familiar to, familiar with
这两个短语共同的意思是“熟悉”,都可用作表语或后置定语。它们的区别是:
1.familiar to的意思是“为…所熟悉”,其主语可以是人,也可以是物,宾语通常是人,而familiar with的意思是“熟悉…”,其主语只能是人,而宾语是所熟悉的内容或物。例如:
许多人熟悉他的名字。
His name is familiar to many people.
Many people are familiar with his name.
2.familiar with后接事物时,可作“精通,通晓”解。偶尔也见familiar to作此解,但不如前者普遍和自然。例如:
He is familiar with four languages.他通晓四国语言。
French is as familiar to him as English.他对法语就像对英语那样精通。
3.familiar with后接人时,还可作“同…亲密”解, familiar to仅表熟悉,无此含义。例如:
He made himself much too familiar with my wife.他对我妻子亲昵得太过分了。
He was familiar to her.他是她熟悉的人。
familiar, close, intimate
这三个词共同的意思是“亲近,亲密”。它们的区别是:
familiar指经常接触,长时间的交往使彼此熟悉,亲近,甚至随便,不拘小节; close指由于感情、爱好、兴趣等方面的接近而趋于亲近,也指关系上的亲密; intimate是正式用语,指由于有某种关系(如血缘关系、朋友关系等)或深刻了解彼此的思想感情,或有共同的爱好、志向而亲近。例如:
His familiar behaviour annoys me,I don't know him at all well.他随便的态度使我很不自在,其实我和他一点也不熟悉。
They are close friends.他们是亲密的朋友。
He is on intimate terms with my father.他和我父亲的关系很亲密。