Loyal vs. Faithful: 弄清这两个英语单词的细微差别

很多同学觉得loyal和faithful意思差不多,都是"忠诚的",其实它们之间还是有一些细微差别的。简单来说,loyal更强调对人或组织的忠诚,并且愿意为之付出和牺牲;而faithful更强调对承诺、责任或信仰的忠诚,比较注重信守诺言和坚定不移。

Loyal通常用于描述人与人之间,或人对某个群体、国家、事业的忠诚。例如:

  • He is a loyal friend. 他是一个忠诚的朋友。(He is a loyal friend.)
  • She is loyal to her company. 她对她的公司很忠诚。(She is loyal to her company.)
  • The dog is loyal to its owner. 这条狗对它的主人很忠诚。(The dog is loyal to its owner.)

Faithful则更侧重于对承诺、责任或信仰的忠诚,也指对某人或某事坚定不移。例如:

  • He has been faithful to his wife for many years. 他几十年如一日地忠于他的妻子。(He has been faithful to his wife for many years.)
  • She remained faithful to her principles. 她始终坚持她的原则。(She remained faithful to her principles.)
  • The compass is faithful to the north. 指南针指向北方。(The compass is faithful to the north.)

当然,在很多情况下,loyal和faithful可以互换使用,但理解它们细微的差别能让你更精准地表达意思。

Happy learning!

Learn English with Images

With over 120,000 photos and illustrations