Memory vs. Recollection: 英文字彙的細微差別

「Memory」和「Recollection」乍看之下意思都與「記憶」相關,但它們之間卻存在著微妙的差別。簡單來說,「memory」指的更廣泛,包含所有儲存在腦海中的資訊,無論是清晰的、模糊的、甚至是無意識的;而「recollection」則專指一種有意識地、努力地去回想過去事件的過程和結果。 「Memory」像是一個大倉庫,存放著各種資訊;「Recollection」則像是你在這個倉庫中尋找特定物品的過程。

舉例來說:

  • Memory: "I have a vivid memory of my first day at school." (我對我第一天到學校的記憶非常清晰。) This sentence simply states the existence of a memory.

  • Recollection: "My recollection of the accident is hazy; I can only remember bits and pieces." (我對那場意外的回憶很模糊;我只能記起一些片段。) This sentence describes the act of trying to remember and the result, which is fragmented.

再看幾個例子:

  • Memory: "She has a good memory for names." (她記人名很厲害。) This refers to the general capacity to remember.

  • Recollection: "After much effort, I finally managed to recollect the password." (經過一番努力,我終於記起了密碼。) This emphasizes the active process of retrieval.

  • Memory: "Losing my memory is my biggest fear." (失去記憶是我最大的恐懼。) This refers to the general loss of stored information.

  • Recollection: "The police are trying to piece together a recollection of events that led to the crime." (警方正在試圖拼湊出導致犯罪的一系列事件的回憶。) This focuses on the piecing together of fragments of remembered events.

透過這些例子,相信大家能更清楚地理解「memory」和「recollection」之間的差異。

Happy learning!

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