obvious,apparent,clear：這些形容詞共有的一個(gè)中心意思為“易見(jiàn)的,易察的,易明白的”.這組形容詞都有“清楚的”或“明顯的”意思.
△ obvious:所表示的“明顯的”強(qiáng)調(diào)容易發(fā)現(xiàn),常常用于修飾或說(shuō)明那些本想掩蓋而又沒(méi)有能掩蓋徹底的事情.指“容易知道或發(fā)現(xiàn),無(wú)須解釋或證明的”.
1.The rope had been cut,so it was obvious that the lamb had been stolen.繩子是被割斷的,因此這只羊羔顯然是被偷去的.
注：此句中的obvious 換用evident則更確切.
2.He is the stereotyped monster of the horror films and the adventure books,and an obvious (though not perhaps strictly scientific) link with our ancestral past.它們是恐怖電影和驚險(xiǎn)小說(shuō)中的老一套的怪物,并且與我們的祖先有著明顯的(雖然可能沒(méi)有科學(xué)的) 聯(lián)系.
3.It's obvious that a man isn't strong enough to lift an elephant.很明顯,一個(gè)人是不能舉起大象的.
△ apparent：apparent的常見(jiàn)意義大致有兩個(gè),其一為“表面上的”或“看上去似乎像的”,這一含義的同義詞為seeming；另一含義才是“明顯的”.作為“明顯的”這層含義,apparent與evident很難區(qū)別,apparent強(qiáng)調(diào)根據(jù)跡象進(jìn)行仔細(xì)的推理,最后才看得出是“明顯的”.還可指“思想上容易理解的”.
1.It later became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of resistance to this disease.后來(lái)清楚了,野兔對(duì)這種疾病逐漸產(chǎn)生了一定程度的抵抗力.
2.Apparently what happened was that water collected on these tar pits,and the bigger animals like the elephants ventured out on to the apparently firm surface to drink,and were promptly bogged in the tar.顯然,情況是這樣的：這些焦油坑上積了水,類(lèi)似大象這樣較大的動(dòng)物冒險(xiǎn)走上了那似乎是堅(jiān)硬的表面去喝水,就馬上陷入焦油坑里去了.
3.It's apparent that you can't be trusted.很顯然,你是不可信賴的.
△ clear：(以及常見(jiàn)的plain)是口語(yǔ)中常用詞,其含義為“清楚易懂的”.clear 除了“清楚的”,“清晰的”之外,還有許多其它含義.如“流暢的”,“無(wú)障礙的”等.
1.The water of the lake is as clear as glass.湖水清徹如同明鏡.
2.He gave a clear answer to the direct question.他對(duì)那個(gè)直截了當(dāng)?shù)膯?wèn)題作了清晰的答復(fù).