cautious, attentive, careful, precautious
这组形容词都有“细心的”“谨慎的”意思。它们的区别在于:
1.careful修饰具有动作概念的名词时,可译为“细致的”“精心的”,含有靠认真实践来避免错误的意味。例如:
One can never be too careful in his work.工作越细心越好。
She was careful enough to find this mistake of mine.她相当仔细,发现了我的这一差错。
2.attentive指为了理解或改变事物而采取“注意的”或“聚精会神”的态度,有时含有谦恭有礼的意味。例如:
Please be more attentive to your studies.请多用点儿心读书。
A speaker likes to have an attentive audience.演讲者喜欢聚精会神的听众。
She was very attentive to her sick sister.她非常关心生病的妹妹。
3.cautious指对待某事物时,要仔细考虑各种可能性,所持的态度是“细心的”“谨慎的”,含有要避免危险、谨慎留意、以防出现差错的意味。例如:
The students are cautious not to make any mistakes in spelling.学生们在拼写时非常小心。
He is a cautious driver.他开车很谨慎。
Papa, intensely cautious, never made a decision lightly.爸爸非常谨慎小心,从来不轻易作出决定。
She was cautious of strangers.她对陌生人很戒备。
4.precautious指对待某事物是“有防备的”“戒备的”“警惕的”,尤指社会场合的谨慎,除非对知己者,否则不愿对他人谈及自己的个人问题,也指担心出差错而事先做好各种防范准备。例如:
He was precautious in crossing the rickety bridge.走过这座摇摇晃晃的桥时他小心翼翼。
careful，cautious，attentive，prudent
这些形容词都含有“小心的，谨慎的”之意。
careful侧重做事谨慎、留心，特别注意一些细节地方。
cautious着重考虑事情的后果，谨慎留意，防止出差错。
attentive指认真地注意地倾听别人的意见，留心别人的需要等。
prudent指遇事审慎，思考计划周密，不贸然行事。
