一、already / just / yet

Already and yet are usually used with the present perfect tense, but in NAmE they can also be used with the simple past tense. * already 和 yet 通常与现在完成时连用，但在美式英语中还可与简单过去时连用：

I already did it. 我已经完成了。

Did you eat yet? 你吃饭了吗？

However, this is much more common in spoken than in written English and some Americans do not consider it acceptable, even in speech. The present perfect is more common in NAmE and almost always used in BrE. 不过，此用法多见于口语，而且有些美国人认为，即使在口语中此用法也不可取。在美式英语中较常用现在完成时，在英式英语中则几乎总是用现在完成时表示：

I’ve already done it. 我已经完成了。

Have you eaten yet? 你吃饭了吗？

Just is mostly used with the perfect tenses in BrE and with the simple past in NAmE. * just 在英式英语中多与完成时连用，在美式英语中则多与简单过去时连用：

(BrE) I’ve just had some bad news.

(NAmE) I just got some bad news. 我刚得到一些坏消息。

二、a bit / a little

In BrE it is common to use a bit to mean ‘slightly’ or ‘to a small extent’. 英式英语常用 a bit 表示稍微、有点儿：

These shoes are a bit tight. 这鞋有点儿紧。

I’ll be a bit later home tomorrow. 明天我要晚点儿回家。

Can you turn the volume up a bit? 你能把音量开大点儿吗？

It is more common in NAmE to say a little, or (informal) a little bit. You can also use these phrases in BrE. 美式英语较常用 a little 或 a little bit （非正式），英式英语亦可以这样说：

These shoes are a little bit too tight. 这鞋有点儿紧。

I’ll be a little later home tomorrow. 明天我要晚点儿回家。

Can you turn the volume up a little bit? 你能把音量开大点儿吗？

三、college / university

In both BrE and NAmE a college is a place where you can go to study after you leave secondary school. In Britain you can go to a college to study or to receive training in a particular skill. In the US you can study for your first degree at a college. A university offers more advanced degrees in addition to first degrees. 在英式英语和美式英语中，college 均指中学毕业后的学习场所。在英国，college 提供高等或专职教育。在美国，college 开设初级学位课程。university 除开设初级学位课程外还有更高学位的课程。

In NAmE college is often used to mean a university, especially when talking about people who are studying for their first degree. The is not used when you are talking about someone studying there. 在美式英语中，college 常指大学（university），尤用来谈论攻读学士学位。表示上大学不用定冠词 the：

My son has gone away to college. 我儿子上大学去了。

‘Where did you go to college?’ ‘Ohio State University.’ “你在什么地方上的大学？”“俄亥俄州立大学”

In BrE you can say 英式英语可以说：

My daughter is at university. 我女儿在上大学。

In NAmE you cannot use university or college in this way. You use it with a or the to mean a particular university or college. 在美式英语中，university 和 college 不能这样用，表示上某所大学，应在 university 或 college 之前加 a 或 the：

I didn’t want to go to a large university. 我当时不想去大的综合性大学读书。

四、course / program

In BrE course is used for a series of lessons or lectures on a particular subject. 在英式英语中，course 指某学科的系列课程或讲座：

a physics course 物理课程

a course of ten lectures 有十次讲座的课程

In NAmE you would say 美式英语说：

a physics course / program 物理课程

a program of ten lectures 有十次讲座的课程

In NAmE a course is usually an individual unit that forms part of a longer period of study 在美式英语中，course 通常指较长学习阶段中的一个独立单元：

I have to take a physics course / class. 我得参加一个物理课程。

This is called a module in Britain, especially in a college or university. 在英国，尤其是高等院校，这种独立单元叫 module。

In BrE course can also mean a period of study at a college or university. 英式英语的 course 亦可指高等教育的一个阶段：

a two-year college course 两年的大学课程

In NAmE you would say 美式英语说：

a two-year college program 两年的大学课程

五、different from / to / than

Different from is the most common structure in both BrE and NAmE. Different to is also used in BrE. * different from 在英式英语和美式英语中均为最常用的结构。different to 亦用于英式英语：

Paul’s very different from / to his brother. 保罗与他的哥哥大不一样。

This visit is very different from / to last time. 这次访问与上一次的大不相同。

In NAmE people also say different than. 美式英语亦有 different than 的说法：

Your trains are different than ours. 你们的火车与我们的不一样。

You look different than before. 你看上去与从前不一样了。

Before a clause you can also use different from (and different than in NAmE). 从句前亦可用 different from （美式英语用 different than）：

She looked different from what I’d expected.

