g. The doses I suggested for adults could be halved or quartered.
           我之前建议成人服用的剂量可以降到1/2或者1/4。

6. (美国或加拿大的)25分硬币
    A quarter is an American or Canadian coin that is worth 25 cents.

    e.g. I dropped a quarter into the slot of the pay phone.
           我向付费电话的投币孔里投了一枚25分硬币。

7. (城镇中某一类人群生活或工作的)区，地区
    A particular quarter of a town is a part of the town where a particular group of people traditionally live or work.

    e.g. Look for hotels in the French Quarter.
           在法国人居住区寻找旅馆。

8. (做出反应或行动的)某位人士，某个团体
    To refer to a person or group you may not want to name, you can talk about the reactions or actions from a particular quarter .

    e.g. Help came from an unexpected quarter...
           援助来自于一个意想不到的团体。
    e.g. There are fears in some quarters that the republic would have little chance of surviving on its own.
           某些人士担心共和国独立支撑下去的希望很渺茫。

9. (军人、水手、仆人的)住处，宿舍，营房
    The rooms provided for soldiers, sailors, or servants to live in are called their quarters .

    e.g. Mckinnon went down from deck to the officers' quarters.
           麦金农走下甲板，来到军官们的住处。

10. 为…提供临时住所
    If people are quartered somewhere, they are provided with accommodation for a short time, usually while they are working away from home.

    e.g. Our soldiers are quartered in Peredelkino.
           我们的士兵在佩列杰利基诺扎营。

11. 近距离地;近在咫尺；接近地
      If you do something at close quarters, you do it very near to a particular person or thing.

      e.g. You can watch aircraft take off or land at close quarters...
             你可以近距离观察飞机的起降。

12. 不仁慈；不宽恕
      If you say that someone was given no quarter, you mean that they were not treated kindly by someone who had power or control over them.

      e.g. This is not war as you learned it. It is brutal work, with no quarter given.
             这并不是你所了解的战争。它残酷无情，对人没有半点怜悯。