trial/ˋtraIəl; ˈtraIəl/n 1 [C,U] a legal process in which a court of law decides whether or not someone is guilty of a crime [→ try] 审判﹐审理: a murder trial 一宗谋杀案的审判on trial (for sth) (=being judged in a court). (因某事)受审判 He is on trial for armed robbery. 他因持枪抢劫正在受审。She is due to stand trial (=be judged in a court) on a drugs charge. 她因被控贩毒要接受审判。He claimed he would not receive a fair trial . 他断言他不会受到公正的审判。2 [C,U] when something or someone is tested to find out how good, effective etc they are [→ try] 试验: The drug is undergoing clinical trials (=tests involving sick people). 这种药正在进行临床试验。3 trial and error when you test different methods or answers in order to find the most suitable one 反复试验〔以找出最佳效果〕: Students learn through a process of trial and error. 学生通过不断摸索学习。4 trial basis/period if you use something or someone on a trial basis or for a trial period, you use them for a short period to find out whether they are satisfactory 试用期5 [C usually plural 一般用复数] something that is difficult or unpleasant to deal with [→ trying] 艰难困苦﹐考验: the trials and tribulations of running a business 经营企业的考验和磨砺6 trials [plural 复数] BrE a sports competition that tests the ability of people who want to be included in a team [ tryout AmE 【美】] 【英】预赛﹐选拔赛