口语用法: 1. child's play 小孩儿游戏, 小孩儿玩意 a task which is easily accomplished. something that is very easy to do: For her, computer programming is child's play. "tapping phones is child's play". I can handle spicy food very well. This is child's play, nothing I can't handle. But this one is better, it's got a bit kick to it 有点劲儿了, 有点味了, 有点意思了. At Nando's I'm a medium or extra hot if I'm feeling a bit adventurous to burn my mouth. Oh now it burns. This is too hot for my liking. This is way too hot for me. kick I. (colloquial) Something that tickles the fancy; something fun or amusing; a pleasure; a thrill. I finally saw the show. What a kick! I think I sprained something on my latest exercise kick. II. (figuratively) Any bucking motion of an object that lacks legs or feet. The car had a nasty kick the whole way. The pool ball took a wild kick, up off the table. III. (uncountable and countable) A pungent or spicy flavour; piquancy. IV. a stimulating or exciting quality or effect. get a charge/kick out of as in enjoy. to take pleasure in. To be delighted by; to be amused by. I really got a kick out of that clown's juggling act. It's clear that people get a kick out of silly cat videos. for kicks If you say that someone does something for kicks, you mean that they do it because they think it will be exciting. They made a few small bets for kicks. V. informal the sudden stimulating or intoxicating effect of strong alcoholic drink or certain drugs.
用法学习: 1. sitting pretty 处境优渥, 处境好 To be in a very favorable position. If you say that someone is sitting pretty, you mean that they are in a good, safe, or comfortable position. to be in a good situation, usually because you have a lot of money: They bought their house while prices were low, so now they're sitting pretty. Compared with some, we are sitting pretty. sit on (one's) hands 坐视不管, 坐视不理 To fail to act. sit by take no action in order to prevent something undesirable from occurring. "I'm not going to sit by and let an innocent man go to jail". sit for (some)/(one's) exam To take an examination in a formal setting or situation. You will have all your personal belongings inspected before you sit for the exam to ensure that no one is able to cheat. It was only when I sat for my final exam that I realized I had left my calculator at home. If my teacher hadn't convinced me to sit for the SAT, I never would have gotten into college. sit on something to delay taking action about something: The company has been sitting on my letter for weeks without dealing with my complaint. sit by 坐视不管, 坐视不理 If you sit by while something wrong or illegal is happening, you allow it to happen and do not do anything about it. We can't just sit by and watch you throw your life away. The use of ozone-depleting chemicals grew dramatically and the government sat idly by. sit something out I. 不参与. 不加入. not take part in a particular event or activity. "he had to sit out Sheffield Wednesday's cup game". He sat out the football season because of a contract dispute. She knew she couldn't sit this election out, as she had the last one. I'm feeling rather tired, so I think I'll sit out the next dance. II. 不介入, 静静地看着(grin and bear it), 坐视不管. wait without moving or taking action until a particular unwelcome situation or process is over. to wait for an unpleasant situation or event to finish, without leaving or taking some other action: The company's management is prepared to sit out the strike rather than agree to union demands. "most of the workers seem to be sitting the crisis out, waiting to see what will happen". "I'll pass on that 我就算了, 我就不了, 算了 (婉拒)"= I'll refrain from doing that. (Possibly from card terminology). A: Do you want to have tea ? B:. "No thanks, I'll pass". A: I have some tickets for the game tomorrow. Do you want to come? B: Sorry, I'll have to pass. It's my wife's birthday. A: Would you like to finish your lunch with some coffee. B: No, thanks. I'll pass on the coffee because I'm in a hurry. It's also sometimes used when we don't know the answer to a question. A: Does anyone here know the highest mountain in South America?B: I'll pass. I'm no good at geography. 2. 