(1) release表示“释放(犯人、气体等)；松开，解开；投出(炸弹等)；把……解脱出来”。在作“把……解脱出来，使解脱”解时，可与relieve换用。

• The energy released by the chain reaction is transformed into heat.
  由连锁反应释放出的能量被转换成了热。
• The driver started the engine, released the brake, and was on his way.
  司机启动了发动机，松开刹车，就上路了。
• This payment will release/relieve you from further obligation to the company.
  这项付款将使你对该公司不再有什么义务。
• The universities are being asked to release some of their highly qualified scientific staff to industry.
  我们正要求这些大学把他们的一些高水平的科技人员派往工业企业。

＊此外，还可说release this news to the reporters/the public; release a new film等。

 (2) ①relieve意为“减轻(病痛、负担、困难、紧张情绪)；缓和(气氛、紧张局势)；使……松一口气，使……放心、宽慰；解除(病痛等)；使解脱(责任、义务)”。

• Can this medicine relieve a headache?
  这药能缓解头痛吗？
• After the UN Secretary-General visited Iraq, the tension in the Gulf region was immediately relieved.
  联合国秘书长访问伊拉克后，海湾地区的紧张局势立刻缓解了。
• Anyway, you can't be relieved from fulfilling the agreement.
  无论如何，你不能摆脱履行协议的责任。

②过去分词relieved可以用作表语。

• I was/felt relieved to hear you were all right.
  听说你安然无恙，我就放心了。
• She seemed/looked relieved that things were better.
  事情在好转，她似乎/看上去放心了。

③relieve还表示“赈济，救灾，解救”。

• We have an unshirkable duty to relieve the poverty-stricken families.
  我们有义不容辞的责任去赈济贫困家庭。
• UNICEF works to relieve the suffering of children throughout the world.
  联合国儿童基金会工作的宗旨是把全世界儿童从苦难中解救出来。

④relieve还可组成某些短语，如relieve from可表示“解除(病痛等)；使免于……；使解脱(责任、义务)；免除(职务)”。

• This medicine will help to relieve you from your pain.
  这种药将有助于解除你的疼痛。
• Some leading cadres in that city were relieved from their posts for acting in collusion with the smugglers.
  该市某些领导干部因与走私分子勾结而被免职。

⑤relieve of可以表示：

A． 帮助拿(东西) 。

• May I relieve you of that case? It looks terribly heavy.
  我可以帮你提一下那个箱子吗?它看上去很重。

B． 解除，解脱，使免于(职责等)。

• You'll be relieved of some of your duties.
  你将被解除某些职责。
• So I asked to be relieved of my job, and returned to my hometown.
  于是，我要求免去我的职务，回到了家乡。

C． 辞退，解除(职务)。

• You'll be relieved of your employment if you are absent from work again.
  如果你再旷工，你将被解聘。
• He was relieved of his post/his command.
  他被解除职务/指挥权。

D． 偷掉(诙谐用法)。

• Some light-fingered rogue relieved me of my cup from my bike basket while I was buying something.
  在我买东西时，某个扒手从我的自行车筐里把杯子给偷走了。