spare sb the trouble / difficulty / pain etc (of doing sth) to prevent someone from having to experience something difficult or unpleasant免除某人(做某事的)麻烦/困难/痛苦等:•I wanted to spare them the trouble of buying me a present.我想让他们别麻烦给我买礼物了。•Thankfully she had been spared the ordeal of surgery.谢天谢地,她不用动手术受折磨了。 |