英国俚语用法: I'm sat = I'm sitting. I'm stood = I'm standing. I was sat in the middle of the field. I'm sat here in Vittles waiting for a second pot of tea, and life is OK, on the whole. I'm sat here watching and listening to them talk. I'm sat here, tears running down my face and no one asks if I'm okay. 3. scatty [ˈskati] 迷迷糊糊的, 不上心的, 心不在焉的 adjective informal British absent-minded and disorganized. If you describe someone as scatty, you mean that they often forget things or behave in a silly way. silly and often forgetting things: a scatty child. scatty behaviour. Her mother is scatty and absent-minded. "Julia sees herself as vaguely uneducated and slightly scatty". fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down 丑到家了 Commonly used phrase referencing the degree to which an individual is considered unattractive. Billy Bob: "Geez! That woman with the balding patte, bulbous nose, black front teeth, and tattoo of 'I Like It Rough,' sure is ugly!" Billy Roy: "She sure has a flabby gut, and that backside ain't too perty neither!" Said of someone or something that is deemed very unattractive. That hairless cat is hideous—it's like it fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. (as) ugly as sin 丑爆了 Extremely visually displeasing or unattractive. This old car is all beat up and ugly as sin, but it's still going strong after all these years. I'm sure I looked as ugly as sin by that point, with my makeup smeared all over the place and my hair a total mess. Well, this wallpaper obviously has to go—it's ugly as sin! 4. transactional [trænˈzækʃənəl] 交易性质的 relating to buying and selling: You can download all your transactional information on your credit cards and bank account. transactional charges/costs/fees Customers must be made aware of the transactional charges associated with their purchases. His mother capitalizes on his sex appeal to gain power and money - so the sex scenes should have a transactional element to them. 5. softball I. (sports) A game similar to baseball but played with a larger and softer ball which can be thrown overhand or underhand. II. (by analogy) A question designed to be easy to answer. a softball question 简单容易回答的问题, 稳妥的问题 informal a question that is easy to answer: I know this is probably like a softball question to you, but are you going to go ask Congress for more money and more staff? News crews lobbed softball questions. III. a method of doing something that is not forceful, determined, or unpleasant: With its burgeoning trade deficit, the US is in no mood to play softball. hardball a method that is forceful, determined, and often unpleasant: hardball approach/tactics. Now the agency wants the money back - and is prepared to play hardball to get it, holding out the threat of criminal prosecution. play hardball 强硬 mainly US informal to do everything that you can to achieve success even if this involves hurting or upsetting other people. to be firm and determined in order to get what you want: He's a nice guy, but he can play hardball when he needs to. The law firm had a reputation for playing hardball. She is not afraid to play hardball when negotiating deals for her clients. Incel ([ˈɪnsɛl]; a portmanteau of "involuntary celibate") is a term closely associated with an online subculture of people (mostly white, male, and heterosexual) who define themselves as unable to get a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one. a member of an online community of young men who consider themselves unable to attract women sexually, typically associated with views that are hostile towards women and men who are sexually active. "self-identified incels have used the internet to find anonymous support". 6. get/have an in with 说得上话 Acquire (or have) influence with someone in authority. To have connections or influence The only way they'll allow us to film the play is if we get an in with the director. We should have no problem, since Dad has an in with the inspector. This idiom employs the noun in the sense of "an introduction to someone of power, fame, or authority," a usage dating from the 1920s. 7. fulfilled adjective She has courageously continued to lead a fulfilled life. ...a fulfilling career. fulfill verb. I. If you fulfill something such as a promise, dream, or hope 成真, 实现, you do what you said or hoped you would do. to do something as promised or intended, or to satisfy your hopes or expectations: She said the president had failed to fulfill 履行 his campaign promises. He stayed an extra semester to fulfill his graduation requirements. At the age of 45, she finally fulfilled her ambition to run a marathon. The president fulfilled his promise of announcing a date for the referendum. to do something that is expected, hoped for, or promised, or to cause it to happen. to do something that is expected, hoped for, or promised, or to cause it to happen: fulfil your potential/promise He enjoys seeing his staff fulfil their potential. Some of my shares have yet to fulfil their promise. fulfil an aim/objective 实现目标 She felt that she had failed to fulfil her objectives for the year. fulfil a need/requirement A school fails if it does not fulfil the needs/requirements of its pupils. fulfil someone's ambition At the age of 45, she finally fulfilled her ambition to run a marathon. fulfil a function Zoos fulfil an important function in the protection of