She looked different than (what) I’d expected. 她看上去与我想象的不一样。

六、floor

In BrE the floor of a building at street level is the ground floor, the one above it is the first floor and the one below it is the basement, or lower ground floor in a public building. 在英式英语中，地面的楼层叫 ground floor，上面一层叫 first floor，下面一层叫 basement 或在公共建筑中叫 lower ground floor。

In NAmE the floor at street level is usually called the first floor, the one above it is the second floor and the one below it is the basement. In public buildings the floor at street level can also be called the ground floor. 在美式英语中，地面的一层通常叫 first floor，上面一层叫 second floor，下面一层叫 basement。在公共建筑中，地面的一层亦可称为 ground floor。

七、have you got? / do you have?

Have got is the usual verb in BrE to show possession, etc. in positive statements in the present tense, in negative statements and in questions. 在英式英语中，动词 have got 常用于现在时的肯定句、否定句和疑问句中，表示拥有等：

They’ve got a wonderful house. 他们有一所漂亮的房子。

We haven’t got a television. 我们没有电视机。

Have you got a meeting today? 你今天有会吗？

Questions and negative statements formed with do are also common. 以 do 构成疑问句和否定句亦常见：

Do you have any brothers and sisters? 你有兄弟姐妹吗？

We don’t have a car. 我们没有汽车。

Have is also used but is more formal. 亦可用 have 构成疑问句和否定句，但较正式：

I have no objection to your request. 我不反对你的请求。

Have you an appointment? 你有约会吗？

Some expressions with have are common even in informal language. 非正式用语中也常见一些带 have 的短语：

I’m sorry, I haven’t a clue. 对不起，我一无所知。

In the past tense had is used in positive statements. In negatives and questions, forms with did have are usually used. 在过去时中 had 用于肯定句，而否定句和疑问句通常用 did have：

They had a wonderful house. 他们曾有一所漂亮的房子。

We didn’t have much time. 我们没有多少时间。

Did she have her husband with her? 她那时与丈夫在一起吗 ?

In NAmE have and forms with do / does / did are the usual way to show possession, etc. in positive statements, negatives and questions. 美式英语通常用 have，以及 have 和 do ／ does ／ did 构成的各种形式表示拥有等，用于肯定句、否定句和疑问句：

They have a wonderful house. 他们有一所漂亮的房子。

We don’t have a television. 我们没有电视机。

Do you have a meeting today? 你今天有会吗？

Have got is not used in questions, but is used in positive statements, especially to emphasize that somebody has one thing rather than another. * have got 不用于疑问句，而用于肯定句中，着重强调某人有某物而非另一物：

‘Does your brother have brown hair?’ ‘No, he’s got blond hair.’ “你弟弟的头发是棕色的吗？”“不，他有一头金发。”

In both BrE and NAmE have and forms with do / does and did are used when you are referring to a habit or routine. 英式英语和美式英语均用 have，以及 have 和 do ／ does ／ did 构成的各种形式表示习惯或常规：

We don’t often have time to talk. 我们常常没有时间谈话。

八、holiday / vacation

You use holiday (or holidays) in BrE and vacation in NAmE to describe the regular periods of time when you are not at work or school, or time that you spend travelling or resting away from home. * holiday 或 holidays （英式英语）和 vacation （美式英语）均表示休息日、假日、外出休假期：

I get four weeks’ holiday / vacation a year. 我一年有四周休假。

He’s on holiday / vacation this week. 他本周休假。

I like to take my holiday / vacation in the winter. 我喜欢在冬天休假。

the summer holidays / vacation 暑假

In NAmE a holiday (or a public holiday) is a single day when government offices, schools, banks and businesses are closed. 在美式英语中，holiday 或 public holiday 指政府机关、学校、银行和商业机构关门休息的公共假日：

