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辨析: damage, destroy, ruin, harm,

2010-07-16 09:21阅读:
昨晚Mike又发过来一道词汇辨析题,让我很无语。其实我挺讨厌做这种词汇辨析的!整天把时间浪费在这些词汇、语法的辨析上,我看不到有何意义。但Mike忙得不亦乐乎,我就不好意思说什么了,还是很认真得查阅了一下资料。
原题如下:
He knocked over a bottle of ink and _________ the table cloth.
A. damaged B. harmed C. ruined D. destroyed
我告诉他,这道题一看就选C,“为什么呢?”“我读着顺啊”。Mike很无语,这样和学生讲词汇辨析,肯定会被学生骂死。那就换一种方式呗。
深层记忆中好像听老师说过,“destroy”指不可修复的破坏。damage指使用价值遭到损坏。harm指肉体上或精神上的伤害。所以原题选C. ruined 应该没有争议了。
过了一会Mike又给我发过来他查阅的资料:
ruin 有时还可指一般意义的弄坏或损坏,此时与 spoil 同义且常可换用,只是语气比 spoil
稍强。这两个词有时还可用于美好经历或有用东西的损坏(此时不能用 damage 或 destroy)。如
My new dress is ruined [spoiled]. 我的新连衣裙全完了。(如泼上墨水等)

顺便看一下:wound injury与hurt
wound指用枪弹或刀剑等锐器故意施加的伤害。
wound与injure在肉体受伤的程度上往往比hurt严重。
hurt一词除指肉体的伤害外,也可指感情上的伤害,如hurt one's feeling , hurt one's pride。

下面我们从另一个角度进行词汇辨析:
1. damage:Harm or injury to propert
y or a person, resulting in loss of value or the impairment of usefulness.
2. ruin:
  1. To destroy completely; demolish.
  2. To harm irreparably.
  3. To reduce to poverty or bankruptcy.
  4. To deprive of chastity.
3. destroy:
  1. To ruin completely; spoil: The ancient manuscripts were destroyed by fire.
  2. To tear down or break up; demolish. See synonyms at ruin.
  3. To do away with; put an end to: 'In crowded populations, poverty destroys the possibility of cleanliness' (George Bernard Shaw).
  4. To kill: destroy a rabid dog.
  5. To subdue or defeat completely; crush: The rebel forces were destroyed in battle.
  6. To render useless or ineffective: destroyed the testimony of the prosecution's chief witness.
4. harm:
  1. Physical or psychological injury or damage.
  2. Wrong; evil.
从以上四词的英文释义中,不难看出他们之间的区别,做这种选择题也就迎刃而解了。所以建议还是多查一下英英词典,多看一些英语解释。当然记忆好的例句是必不可少的。

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