rare species. fulfil someone's duty 履行职责 He has failed to fulfil his duties as a father. fulfil criteria We're looking for a very specific sort of person and this woman seems to fulfil all of our criteria. fulfil an expectation 满足期望 So did the course fulfil all your expectations? We're suing our suppliers for failing to fulfil their contract 履行合同. II. To fulfill a task, role, or requirement means to do or be what is required, necessary, or expected. Without them you will not be able to fulfill the tasks you have before you. III. If something fulfills you, or if you fulfill yourself, you feel happy and satisfied with what you are doing or with what you have achieved. to succeed in developing abilities or qualities to their fullest degree. to satisfy someone or to make someone feel happy. to satisfy someone or make them happy: What fulfills you in life? I'm looking for work that will fulfil me. fulfil yourself He felt that he had been able to fulfil himself in his career. I don't feel that my present way of life really fulfils me. I've finally found a job in which I can fulfil myself (= completely develop my abilities and interests). Her immediate goal was to complete her novel, but her long-term goal was to fulfill her potential as a writer. The war was the biggest thing in her life and nothing after that quite fulfilled her. IV. to do something that is necessary, or to cause it to happen: fulfil a contract We're suing our suppliers for failing to fulfil their contract. fulfil a duty/an obligation/a promise It is vital that we fulfil our obligations to creditors. fulfil the terms/conditions/requirements They claimed that the goods did not fulfil the terms of the agreement. fulfil a need The new product has been thoroughly researched and will definitely fulfil a need that customers have expressed. V. COMMERCE to supply what has been ordered: fulfil an order 履行订单 Orders are fulfilled on a first-come-first-served basis. fill an order/prescription to supply the goods that a customer has ordered. If you fill an order or a prescription, you provide the things that are asked for. I need to fill these orders by the end of the week. I just filled an order for that customer. A pharmacist can fill any prescription if, in his or her judgment, the prescription is valid. The company is struggling to fill $11 million in back orders. VI. to have a particular purpose: fulfil a role/function Outsourcing primarily fulfils the function of lowering cost levels. 8. have had one's fill of sth 受够了 If you have had your fill of something, you have had enough of it, and do not want to experience it any more or do it any more. We feel that we have had our fill of disappointments and emotional upsets. fit the bill = fill the bil 满足要求, 满足条件 If you say that someone or something fits the bill or fills the bill, you mean that they are suitable for a particular job or purpose. If you fit the bill, send a CV to Rebecca Rees. foot the bill (to foot is to pay) pay the bill for something, typically when the amount is considered large or unreasonable. "the couple were left to foot the bill after their claim was declined by their travel insurers". fill I. If you fill a container or area, or if it fills, an amount of something enters it that is enough to make it full. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a slow boil. She made sandwiches, filled a flask and put sugar in. The victims' lungs fill quickly with fluid. The boy's eyes filled with tears. While the bath was filling, he padded about in his underpants. Pass me your cup, Amy, and I'll fill it up for you. Warehouses at the frontier between the two countries fill up with sacks of rice and flour. II. If something fills a space 塞满, 填满, 填充, it is so big, or there are such large quantities of it, that there is very little room left. He cast his eyes at the rows of cabinets that filled the enormous work area. The text fills 231 pages. ...the complicated machines that fill up today's laboratories. ...four museum buildings filled with historical objects. ...the flower-filled courtyard of an old Spanish colonial house. III. If you fill a crack or hole 填洞, 填缝, you put a substance into it in order to make the surface smooth again. Fill small holes with wood filler in a matching colour. The gravedigger filled the grave. If any cracks have appeared in the tart case, fill these in with raw pastry. IV. If a sound, smell, or light fills a space, or the air 满是, 充斥, it is very strong or noticeable. In the parking lot of the school, the siren filled the air. All the light bars were turned on which filled the room with these rotating beams of light. The barn was filled with the sour-sweet smell of fresh dung. ...another sunshine-filled day. ...those whose work forces them to be