The school will be closed Monday because it’s a holiday. 星期一是公共假日，所以学校不上课。

This is called a bank holiday in BrE. 在英式英语中，公共假日叫做 bank holiday。

The holidays is used in NAmE to refer to the time in late December and early January that includes Christmas, Hanukkah and the New Year. 在美式英语中，the holidays 指十二月下旬至一月上旬，包括圣诞节、修殿节和新年在内的这段时间。

Vacation in BrE is used mainly to mean one of the periods when universities are officially closed for the students. 在英式英语中，vacation 主要指大学的休假时期。

九、hospital

In BrE you say to hospital or in hospital when you talk about somebody being there as a patient 在英式英语中，去医院看病或住院诊治用 to hospital 或 in hospital：

I had to go to hospital. 我得去医院看病。

She spent two weeks in hospital. 她住院两周。

In NAmE you need to use the. 美式英语要用定冠词 the：

I had to go to the hospital. 我得去医院看病。

She spent two weeks in the hospital. 她住院两周。

十、inclusive / through

In BrE inclusive is used to emphasize that you are including the days, months, numbers, etc. mentioned, especially in formal or official situations. 在英式英语中，inclusive 用以强调所提到的日子、月份、数字等均包括在内，尤用于正式场合：

Answer questions 8 to 12 inclusive. 回答第 8 到第 12 题。

The amusement park is open daily from May to October inclusive. 游乐园从五月到十月底每天都开放。

In NAmE through is used. 美式英语用 through：

Answer questions 8 through 12. 回答第 8 到第 12 题。

The amusement park is open (from) May through October. 游乐园从五月到十月底每天都开放。

To can also be used with this meaning in BrE and NAmE. 英式英语和美式英语都可用 to：

The park is open from 1 May to 31 October. 公园从 5 月 1 日到 10 月 31 日开放。

十一、     phone / call / ring

Verbs 动词

In BrE, to phone, to ring and to call are the usual ways of saying to telephone. In NAmE the most common word is call, but phone is also used. Speakers of NAmE do not say ring. Telephone is very formal and is used mainly in BrE. 在英式英语中，phone、ring 和 call 为表示打电话的惯常用语。在美式英语中，call 最常用，但也用 phone。说美式英语的人不用 ring。telephone 非常正式，主要用于英式英语。

Nouns 名词

You can use call or phone call (more formal) in both BrE and NAmE. 在英式英语和美式英语中，用 call 或 phone call （较正式）均可：

Were there any phone calls for me? 有我的电话吗？

How do I make a local call? 本地电话怎么打？

The idiom give sb a call is also common. 习语 give sb a call 亦常用：

I’ll give you a call tonight. 我今晚会给你打电话。

In informal BrE you could also say 非正式英式英语中亦可说：

I’ll give you a ring tonight. 我今晚会给你打电话。

十二、     phone / call / ring

Verbs 动词

In BrE, to phone, to ring and to call are the usual ways of saying to telephone. In NAmE the most common word is call, but phone is also used. Speakers of NAmE do not say ring. Telephone is very formal and is used mainly in BrE. 在英式英语中，phone、ring 和 call 为表示打电话的惯常用语。在美式英语中，call 最常用，但也用 phone。说美式英语的人不用 ring。telephone 非常正式，主要用于英式英语。

Nouns 名词

You can use call or phone call (more formal) in both BrE and NAmE. 在英式英语和美式英语中，用 call 或 phone call （较正式）均可：

Were there any phone calls for me? 有我的电话吗？

How do I make a local call? 本地电话怎么打？

The idiom give sb a call is also common. 习语 give sb a call 亦常用：

I’ll give you a call tonight. 我今晚会给你打电话。

In informal BrE you could also say 非正式英式英语中亦可说：

I’ll give you a ring tonight. 我今晚会给你打电话。

十三、     platform / track

In British stations the platforms, where passengers get on and off trains, have numbers. 在英国火车站，旅客上下火车的站台﹙ platform ﹚有编号：

The Edinburgh train is waiting at platform 4. 去爱丁堡的火车在 4 号站台等候。

In stations in the USA, it is the track that the train travels along that has a number. 在美国火车站，按火车的轨道（track）编号：

