(1) ①nowadays是副词，不能用作形容词，也不能用所有格，意为“现在，而今”，常用来和过去作比较。
- We used to drive our car a lot, but nowadays petrol costs too much!
我们以前常开车，但现在，汽油花费太多了！ - Years ago the crossing of the Atlantic took weeks; nowadays we can do it in a few hours.
多年前，横渡大西洋要花费数周时间，而今天我们几个小时就能做到。
②nowadays 意为“现今，如今”，常带有感情色彩。
- Nowadays one hears such a lot of extraordinary things.
现在，人们听到那么多异乎寻常的事。 - People nowadays are so absolutely superficial.
现在，人们是如此肤浅。
(2) ①today可以用作名词，意思是“今天，现在，现今”。
- Today is March 4th.
今天是3月4日。 - Here's today's newspaper.
这是今天的报纸。 - The songs of today aren't as tuneful as when I was young.
现在的歌曲不像我年轻时的那样曲调优美。
②也可以用作副词，意思同前。
- We have a holiday today .
我们今天放假。 - Life is easier today than a hundred years ago.
今天的生活比100年前容易多了。 - Children get a better education today than at any time in the past.
今天小孩子的教育比以前任何时候都好。
③可用于today week/a week today 短语中，意思是“下星期的这一天”。
- We are going to London today week .
下星期的今天，我们要去伦敦了。 - We are leaving today week/a week today .
下星期的今天，我们要离开了。
④要表示五年前的今天，则要用 five years ago today。
- I went there five years ago today .
五年前的今天我去过那里。
