This week we answer a question from Young-Ho in Korea. He writes,
本周,我们来回复韩国的Young-Ho提出的一个问题。他写道,
I really want to know the difference between "affect" and "effect."
我很想知道 affect 和 effect 这两个单词之间的区别。
Dear Young-Ho,
亲爱的Young-Ho,
These are commonly confused words.
这些是通常容易混淆的单词。
Although they are spelled differently, they sound - and look - almost the same: affect and effect.
虽然它们的拼写有所不同,但是它们听上去和看上去都几乎一样。
But the one-letter difference makes a big difference.
但是一字(母)之差会带来很大的不同。
Let us start with "effect," E-F-F-E-C-T.
我们先来说effect这个单词。
"Effect" can act as a noun or, in rare cases, a verb.
它可以充当名词,在极少数情况下也可以充当动词。
As a noun, "effect" means "a change that results when something happens."
作为名词,effect的意思是当某事发生时导致的变化。
For example, The movie had a strong effect on my feelings.
例如:这部电影对我的情感产生了强烈影响。
The use of internet sales had a good effect on our business.
网络销售的应用对我们的生意产生了良好的效果。
Another form of the word is the adjective "effective."
这个单词的另一种形式是形容词effective。
It means "producing a result that is wanted."
它的意思是“产生预期效果。
Medical experts, for example, tell us:
”例如医学专家告诉我们:
Handwashing is very effective in removing germs.
洗手对清除细菌非常有效。
"Affect," A-F-F-E-C-T, is usually used as a verb.
Affect通常用作动词。
"Affect" means "to influence."
Affect是指影响到。
In other words, affect means to act on or change someone or something.
换句话说,affect意思是指对某人或某事物采取行动或产生改变。
For example: She has back problems that affect her balance, so she has trouble walking.
例如:她患有背疾,这影响到了她的平衡,因此她行走困难。
Remember our earlier example about the movie having an effect on one's feelings? We could also say:
还记得我们之前提到的电影影响到人的情感的例子吗?我们也可以说:
The movie affected me greatly.
这部电影深刻地影响了我。
In this case, "affect" means to cause strong emotions.
在这种情况下,affect是指引起强烈的情绪。
If you are still confused, just remember this: effect is usually a noun, and affect is usually a verb.
如果你仍然感到困惑,请记住这点:effect通常用作名词,而affect通常用作动词。
And that's Ask a Teacher!
以上就是本期名师答疑的全部内容。
I'm Jill Robbins.
我是吉尔·罗宾斯。