quick, fast, hasty, rapid, sudden, swift
这组词共同的意思是“快的,迅速的”。它们的区别是：
1.quick指运动动作发生或完成的迅速、敏捷,强调的是单一动作的突然性或短暂性,也指才智和反应的敏捷和灵敏; swift意为“快”或“突然发生”,所指的运动速度最高,同时强调运动的平稳潇洒和轻捷、不费力气等,有时带文学色彩,为较正式的用语; fast多指运动的物体,位置移动的迅速,强调物体运动的方式; rapid是正式用语,多指运动本身,强调运动的高速度,所指的速度有时有“对人有益”的含义,常常可与fast互换使用,但语气比fast强; hasty指“草率,匆忙”; sudden则指“突然”。
2.swift, fast和rapid一般都指运动的速度,通常动作都有持续性和连续性。hasty一般都不指运动的速度。例如:
He gave me a quick response to my question.他对我的问题给出了迅速的回答。
The swift fading of autumn into winter.秋色迅速退去,随而进入冬天。
The fast train was exchanged for a local one.快车被换成了慢车。
He made such rapid progress that his parents were very glad.他取得了如此快的进步,以至于他的父母都很高兴。
She's too hasty—if she would only think before speaking she wouldn't have so much trouble.她太性急了,要是她讲话之前多考虑一下,就不会有那么多麻烦了。
A sudden clap of thunder woke me.一阵突然的雷声把我惊醒了。
quick, fleet
这两个词都有“快的”“快速的”意思。它们的区别在于:
1.fleet强调走得快、跑得快、飞得快等; quick则不仅指包括“走”“跑”“飞”等在内的动作迅速,还指能在瞬间或在短时间内完成许多事,含有匆忙、仓促的意味。例如:
That is a fleet horse.那是匹快马。
My quick action earned me his praise.我的行动敏捷,受到他的赞扬。
2.fleet也可指时间或事物是短暂的、转眼即逝的; quick还可指智力等方面反应敏捷、灵敏,此时,其后可接of或at短语,还可以接动词不定式。例如:
That is a fleet imagination in his mind.那是在他头脑中一闪而过的想象。
He is quick of sight.他目光锐利。
下面两个句子的意思相同:
He is quick of understanding.
He is quick to understand.
他理解力强。
quick, quickly
副词quick和副词quickly意思上差别不大,非正式口语中多用quick。另外, quick表示的“迅速”侧重指行动前不耽误时间; 而quickly表示的“迅速”侧重指动作速度快。例如:
As we get older the years seem to pass more quickly.随着我们年纪越来越大,日子好像过得更快了。
The train will get you there quicker than the bus.乘火车到那里去比乘公共汽车快。
quick, early, shortly, soon
这组词共同的意思是“不久”“即刻”“快”。它们的区别在于:early常指时间比原来或通常早些; quick含有匆忙、仓促之意; soon指在某一特定时间过现在之后不久,多用于将来时或过去时,通常放在句末或主要动词之前; shortly与soon同义,但比soon更郑重,常用于新闻报道等。例如:
You have to think quick with the mind and act quick with the body.你必须脑子转得快,行动也得快。
I came early, and had to wait for others, but soon after five o'clock they appeared.我来得早,得等其他人,可是刚过5点他们就都来了。
Shortly after that, the police arrived.那事情发生不久警察就到了。