in dusty or smoke-filled environments. V. If something fills you with an emotion 满满的骄傲, or if an emotion fills you, you experience this emotion strongly. I admired my father, and his work filled me with awe and curiosity. He looked at me without speaking, and for the first time I could see the pride that filled him. He stared at his favourite child, dismayed, filled with fear. VI. If you fill a period of time with a particular activity 填充时间, you spend the time in this way. If she wants a routine to fill her day, let her do community work. On Thursday night she went to her yoga class, glad to have something to fill up the evening. VII. If something fills a need or a gap, it puts an end to this need or gap by existing or being active. I could take this skill set and turn it into something that fills a need. She brought him a sense of fun, of gaiety that filled a gap in his life. VIII. If something fills a role, position, or function, they have that role or position, or perform that function, often successfully. The company develops internal candidates to fill management roles. IX. If a company or organization fills a job vacancy, they choose someone to do the job. If someone fills a job vacancy, they accept a job that they have been offered. The unemployed may not have the skills to fill the vacancies on offer. A vacancy has arisen which I intend to fill. X. If you fill yourself with food, you eat so much that you do not feel hungry. They joked and drank coffee and filled themselves with chocolate cake. XI. A play, film, or performer that fills a theatre, concert hall, or cinema attracts a very large audience. Children are enthralled by his stories; he has been known to fill theatre halls in Australia. XII. When a dentist fills someone's tooth, he or she puts a filling in it. ...children having teeth filled due to decay. 9. "Hear, hear!" is an exclamation that functions as a kind of verbal applause. It is a way of showing that you approve of what the speaker is saying, mostly in a formal context with many people present, such as a wedding toast, a political meeting, or a government assembly – especially in the British Parliament. hear, hear 表示同意, 表示赞成, 赞同! said to strongly agree with what someone else has just said. During political debates and public meetings, people sometimes say ' Hear hear!' to express their agreement with what the speaker is saying. 10. dribble noun. I. liquid that comes out of your mouth. Dribble is saliva that drops slowly from someone's mouth. His clothes are soaked in dribble. There was dribble all over her chin. a dribble of saliva. II. A dribble of a liquid is a very small amount of it. Apply a dribble of baby shampoo. ...lettuce with dribbles of vinaigrette. verb. I. If a liquid dribbles somewhere, or if you dribble it, it drops down slowly or flows in a thin stream. The water was barely dribbling out of the tap. Dribble 滴滴答答, 嘀嗒 the remaining olive oil over the tomatoes. Sweat dribbled down Hart's face. Dribble the hot mixture slowly into the blender. II. When players dribble the ball in a game such as football or basketball, they keep kicking or tapping it quickly in order to keep it moving. He dribbled the ball towards Ferris. He dribbled past four defenders. Her dribbling skills look second to none. III. If a person dribbles 流口水, saliva drops slowly from their mouth. ...to protect cot sheets when the baby dribbles. She's dribbling on her collar. IV. If people or things dribble somewhere, they move there slowly and in small numbers. ...as the workers dribbled away from the city square. 11. dredge up to start talking or thinking again about something unpleasant that happened a long. The article dredged up details of her unhappy childhood. II. If someone dredges up a piece of information they learned a long time ago, or if they dredge up a distant memory, they manage to remember it. ...an American trying to dredge up some French or German learned in high school. The fragments of memory she dredges up do not fit together. III. If someone dredges up a damaging or upsetting fact about your past, they remind you of it or tell other people about it. I wouldn't want to dredge up the past. It's the media who keep dredging it up. 12. impotent [ˈɪmpət(ə)nt] 无能的 I. unable to take effective action; helpless or powerless. If someone feels impotent, they feel that they have no power to influence people or events. not having the power or ability to change or improve a situation: You feel so impotent when your child is ill and you cannot help them. The aggression of a bully leaves people feeling hurt, angry and impotent. In impotent rage he got up and stalked up and down the flat. "he was seized with an impotent anger". II. (of a man) abnormally unable to achieve an erection or orgasm. "he was on medication which had made him impotent". 