2023-05-13 16:45:08來源：魔方格
(資料圖片僅供參考)
rather是寧可，寧愿的意思，在英語學習中是出現頻率很高的詞匯，下面七考網小編為大家整理了rather的用法總結，希望能幫助大家更好地認識rather這個單詞，提高英語水平。
作此意解的rather常和would / had連用,構成固定短語。would / had rather...than譯為寧愿......而不愿 ,應該特別注意此短語的否定構成及其后接的動詞形式。如:
I would rather not tell you the secret right now. 我現在不愿把那個秘密告訴你。
He would rather have the small one than the large one. 他寧愿要一個小的,而不要大的。
I’d rather take the slowest train than go there by air. 我寧愿坐最慢的火車,也不乘飛機去那里。
would / had rather 后接從句時,從句中的謂語動詞用虛擬語氣。如:
I would / had rather you posted the letter right away, 我倒希望你把這封信立即發出。
I would / had rather that she had stayed at home. 她那時要是留在家里就好了。
此用法的rather常用在or rather這一短語中,表示想要糾正已經說過的話,或欲使已說過的話更確切。如:
The building is like a palace, or rather a temple. 這幢建筑物像一座宮殿,或者更確切地說像一座寺廟。
He worked till late last night, or rather, early in the morning. 他一直工作到深夜,或者更確切地說,到今天凌晨。
You’ve done rather well.你做得相當好。
The way he is living is rather strange to me. 他的生活方式我覺得很怪。
rather, fairly, quite, pretty的區別:
1. 從程度上說, fairly是最輕的一個;quite比fairly 語氣稍強;rather 在程度上比quite更重一些;pretty 和rather 差不多,但大多數情況下用于非正式文體。如:
They were getting along fairly well with each other. 他們相處還不錯。
Twenty-five is pretty old to take up ballet dancing.二十五歲才學跳芭蕾,年紀就太大了。
He was quite polite, but he wasn’t ready to help me. 他相當有禮貌,但他并不愿意幫助我。
There’s something rather strange about the way he talks to you. 他跟你說話的樣子真有點怪。
2. rather 和quite可放在不定冠詞前,也可放在不定冠詞之后,還可以和動詞連用,而fairly 和pretty沒有這些用法。如:
That is quite / rather a surprising result. =That is a quite / rather surprising result. 那是一個相當驚人的結果。
I rather / quite like to go for a walk after supper. 我頗喜歡在晚飯后出去散步。
3. 只有rather可以修飾比較級,還可和too連用。如:
This computer is rather more expensive than that one.這部電腦比那部昂貴一些。
This book is rather too difficult for the beginners.這部書對初學者來說太難了。
rather 不僅是一個表示程度的副詞,還能用來表示選擇,意為而非;(與其......)倒不如。rather than 經常用在平行結構里,即連接兩個對等成分。
I’d prefer to go in August rather than July. 我愿八月去,不愿七月去。
I decided to write rather than telephone. 我決定寫信而不打電話。
I’d call her hair chestnut rather than brown. 我寧愿說她的頭發是栗色,而不是棕色。
We ought to invest in new machines rather than buildings. 我們應該在新的機器上而不是在房屋上投資。
Rather than get money in such a dishonest way, he would beg in the streets. 他寧愿在街上乞討,也不愿以這種不正當的手段掙錢。
I always prefer starting early, rather than leaving everything to the last minute. 我總是愿意早開始而不愿意把所有事情都留到最后。
1. would rather 寧可，寧愿
(1) would rather后接動詞原形;表否定時，后接not +動詞原形：
I"ll never be dependent on anyone again. I would rather starve (than be dependent on anyone else).
我再也不依靠任何人了。我寧愿餓死(也不靠別人)。
John really dislikes dancing. He would rather not go dancing with his wife.
約翰確實不喜歡跳舞。他寧可不和妻子一起去跳舞。
(2) would rather接that從句，從句用虛擬語氣，即用一般過去時表示現在或將來的動作或狀態，用過去完成時表示過去的動作或狀態。如:
I"d rather (that) you set out to do the task now.
我寧愿你現在就著手這項工作。
(與現在相反用過去時set)
I"d rather you picked her up at the airport tomorrow morning.
我寧愿你明早去機場接她。
(與將來相反與用過去時picked)
與過去相反
I"d rather you had not told her the news that day.
我寧愿你那天沒告訴她這個消息。
(與將來相反用過去完成時had done)
(3) 變體形式：would rather do ... than do ... 寧可……也不……
I would rather die than surrender to the enemy.
我寧可死也不會向敵人屈服。
2. rather than
(1) 接形容詞/名詞，表示“與其……，不如……”
This pair of shoes is comfortable rather than pretty.
這雙鞋與其說是漂亮，不如說是舒服。
John is a doctor rather than a teacher.
與其說約翰是個老師，不如說他是個醫生。
(2) 接名詞或代詞，可表示“而不是”的意思，相當于短語instead of或in place of：
I, rather than he, should be responsible for this failure.
該對這次失敗負責的是我，而不是他。
(3) 接動詞原形，表示“而不是”：
Rather than allow the vegetables to go bad, he sold them at half price.
他將蔬菜半價賣掉，而不是讓菜壞掉。
3. or rather 表示“更確切地說”，起進一步解釋說明的作用：
She worked as a secretary, or rather, a personal assistant.
她當了秘書，確切地講，是私人助理。
4. not ... but rather ... 表示“不是……，相反(而是)……”
Their problem is not a lack of funding, but rather a lack of planning.
他們的問題不是缺乏資金，而是缺乏規劃。
5. rather than 與prefer 連用
(1) prefer to do ... rather than do ... 表示“寧愿做……而不愿做……”：
They prefer to repeat their former experiences rather than take new risks.
他們寧可重復以前的經歷也不愿意進行新的冒險。
(2) prefer+名詞... rather than +名詞，替代prefer ... to的用法，如:
I should prefer wine rather than beer.
我寧愿喝紅酒而不愿喝啤酒。
rather作為獨立的副詞使用，可表示“相當”的意思。其同義詞有：pretty, quite, fairly。它們表示“相當”的程度從強到弱依次為：rather, pretty, quite, fairly
1. 當rather修飾表示批評、失望、驚奇等帶有負面含義的形容詞和副詞時，該詞傳達說話人的一種否定、不贊成的態度，意為“頗為，在一定程度上”。例如：
This initially rather dull hobby had led him into fresh fields of enjoyment.
這個剛開始頗無趣的愛好帶他進入了一個全新的樂土。
2. 與fairly的區別
fairly也可表示“頗，在一定程度上”的意思，但通常置于一些帶有肯定、正面含義的形容詞和副詞之前。如果所修飾的形容詞或副詞為中性詞，那么用rather，就會傳達出說話人否定、不贊成的態度，用fairly則傳達說話人肯定的態度。
北京的夏天太熱了。
The summer in Beijing is rather hot.
(The speaker dislikes it.)
說話者不太喜歡
北京的夏天挺干燥的。
The summer in Beijing is fairly dry.
(The speaker likes it.)
說話者喜歡這種適宜的感覺
3. 與pretty, quite等的用法區別
修飾單數可數名詞時，fairly和pretty只能放在冠詞之后，而quite 和rather 可前可后。
這是一部好電影。
It is quite a good film.
=It is a quite good film.
It is rather a good film.
=It is a rather good film.
It is a fairly good film.
It is a pretty good film.
