Abroad vs. Overseas: 英语单词辨析

“Abroad”和“overseas”这两个英语单词都表示“在国外”,但它们之间存在细微的差别。简单来说,“abroad”更强调在国外的状态,而“overseas”更强调跨越海洋的距离。 “Abroad”通常指一个较广阔的范围,而“overseas”则更常用于指具体的海外领土或国家。

让我们来看一些例句来更好地理解这两个词的用法:

  • 例1:I've travelled abroad many times. (我已经出国旅行很多次了。) This sentence uses "abroad" to generally describe the act of traveling outside one's own country. It doesn't specify where.

  • 例2:He works overseas for a large company. (他在海外一家大公司工作。) Here, "overseas" implies that his work is located in a country across the sea from his home country.

  • 例3:She lived abroad for five years, mostly in Europe. (她在国外生活了五年,大部分时间在欧洲。) “Abroad” is used here to show a general sense of living outside her home country, while specifying the region.

  • 例4:The company has many overseas branches. (这家公司在海外有很多分公司。) Again, "overseas" emphasizes the geographical distance – across the sea – to the branches.

“Abroad”通常用作副词,而“overseas”既可以作副词,也可以作形容词。例如:

  • 例5:We're going abroad next summer. (我们明年夏天要出国。) “Abroad” is an adverb modifying “going”.

  • 例6:Overseas investment is important for economic growth. (海外投资对经济增长很重要。) “Overseas” is an adjective modifying “investment”.

虽然很多情况下这两个词可以互换使用,但理解它们细微的差别能帮助你更准确地表达意思。 选择哪个词取决于你想强调的是在国外的状态,还是跨越海洋的距离。

Happy learning!

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