13. aesthetician = esthetician [ˌiːsθɪˈtɪʃən] 美容师 I. a person who is versed in aesthetics, the branch of philosophy dealing with such notions as the beautiful, the ugly, the sublime, the comic, etc., as applicable to the fine arts, with a view to establishing the meaning and validity of critical judgments concerning works of art, and the principles underlying or justifying such judgments. II. Usually esthetician. a person trained to administer facials, advise customers on makeup and the care of skin and hair, etc. a trained person whose job is to improve the appearance and health of a customer's skin: She gets a facial every two weeks from a well-known aesthetician. The centre's aestheticians offer treatments such as micro peels, which can help with age spots and sun spots. That new aesthetician gave me a great facial; I swear I look 10 years younger. beauty therapist a person whose job is to carry out treatments to improve a person's appearance, such as facials, manicures, removal of unwanted hair, etc. aesthetically pleasing = esthetically pleasing [iːsˈθɛtɪkli] 养眼的 Something that is aesthetically pleasing is enjoyable to look at because you think it is beautiful: I like objects to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The building is as energy efficient as it is aesthetically pleasing. beautician 美发 A beautician is a person whose job is giving people beauty treatments such as doing their nails, treating their skin, and putting on their make-up. a trained person whose job it is to improve the appearance of a customer's face, body, and hair, using make-up and beauty treatments, often in a beauty salon. someone who works in a beauty parlor cutting and styling hair and improving people's appearance She also worked as a cook and a beautician. 14. Barrel chest 水桶胸 generally refers to a broad, deep chest found on a patient. A barrel chested person will usually have a naturally large ribcage, very round (i.e., vertically cylindrical) torso, large lung capacity, and can potentially have great upper body strength.
discernible 清楚可见的, 肉眼可见的 able to be perceived by a sense (such as sight or smell) or by the mind. capable of being discerned. If something is discernible, you can see it or recognize that it exists. The influence of Rodin is discernible in the younger artist. There is no discernible reason why this should be the case. Far away the outline of the island is just discernible. There has been no discernible overall trend since 1975. a discernible difference. It is thought that the genes that normally produce a white underbelly in the gray squirrel are active in a wider area of their bodies, often leaving discernible gray patches on the spine and head. a discernibly better product. two materials that are not discernibly different. When a recipe says to brown the meat, it is calling for a deep brown sear and a discernibly thick crust on all sides. 15. mental gymnastics = mental acrobatics = mental/intellectual/moral gymnastics I. Difficult and complex logical thought processes, especially when performed effortlessly. To cope with these mental gymnastics we apply various ways of simplifying and reducing the information. II. (derogatory) Inventive, complex arguments used to justify what is otherwise unjustifiable. It happens when our brains spiral into destructive thought patterns—making up excuses or arguments for unjustifiable decisions or situations. People often perform mental gymnastics in order to blame anyone but themselves. The acrobatics concerning the Crocodile Man story are suggestive of an expert who is seeking to present a case that he perceives might assist the applicants to succeed in stopping the pipeline, rather than to present a case founded in scientific truth and careful analysis. I changed into my running clothes and did three miles while I went through the mental gymnastics of getting the case organized. mental gymnastics I. The use of great intelligence or mental faculties, as to do or solve something difficult. I really struggled with calculus. I guess I'm not up for the mental gymnastics that go into solving those complicated equations. II. A complex thought process or argument that is used to bend reality to suit something, such as a particular viewpoint. You refuse to sign this bill to lower taxes because you're thinking of your constituents' best interests? That's some ridiculous mental gymnastics. III. The mental effort required to work through one's challenging or limiting thoughts. After you go through rehab for a torn ACL, it takes a lot of mental gymnastics to get back out on the field. You can't play scared, but it's so hard to put the memory of the injury out of your mind. What