get through to sb.有如下三个含义:

一、 make contact with sb. by telephone （用电话）接通，打通，联系上

The operator told me that all the lines were engaged. That's why I couldn't get through to you. 话务员告诉我电话全占线,这就是我未能和你通话的原因.

　　I rang you several times but couldn't get through (to you). 我给你打了几次电话,但都没打通.

二、reach 到达（某人处）；传到

I started as soon as your message got through to me. 我一接到你的口信儿,马上就动身了.

Thousands of refugees will die if these supplies don’t get through to them.如果这些生活用品运不到，数以千计的难民就会死去。

　　三、 make oneself(itself) understood 使某人理解，使某人接受（所讲的话）

　　Try to get through to him that he's wasting his life in that job.设法让他明白,做那种工作是浪费生命.

在使用get through to sb.的这一含义时,要注意如下四点:

1)通常,它的主语(或逻辑主语)是表示人的名词或代词

　　I just don't think anyone can get through to these kids. 我就是认为谁也说服不了这些孩子.

　　It's difficult to get through to students who don't want to learn. (句中to get through to...的逻辑主语是any teacher一类的词语) 让不愿意学习的学生听懂是困难的.

2)有时,get through to sb.的主语(或逻辑主语)是idea一类的词.如:

　　When the boy's father lost all his money, it took a long time for the idea to get through to him that he'd have to work and support himself. 当那男孩子的父亲变得一无所有时,经过了很长一段时间,他才意识到自己必须工作以养活自己.

3) 这一习语的get后可接宾语,如果宾语是从句,可在宾语的位置用it充当形式宾语(也可不用),将作宾语的从句移到后面　　

I can't seem to get it through to him. 我似乎无法使他明白这件事.

　  I can't get (it) through to him that he must rest. 我无法使他明白他该休息了.

4) 这一习语多用于否定句或含有否定意义词的句子中

　　I can't seem to get (it) through to you that I love you and I'm not going to leave you. 看来,我无法让你相信我是爱你的,并且不会离开你.

　　Deaf people sometimes find it hard to get through to strangers. 失聪的人发现有时很难使陌生人理解他们的意思.

Exercises:

　　Directions: Choose the one from A) , B) and C) that can paraphrase（v. 释义）each of the following sentences.

1. The boy is just stupid; I can't get through to him at all, even when I explain things in words of one syllable.

　　A) The boy is so stupid that he doesn't know how to contact me by phone.

　　B) The stupid boy did not pick up the receiver when the telephone rang.

　　C) The boy is not clever at all; I can't make him understand a little even when I explain things in simple words.

2. I explained once again, but I still could't get through to him.

　　A) I tried to contact him for the second time, but still nobody answered the telephone.

　　B) I still couldn't make myself understood although I explained it to him once again.

　　C) My message couldn't reach him although I sent it to him once more.

3. I can't get it through to him that smoking is bad for his health.

　　A) I'm not able to make him believe that smoking is harmful to his health.

　　B) It is difficult for me to talk him into smoking.

　　C) I write to him again and again to dissuade him from the use of tobacco but failed.

4. We can't get through to the government just how serious the problem is!

　　A) We won't succeed in persuading the government into working out a solution of the problem.

　　B) We don't understand why the government doesn't solve the serious problem immediately.

　　C) We've failed in making the government believe the seriousness of the problem.

5. Our feelings must have gotten through to him quickly.

　　A) We must at once explain to him how we feel.

　　B) He most probably understood our feelings quickly.

　　C) He understood how we felt by talking to us on the phone.

6. At the fifth attempt the operator got me through to New York.

　　A) The operator failed to complete the long-distance call to New York for five successive times.

　　B) The operator tried for the fifth time and finally succeeded in putting me through to New York.

　　C) Only by trying for at least five times can overseas calls be completed.

Answers: C B A C B,  B