Harsh vs. Severe: 英文字詞的細微差別

很多同學在學習英文時,常常會搞混 "harsh" 和 "severe" 這兩個字。雖然它們都帶有負面意思,但實際應用上卻有細微的差別。簡單來說,"harsh" 指的是粗糙、嚴厲或刺耳的,通常指觸感、聲音或言辭;而 "severe" 則指嚴重的、嚴峻的,通常形容情況或後果。

讓我們用一些例子來看看它們的區別:

Harsh:

  • The sun was harsh that day. (那天太陽很毒辣。) This describes the unpleasant feeling of the sun on your skin.
  • He received harsh criticism for his work. (他因為工作受到嚴厲的批評。) This refers to the critical tone and words used.
  • The music was too harsh for my liking. (對我來說,那音樂太刺耳了。) This describes the unpleasant sound of the music.

Severe:

  • He suffered a severe injury in the accident. (他在意外中受了重傷。) This describes the seriousness of the injury.
  • The storm caused severe damage to the town. (暴風雨對城鎮造成了嚴重的破壞。) This describes the seriousness of the damage.
  • She has a severe case of the flu. (她得了嚴重的流感。) This describes the seriousness of the illness.

從以上的例子可以看出,"harsh" 更側重於直接的、令人不快的感覺或刺激,而 "severe" 則更側重於情況的嚴重程度和後果。 學習時,可以多注意它們在句子中的語境,有助於更精準地理解和運用這兩個詞彙。

Happy learning!

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