good is (doing) (something)? What reason is there to have, use, or do something? What purpose or advantage does something or some action serve? What good is calculus if I'm planning on pursuing a history major in college? What good is making your bed each morning when you're just going to mess up the sheets again at night? square the circle 不可能的任务 To solve, or attempt to solve, an impossible (or seemingly impossible) problem or situation. I'm not sure what to tell you, but if you take that issue to the boss, I bet he'll be able to square the circle. All have the same hope: that foreign markets and, especially, foreign investment will somehow provide enough jobs to square the circle. Getting that bill through the legislature is the same as trying to square the circle. 16 (out) in the sticks a long way from a town or city They live out in the sticks. the sticks 偏远乡下 a rural area considered remote or backward. I was the country bumpkin from the sticks. I haven't lived in the sticks all my life. Warren admits he couldn't live right out in the sticks. It's out in the sticks, about two miles from the nearest shop. He lived out in the sticks somewhere. I'm sick of living in the sticks. They live out in the sticks somewhere. We're stuck out in the sticks, so we don't get to many gigs. I can't buy exotic food like that here in the sticks. You chose to live in the sticks, so don't complain that you don't get enough visitors. don't mind me 别在乎, 不用管我 别理我 当我不在 You say 'Don't mind me' to apologize for your presence when you think that it might embarrass someone, and to tell them to carry on with what they were doing or about to do. said to tell someone who is in the same room as you not to pay any attention to you, because you do not want to interrupt what they are doing. You use don't mind in expressions such as don't mind her or don't mind them to apologize for someone else's behaviour when you think it might have offended the person you are speaking to. Don't mind the old lady. She's getting senile. Don't mind me - I'm just sorting out some files here. a. used to tell someone not to pay any attention to you If you want to get on and do something, please don't mind me. b. used when you are annoyed because someone is not paying any attention to you Don't mind me! I only live here! 17. Raj: Hey, I just found out I have to be at the telescope lab all weekend. Any chance you and Bernadette could take care of my dog? Howard: Why don't you put her in a kennel? Raj: Why don't you put your mother in a home?18. put up with 忍了, 接受了 tolerate or endure something. to accept or continue to accept an unpleasant situation or experience, or someone who behaves unpleasantly: I can put up with the house being messy, but I hate it if it's not clean. He's so moody - I don't know why she puts up with him. They have a lot to put up with (= they have a lot of difficulties). "I'm too tired to put up with any nonsense". 19. timber [tɪmbər] I. Timber is wood that is used for building houses and making furniture. You can also refer to trees that are grown for this purpose as timber. These Severn Valley woods have been exploited for timber since Saxon times. ...a single-story timber building 木质的. a timber merchant 木材商. II. The timbers of a ship or house are the large pieces of wood that have been used to build it. ...a bird nestling in the timbers of the roof. timbre [tæmbər] 声线, 音质 The timbre of someone's voice or of a musical instrument is the particular quality of sound that it has. a quality of sound that makes voices or musical instruments sound different from each other: He has a wonderful singing voice, with a rich timbre and resonant tone. His voice had a deep timbre. The timbre of the violin is far richer than that of the mouth organ. The pitch of a sound as heard by the ear, described relative to its absolute pitch. When someone speaks after inhaling helium, his voice has a higher timbre. With sulfur hexafluoride, the result is a lower timbre. wiki: In music, timbre, also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voices and musical instruments. It also enables listeners to distinguish different instruments in the same category (e.g., an oboe and a clarinet, both woodwind instruments). much less (let alone, not to mention) 更别说是, 更不用说, 更不消说, 更不待言 used to introduce something as being even less likely than something already mentioned. You use much less after a statement, often a negative one, to indicate that the statement is more true of the person, thing, or situation that you are going to mention next. and certainly not: Tony can barely boil an egg, much less cook dinner. They are always short of water to drink, much less to bathe in. "what woman would consider a date with him, much less a marriage?"