The train for Chicago is on track 9. 去往芝加哥的火车在第 9 道。

十四、     post / mail

Nouns 名词

In BrE the official system used for sending and delivering letters, parcels / packages, etc. is usually called the post. In NAmE it is usually called the mail. 邮政系统在英式英语中通常叫做 post，在美式英语中通常称为 mail：

I’ll put an application form in the post / mail for you today. 我今天会把申请表邮寄给你。

Send your fee by post / mail to this address. 将费用邮寄到此地址。

Mail is sometimes used in BrE in such expressions as

the Royal Mail. 在英式英语中，mail 有时用于 the Royal Mail （皇家邮政）等短语中。

Post occurs in NAmE in such expressions as

the US Postal Service. 在美式英语中，post 出现在 the US Postal Service （美国邮政管理局）等短语中。

In BrE post is also used to mean the letters, parcels / packages, etc. that are delivered to you. Mail is the usual word in NAmE and is sometimes also used in BrE. 在英式英语中，post 亦指邮件。mail 在美式英语中为常用词，有时亦用于英式英语：

Was there any post / mail this morning? 今早有邮件吗？

I sat down to open my post / mail. 我坐下来打开我的邮件。

Verbs 动词

Compare 比较：

I’ll post the letter when I go out. (BrE) 我出门时去寄这封信。（英式英语）

and 与

I’ll mail the letter when I go out. (NAmE) 我出门时去寄这封信。（美式英语）

Compounds 复合词

Note these words:postman (BrE), mailman / mail carrier (both NAmE); postbox (BrE), mailbox (NAmE) Some compounds are used in both BrE and NAmE:post office, postcard, mail order. 注意下列词汇：邮递员英式英语为 postman，美式英语为 mailman ／ mail carrier，邮筒英式英语为 postbox，美式英语为 mailbox。有些复合词既用于英式英语，也用于美式英语，如 post office ﹙邮局﹚、postcard ﹙明信片﹚、mail order ﹙邮购﹚。

十五、     presently

In both BrE and NAmE, presently can mean ‘soon’ or ‘after a short time’. 在英式英语和美式英语中，presently 均含不久、一会儿之意：

I’ll be with you presently. 我一会儿就来。

In NAmE the usual meaning of presently is ‘at the present time’ or ‘now’. 在美式英语中，presently 通常表示目前、现在：

She is presently living in Milan. 她现住在米兰。

There is presently no cure for the disease. 目前这种疾病无药可医。

This use is becoming more accepted in BrE, but at present or currently are usually used. 此用法在英式英语中正逐渐被接受，不过通常用的还是 at present 或 currently。

十六、     rent / hire / let

Verbs 动词

You can hire something for a short period of time (BrE only), but rent something for a longer period. 短期租用可用 hire （仅用于英式英语），较长时间的租用则用 rent：

We can hire bikes for a day to explore the town. 我们可租用自行车一天来游览这城镇。

We don’t own our TV, we rent it. 我们没有自己的电视机，这是租的。

In NAmE, rent is always used. It is sometimes now used in BrE instead of hire, too. 美式英语总是用 rent，现在英式英语有时也用 rent 代替 hire。

The owners of a thing can hire it out for a short period (BrE). 物主短期租出某物可用 hire out （英式英语）：

Do you hire out bikes? 你们出租自行车吗？

Or they can rent (out) / let (out) a building, etc. 出租房屋等可用 rent (out) / let (out)：

We rent out rooms in our house to students. 我们把住宅里的房间出租给学生。

Outside a building you could see. 在建筑物外可看到：

(BrE) To let 招租

(especially NAmE) For rent 招租

To hire can also mean to employ somebody, especially in NAmE. * hire 亦含雇用之意，尤其在美式英语中：

We hired a new secretary. 我们雇了一名新秘书。

see also lease v.

