(1) quiet指物表示“静止的,宁静的,寂静的”,如:a quiet sea, a quiet evening;指心境时则表示“没有激动、烦恼和忧虑的;平静的”,如:live a quiet life in the village;指人或性情时则指“温柔的,娴静的”。
- She is a very quiet girl/a girl of quiet disposition.
她是一个性情文静的女孩。 - I'd like to have a quiet talk with you.
我想与你心平气和地谈谈。 - The children had gone to the zoo and I had a quiet day of rest.
孩子们都去了动物园,我安安静静地休息了一天。 - We walked together along the water's edge to a quiet spot.
我们一起沿着水边走到一个静寂之处。 - The dog lay quiet at his master's feet.
狗静静地躺在主人的脚旁。
(2) ①calm指天气时表示“平静的,无风的”;指海洋时表示“风平浪静的”;指人的心境、性情时,意为“镇静的;无忧无虑的;宁静的;冷静的”。
- After the high wind passed, the sea was calm again and I could see all about.
大风过后,大海又恢复了平静,我可以看到周围的一切。 - You must try to be calm in the face of such a matter.
面对这样一件事,你要尽力保持冷静。 - He came into the room, his face quite calm .
他进了房间,脸上十分平静。 - We'll have to face it in a calmer mood.
我们必须更为冷静地面对这件事。
②to act calm意为“装出镇静的样子”,to keep calm 意为“保持镇静”。
(3) ①still可表示“静止的,不动的,寂静的,无声的”,不能用于心理上,只能用于物的“安静”。
- The air was very still , as if a whirlwind had just passed.
空气异常宁静,就像是刚刮过一阵旋风。 - The room was so still that you could have heard a pin drop.
房间那么安静,针掉在地上你都可以听到。 - It was a hot, quiet and still night.
那是一个炎热的、寂静无声的夜晚。
②still可与sit, stand, lie,keep等连用,作表语。
- Sit still while I am taking your photograph!
在我拍照时坐着别动! - The child can't keep still for a moment.
这孩子一刻也不能安静。
(4) tranquil表示“平静,安静,静谧”,用以指生活、环境;用于形容人时表示“平静”。
- She leads a tranquil life in the country, in a tranquil little mountain village.
她在乡下一个宁静的小山村过着平静的生活。 - The old lady remained tranquil despite the confusion around her.
尽管周围一片混乱,老太太仍然保持着平静。 - There on the farm he spent his tranquil childhood.
在那个农场,他度过了他平静的童年。
(5) sedate意为“安静的,恬静的,安详的,庄重的”,用于指人或其行为,也可指事物(如夜晚等)。
- She is very sedate for a girl of 10 and would rather read than play.
对于一个10岁的女孩来说,她非常文静,宁愿看书,也不愿去玩。 - We spent a sedate evening together at home.
我们一起在家度过了一个安静的夜晚。
(6) placid意思是“安静,平静”;指人时表示“温和的,沉着的”。
- The hotel had an intimate and placid atmosphere.
这家旅馆有一种亲切祥和的气氛。 - The lake was reddish brown, indicating that the normally placid waters had been stirred up.
湖水有些泛红,这表明通常平静的湖水被搅动过。 - He was not in the least angry with me: he was a man of placid disposition.
他丝毫不生我的气,他是个脾性温和的人。