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This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Carmen in Mexico.
本周《名师答疑》，我们回答来自墨西哥的卡门的一个问题。
She asks: What are the differences between "as," "while" and "meanwhile"?
她问：as、While和meanwhile之间有什么不同？
Thanks for your help. Greetings from México.
谢谢你的帮助。来自墨西哥的问候。
Hi Carmen!
嗨，卡门！
All three words inform us that two things are happening at the same time.
这三个单词都表示两件事正在同时发生。
Any of them can be used in place of the other when you want to express that idea.
当你想表达这个想法时，你可以用它们中的任何一个来代替另一个。
But, if you are ever unsure which one to use, choose "while."
但是，如果你不确定要使用哪一个，可以选择While。
We can use the word "while" or "as" to connect two actions or situations that happen at the same time.
我们可以用While或as来连接同时发生的两个动作或情况。
Listen to the examples: While I was crossing the street, the traffic light turned red.
请听下面的例句：当我过马路时，红灯亮了。
As I was crossing the street, the traffic light turned red.
当我过马路时，红灯亮了。
But "while" is more common. "As" can sometimes sound formal – or even literary.
但While一词更常见。as有时听起来很正式，甚至文绉绉的。
Notice that the structure of the two sentence examples is the same.
注意，这两个句子的结构是相同的。
Only one word changes.
只有一个词变了。
You can also put "as" or "while" in the middle of a sentence.
你也可以把as或While放在句子中间。
For example, you can say, "The traffic light turned red as I was crossing the street."
例如，你可以说：红灯亮了，当我过马路的时候。
Now, let's talk about "meanwhile," which means "at or during the same time."
现在，我们来谈谈meanwhile，这个词的意思是“在同一时刻或在同一时期。”
When we use "meanwhile," our sentence structure changes.
当我们使用meanwhile时，我们的句子结构就会发生变化。
Listen to how the speaker uses it:
听听说话者是怎么用这个词的：
I was crossing the street. Meanwhile, the traffic light turned red.
我当时正在过马路。与此同时，红灯亮了。
Here, you have two separate sentences describing what two things happened.
在这里，你有两个独立的句子来分别描述发生了哪两件事。
"Meanwhile" comes at the start of the second sentence.
Meanwhile出现在第二句话的开头。
American English speakers generally use "meanwhile" when we are telling a lively or funny story about someone or something.
在美式英语中，人们在讲述关于某人或某事的生动有趣的故事时，通常会用到meanwhile。
For example, American comedian Stephen Colbert uses the word on his late-night television show to recount unusual news events.
例如，美国喜剧演员斯蒂芬·科尔伯特在他的深夜电视节目中就用这个词来讲述不同寻常的新闻事件。
Real journalists also use "meanwhile" in their reports.
真正的记者也会在报道中使用meanwhile。
In news, it often signals a sudden change in a story's direction.
在新闻中，它通常标志着故事的走向突然改变。
And finally, note that all three words have other meanings that they do not share.
最后，请注意，这三个词都有其他不同的含义。
That's Ask a Teacher for this week. I'm Alice Bryant.
以上就是本周的《名师答疑》。爱丽丝·布莱恩特为您播报。
