考研英语词汇复习（13） remain、 retain、 sustain、maintain

考研英语词汇复习（13）

 

                        动词remain、 retain、 sustain、maintain

 

                                                                                                     佳中

 

remain

      retain

    

    这两个动词都含“保留”的意思。

 

remain  是不及物动词或作系动词。

 

1) After his house was burned down in the big fire, very little of his properties remained.

   （他的房子被大火烧毁后，没有什么财产留下来。）

2) His condition remained the same. There has been no significant change ever since his admission.

   （他的病情仍然如此，入院以来没有明显的改变。）

 

retain 是及物动词。

 

1) No substance can retain moisture indefinitely when exposed to great heat; the majority will evaporate.

     (当受到高热时，没有物质能无限期保持湿度，大多数物质会蒸发。)

             2) Short-term memories are retained only for a few minutes, not permanently stored in the brain.

                （短期记忆保留只有几分钟,不能永久储存在大脑。）

 

sustain

maintain

      

 这两个动词都含“维持”、“保持”的意思。

 

sustain 的原意是“支撑”，常引申出维持生命或保持某动作。

 

1) Seeing the branches could hardly sustain the weight of the apples, the old man found some poles with which to support them.

   （看到树枝难以支撑苹果的重量，老人找来一些木杆将树支撑起来。）

            2) I’m afraid that these provisions cannot sustain us through the week. We’ll have to ask for assistance.

               （恐怕这些供给不能维持我们渡过这个星期，我们必须请求援助。）

       

maintain 指维持或保持某种状态或水平。

 

1) It is essential that our hospitals and schools should be maintained constantly reliable electricity supplies.

   （我们的医院和学校必须不断保持可靠的电力供应，这一点很重要。）

2) Wages and salaries can hardly be maintained at the present level on account of the increasing competition among firms for trained workers.

               （由于公司之间对训练有素工人竞争越来越激烈，目前的工资水平很恐难以保持。）