factory，mill，plant，works

　　factory, mill, plant 和 works 这四个词都是“工厂”的意思，但用法上有所不同。

　　(1)factory 属一般用语，泛指任何制造物品的场所，不过它常指food, clothing, shoe, radio, glass, soap, auto等一类的工厂。

　　There is a huge food/auto factory outside the town.

　　城外有一个大食品厂/汽车制造厂。

　　(2) mill 的原意是“磨坊”，多用于指轻工业工厂，诸如 cotton, silk, textile, paper, flour, oil 等一类的工厂。mill 也可以指钢厂。

　　Her sister worked in a textile/flour mill for three years.

　　她姐姐在一间纺织厂/面粉厂工作过三年。

　　There is a steel-mill near the middle school.

　　学校附近有一家钢铁厂。

　　(3) plant 一般指电气业或机械制造方面的工厂，常指 power, bicycle, machinery, aircraft, ship-building, tractor, auto 等方面的工厂。

　　The villagers built a machine tools plant and an electric-power plant last year.

　　去年村民建造了一个机床厂和一个发电厂。

　　(4) works 多指钢铁等重工业方面的工厂，用作单数，常与 iron, steel, brick, salt, chemical, printing, gas, ice 等词连用。

　　This year the output of the iron and steel works/ice works has increased by 30.57% as compared with that of last year.

　　今年这个钢铁厂/制冰厂的产量比去年增加了30.57%。

　　自我测试

　　根据句意，用factory, mill, plant 和 works 的适当形式填空。

　　1. Our company has three machinery _______ in China.

　　2. The steel _______ is closed for the holidays.

　　3. The farmers started the glass _______ in May, 2005.

　　4. Cotton cloth is made in a cotton _______.

　　1. My sisters work in a shoes _______.

　　2. The workers at the power _______ belong to the union.

　　3. The deep recession in the world steel was worsening, _______ were working below capacity.

　　答案：

　　1. plants 2. works 3. factory 4. mill 5. factory 6. plant 7. plant 8. mills

　　fairly，rather

　　fairly 和 rather 这两个副词都可以用作程度副词，作“相当地”、“十分地”、“颇……”解，但各自的含义和用法有差别。

　　(1)fairly 一般用来修饰表示褒义或含有“合意的”、“想要的”意义的形容词，如 good, well, nice, pretty, diligent, bravely 等。fairly 不能与 too 连用，也不可以修饰含比较级的形容词或副词。

　　Miss Li speaks English fairly well.

　　李小姐的英语讲得相当好。

　　If you go to town at night, the buses are fairly empty.

　　如果你晚上进城，公共汽车相当空。

　　(2) rather 则一般修饰表示贬义或含有“不合意的”、“不想要的”意义的形容词或副词，如 bad, lazy, stupid, late, tired, crowded 等。Rather 可以与 too 连用，也可以修饰含比较级的形容词或副词，表示“一点点”、“稍许”的意思。另外，若被修饰的形容词后又接一个单数可数名词，rather 可以放在不定冠词之前，也可以置于其后。

　　This book is rather too difficult for a child of eleven.

　　这部书对于一个11岁的小孩来说是太难了一点。

　　His father is feeling rather better today.

　　他父亲今天感觉得好一点。

　　This is a rather/rather an interesting story.

　　这是一本颇为有趣的故事。

　　自我测试

　　根据句意，用 fairly 和 rather 的适当形式填

　　1. The morning is now _____ bright and warm.

　　2. Thai’s _____ a silly question.

　　3. I have eaten _____ more than I intended.

　　4. “I think John is _____ lazy.” “Oh, I don’t agree. He is _____ diligent.”

　　5. This book is ______ too difficult for him and _____ too essay for us.

　　答案：

　　1. fairly 2. rather 3. rather 4. rather, fairly 5. rather, rather

　　fault，mistake，error

　　fault, mistake 和 error 都可以翻译成汉语的“缺点、错误”，但含义和用法有所不同。

　　(1)fault 一般多指性格上的弱点，行为上的过失，强调对过失的应负的责任。

　　It's your own fault that you failed in the examination.

　　(重在责任)考试失败是你犯的过错造成的。

　　With all your faults, you are still a good comrade.

　　你虽有缺点，但仍是一个好同志。