rather than: rather adverb I. more accurately; more exactly: These were not common criminals, but rather enemies of the state. She'll fly to California on Thursday, or rather, she will if she has to. He's my sister's friend really, rather than mine. II. used to express an opposite opinion. You use rather when you are correcting something that you have just said, especially when you are describing a particular situation after saying what it is not. Twenty million years ago, Idaho was not the arid place it is now. Rather, 相反的 it was warm and damp. But there must be no talk of final victory; rather 而是, the long, hard slog to a solution. The process is not a circle but rather a spiral. He explained what the Crux is, or rather, what it was. The ending of the war is not a cause for celebration, but rather for regret that it ever happened. No, I'm not tired. Rather the opposite in fact. in preference to, or as a preference: She wants us to meet her here rather than go to her apartment. I'd rather wear the black shoes. She's saying things that many would rather not hear. III. quite; to a slight degree: It's rather cold today, isn't it? That's rather a difficult book - here's an easier one for you. The train was rather too crowded for a comfortable journey. She answered the phone rather sleepily. I rather doubt I'll be able to come to your party. You use rather before verbs that introduce your thoughts and feelings, in order to express your opinion politely, especially when a different opinion has been expressed. I rather think he was telling the truth. I rather like the decorative effect. rather you than me mainly UK (US usually better you than me) said by someone who does not want to do the thing that someone else is doing: "I'm having two teeth out next week." "Rather you than me." rather than instead of; used especially when you prefer one thing to another. You use rather than when you are contrasting two things or situations. Rather than introduces the thing or situation that is not true or that you do not want. The problem was psychological rather than physiological. I think I'd like to stay at home this evening rather than go out. Generally, I prefer to go by train rather than fly to places. Rather than buying her another thing, I thought we could buy her an experience. I'd prefer to get there on public transport rather than relying on Lucy to take me. It's far better to teach children how to do these things themselves rather than do things for them all the time. would rather = 'd rather used to show that you prefer to have or do one thing more than another. If you say that you would rather do something or you' d rather do it, you mean that you would prefer to do it. If you say that you would rather not do something, you mean that you do not want to do it. If it's all the same to you, I'd rather work at home. Which programme would you rather appear on? Kids would rather play than study. I have no information one way or the other, but I would rather he do it than not do it. I would rather Lionel took it on. Sorry. I'd rather not talk about it. Would you like that? Don't hesitate to say no if you'd rather not. I'd rather have a beer. 'Rather Than 用法': In English, it's often hard to tell whether phrases, such as as well as or other than, are working as prepositions or conjunctions, or just as combinations of individual words. This slipperiness also occurs with rather than, which is found in grammatically balanced compound sentences as well as sentences with subordinate clauses. (If any of this is confusing, read on. We'll lay it all out.) Basically, the role of rather than depends on the type of sentence in which it's being used. The word rather, itself, is commonly used in English as an adverb to indicate preference, degree, or accuracy.
I would rather not go. It's getting rather late. She sings rather well. He's got a rather nice voice. She is a doctor, or rather, a surgeon.
It took some time, but eventually grammarians and lexicographers got the message and recognized that rather than had meaning as a distinct grammatical unit. The key to telling whether rather than is a conjunction or preposition is to look at the words that precede and follow it. As a conjunction, parallel grammatical constructions appear on each side of rather than. When used to coordinate verbs, it indicates that something is done in place of something else—and the verbs are inflected in the same way. Typically, the base forms of the verbs are used (often with to omitted before the verb following rather than).
For exercise, I walk rather than run. He decided to call rather than text. Rather than repair the car, I prefer to buy a new one.
Additionally, conjunctive rather than joins nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions that have parallel forms. In such instances, rather than indicates choice or negation.
I drink coffee rather than tea. He bought red rather than green peppers. She eats slowly rather than quickly. Can we come over on Saturday rather than (on) Sunday?
As a preposition, rather than is synonymous with instead of and begins subordinate clauses (clauses that can't stand alone as a sentence) that have a present participle (the -ing form) of a verb serving as a noun (in other words, a gerund). When rather than functions as a preposition, the verbs in the sentence are not parallel.
Rather than driving, he rode his bike to work. Rather than using dried herbs, he picked fresh ones from the garden. She took the blame rather than blaming everyone else.
In sum: when rather than has parallel elements before and after it, like walk/run from the above example, it's wearing its conjunction hat. You'll know its preposition hat is nearby when you see dissimilarity between verb forms—as in driving/rode—and rather than followed by an -ing verb to form a prepositional phrase. Now, as always, hats off to grammar!
