(1) ①envy可用作动词、名词,表示由于别人的成功或好运表现出不高兴或嫉妒的心情。
- The award has made Tom envy you, and he is no longer your friend.
这个奖使汤姆嫉妒你,他不再与你要好了。
②有时,envy也可不含恶意,而表示一种强烈的羡慕和称赞。
- How I envy you — you've got such nice children!
我多羡慕你啊,你有这么好的孩子! - I really envy your good fortune.
我真羡慕你的好运。
③如与否定词连用,envy常表示一种温和的惋惜。
- I don't envy him his bad-tempered wife. (I'm glad I am not married to her.)
我很庆幸没有他那样坏脾气的老婆。 - I do not envy you (for) the heavy responsibilities you have undertaken.
我幸而没有担负你那样重的责任。
④envy用作动词时,除接名词、代词和双宾语外,还可接at + -ing,但不接从句。
- I envied at his breaking the world record of 100-metre race.
我羡慕他打破了100米赛跑的世界纪录。
⑤envy用作名词,意为“羡慕或嫉妒的对象”。
- He is the envy of the whole school.
他是全校都羡慕的人物。 - His splendid new car was the envy of all his friends/was an object of envy to all his friends. 他那豪华的新车是他所有朋友羡慕的对象。
(2) be envious of意思是“羡慕或嫉妒”,可用于褒义,也可用于贬义。
- Mary said she was envious of the good marks Jane had got in the exam.
玛丽说她很羡慕简在考试中取得的好成绩。 - Jack was envious of Tom for his luxurious car.
杰克很嫉妒汤姆有一辆豪华汽车。
(3) be jealous of表示“嫉妒”,也可引申作“珍惜,珍重,极力维护”解。
- Mary is jealous of Jane's honour.
玛丽嫉妒简的荣誉。 - They are jealous of/for their rights.
他们非常珍惜自己的权利。