Nouns 名词

The amount of money that you pay to rent something is rent or rental (more formal). When you hire something you pay a hire charge (BrE). 较长时间租用的租金为 rent 或 rental （较正式）。短期租借费用为 hire charge （英式英语）。

On a sign outside a shop you might see 在商店外的标牌上可看到：

(BrE) Bikes for hire 出租自行车

十七、     rubbish / garbage / trash / refuse

Rubbish is the usual word in BrE for the things that you throw away because you no longer want or need them. Garbage and trash are both used in NAmE. Inside the home, garbage tends to mean waste food and other wet material, while trash is paper, cardboard and dry material. 在英式英语中，rubbish 为常用词，指垃圾、废物。garbage 和 trash 均用于美式英语。生活垃圾中，garbage 多指废弃的食物和其他湿物质，而 trash 则指废弃的纸、硬纸板和干物质。

In BrE, you put your rubbish in a dustbin in the street to be collected by the dustmen. In NAmE, your garbage and trash goes in a garbage / trash can in the street and is collected by garbage men / collectors. 在英式英语中，垃圾为 rubbish，街上的垃圾桶为 dustbin，清除垃圾的工人叫 dustman。在美式英语中，垃圾为 garbage 和 trash，街上的垃圾桶为 garbage / trash can，清除垃圾的工人叫 garbage man / collector。

Refuse is a formal word and is used in both BrE and NAmE. Refuse collector is the formal word for a dustman or garbage collector. * refuse 为正式用语，用于英式英语和美式英语均可。refuse collector 为 dustman 或 garbage collector 的正式说法。

at / in school

In BrE somebody who is attending school is at school. 在英式英语中，at school 表示上学：

I was at school with her sister. 我和她妹妹过去在同一个学校读书。

In NAmE in school is used. 美式英语用 in school 表示：

I have a ten-year-old in school. 我有个十岁的孩子在上学。

In school in NAmE can also mean ‘attending a university’. 美式英语的 in school 亦可表示上大学。

十八、     sea / ocean

In BrE, the usual word for the mass of salt water that covers most of the earth’s surface is the sea. In NAmE, the usual word is the ocean. 在英式英语中，覆盖地球表面大部分地区的大片海水通常用 sea 表示。美式英语则通常用 ocean：

A swimmer drowned in the sea / ocean this morning. 今天早上一名游泳者在海里淹死了。

The names of particular areas of seas, however, are fixed. 然而，特定的海洋名称用 sea 或 ocean 是固定的：

the Mediterranean Sea 地中海

the Atlantic Ocean 大西洋

Sea / ocean are also used if you go to the coast on holiday / vacation. 到海滨度假亦可用 sea / ocean：

We’re spending a week by the sea / at the ocean in June. 我们六月份要在海滨度假一个星期。

In NAmE it is also common to say 美式英语亦常说：

We’re going to the beach for vacation. 我们要去海滨度假。

十九、     toilet / bathroom

In BrE, but not in NAmE, the room that has a toilet in it is usually referred to as a toilet. This room in people’s houses can also be called the lavatory, or informally, the loo. An extra downstairs toilet in a house can be called the cloakroom. In public places, especially on signs, the words toilets, Gents (for men’s toilets) or Ladies (for women’s toilets) are used for a room or small building containing several toilets. You might also see WC or Public Conveniences on some signs. 在英式英语而非美式英语中，厕所一般称为 toilet，住宅中的厕所亦可称为 lavatory 或（非正式用法） loo。住宅楼下附加的厕所可叫做 cloakroom。在公共场所，尤其在指示牌上，toilets、Gents （男厕所）或 Ladies （女厕所）指有几个小间的厕所。有的指示牌亦可能用 WC 或 Public Conveniences。

In NAmE the room that contains a toilet is usually called the bathroom, never the toilet. A room with a toilet in a public place can also be called a restroom, ladies’ room, women’s room or men’s room. Washroom is also used, especially in Canada. 在美式英语中，厕所一般称为 bathroom，从不叫 toilet。公共厕所亦可称为 restroom、ladies' room、women's room 或 men's room，还可用 washroom，尤其是在加拿大。

二十、     underground / subway / metro / tube

A city’s underground railway / railroad system is usually called the underground (often the Underground) in BrE and the subway in NAmE. Speakers of BrE also use subway for systems in American cities and metro for systems in other European countries. The Metro is the name for the systems in Paris and Washington, D.C. London’s system is often called the Tube. 城市的地铁系统在英式英语中通常称为 underground （常作 the Underground），在美式英语中为 subway。说英式英语的人指美国城市的地铁亦用 subway，而指其他欧洲国家的地铁则用 metro。the Metro 为巴黎和华盛顿市的地铁名称；伦敦的地铁通常称作 the Tube。