一、作用对象是物
1、从 pick up 的字面上可以看出，它最基本的意思是”拿起；提起；拾起；捡起“，通常是用手，例如：
Would you please pick up that book from off the floor?
请你把地板上的那本书捡起来好吗？
Don't go picking these boxes up if your back is injured.
如果你的背受伤了，不要去捡这些箱子。
注意：pick up 作用的对象也可以是人，但是翻译的时候不能说：拿起或是捡起某个人。
2、意为“买”，特别是偶然的机会买到便宜的东西，例如：
Let's pick up a couple of magazines for the train ride.
我们买几本杂志乘火车去吧。
I picked this coat up at the sale.
我在大减价时买的这件外套。
We managed to pick up a few bargains at the auction.
我们从拍卖场买到了几件便宜货。
3、意为“感染；得到”，例如：
I think I picked up Tommy's cold.
我想我是感染了汤米的感冒。
Qualified specialists can pick up over $100 an hour.
有资格的专家每小时能得到超过100美元的报酬。
4、意为“察觉；发现；注意到”，例如：
We picked up a signal that appears to be coming from Saturn!
我们发现了一个似乎来自土星的信号！
We can pick up the motorway in a few miles.
经过几英里以后我们就能发现高速公路。
5、意为“恢复原状，回到（本题）”，例如：
after I came back from London, we picked things up again as if I had never left.
我从伦敦回来后，我们把所有的东西恢复原状，好像我从未离开过似的。
He picks up this theme again in later chapters of the book.
在该书的后几章，他又重回到这个主题上。
6、意为“收拾，整理”，例如：
John's upstairs picking his room up.
约翰在楼上收拾房间。
Will you pick up all your toys?
把你的玩具都收起来好不好？
7、意为“”接收“，通常是信号、图象，声音等，例如：
We were able to pick up the BBC World Service.
我们能收到英国广播公司国际广播节目。
8、意为”（偶然）得到，听到，学会“，例如：
My parents were afraid that I would pick up bad habits at summer camp.
我父母担心我在夏令营会染上坏习惯。
She never studied French in school—she just picked it up when she was working in Paris.
她在学校从来没有学过法语，只是在巴黎工作时学的。
9、意为”辨认，识别出，察觉“，例如：
I picked up on my roommate's bad mood and left him alone.
我察觉到我室友的坏心情，把他一个人留下了。
Scientists can now pick up early signs of the disease.
现在科学家能够辨认这种疾病的早期症状。
10、意为”取回，收集“，例如：
I need to go pick up my bike from the shop. They said they were finished working on it.
我要去商店取我的自行车。他们说他们已经完成了。
I'm heading out to pick up my lawnmower from Steve's house.
我要去史蒂夫家拿我的割草机。
二、pick up 作用的对象是人
1、意为”举起，抱起“，例如：
My son is constantly asking me to pick him up. I can't get anything done around here!
我儿子总是要我把他举起来。我什么都做不了了。
His leg was injured, so the trainers picked up Larry and carried him off the field.
他的腿受伤了，所以教练把拉里抱起来，把他带离了球场。
2、意为”开车接人；让人乘车，搭载”，例如：
I'll come by your house at 8 o'clock and pick you up.
我八点钟到你家来接你。
It's illegal to pick up hitchhikers.
搭便车是违法的。
3、意为“搭讪，勾搭”，通常有猥亵的表现，例如：
I can't believe I let a meathead like him pick me up.
我真不敢相信我居然让他这样的笨蛋和我搭讪。
He goes to clubs to pick up girls.
他到夜总会去泡妞。
4、意为“逮捕，抓捕”，通常是警察，例如：
They picked the suspect up in a motel on the outskirts of town.
他们在城郊的一家汽车旅馆里把嫌疑犯抓了起来。
The police picked him up for burglary.
警察以盗窃罪逮捕了他。
5、意为“提神；使人觉得舒服”，例如：
Here, have a bite to eat. It will pick you up a bit.
来，吃点东西。它会让你振作起来的。
I need a cup of coffee to pick me up—I'm falling asleep at the wheel!
我需要一杯咖啡来接我——我开车睡着了！
6、pick oneself up 意为”站起来“，通常是跌倒后或是经历了失败后站起来，例如：
Jim picked himself up and stood there waiting.
吉姆站起来站在那儿等着。
The economic crash totally ruined my business, but I picked myself up and got work wherever I could.
经济危机彻底毁了我的生意，但我振作起来，在任何可能的地方找到了工作。
People all over the state are picking themselves up now that the hurricane has passed.
飓风过去了，全州的人都在振作起来。
三、pick up 单独使用
1、意为”接电话“，例如：
I tried his home number but he didn't pick up.
我试过他的家庭号码，但他没有接。
The phone rang and rang and nobody picked up.
电话铃响了又响，但没人接。
解析：当上下文没有出现 phone 的时候，若要表达接电话，pick up 后面要接 the phone，不能没人知道你要做什么， 例如：
I went to pick up the phone, but it had stopped ringing.
我去接电话，但它不再响了。
2、意为”改善，改强，好转“，例如：
The film was pretty boring initially, but it picked up in the second half.
这部电影一开始很无聊，但在下半场就开始上映了。
It was a rough year, but things have been picking up lately.
这是艰难的一年，但最近情况有所好转。
Trade usually picks up in the spring.
贸易一般在春天回升。
The wind is picking up now.
现在风愈刮愈大了。
Sales have picked up 14% this year.
今年销售额增长了14%。
可以延伸表示加速时，后面可以接 speed， 例如：
The plane picked up speed.
飞机加速了。
The truck picked up speed slowly.
卡车慢慢加速。
3、意为”（为某人）收拾，整理“，通常后面跟 after，例如：
I'm sick of picking up after you!
我受够了替你收拾！
All I seem to do is cook, wash and pick up after the kids.
烧饭、洗衣、跟在孩子屁股后头收拾东西——好像这就是我全部的活儿。
四、pick up on
1、 意为“领略；意会；意识到”，例如：
Only one newspaper picked up on the contradictions in the statement.
只有一家报纸注意到了声明中的矛盾之处。
2、意为“回到；重提”，通常是问题或要点，例如：
If I could just pick up on a question you raised earlier.
请允许我重提一下您早先提出的问题。
Can I just pick up on your first point again, please?
我能再说一遍你第一次的要点吗？
3、pick sb up on 意为“提到某人的错误；挑毛病；算旧账“，例如：
His teacher picked him up on his pronunciation.
他的老师提到了他的错误的发音。
I knew he would pick me up on that slip sooner or later.
我知道他迟早会提起我那个小过失的。
