bare 和 bear 除了拼写很容易互相弄混之外,其他的没有任何的关系,它们的区别是天壤之别。
一、bare 既可以作形容词,意为“裸体的,裸露的;光秃秃的;荒芜的;无遮盖的;没有保护的;最基本的,最重要的;最少的,最低限度的”等,例如:
Don't go out in bare feet. You'll catch a cold.
别光着脚出去。你会感冒的。
Was the protestor totally bare when he ran in the meeting room?
抗议者在会议室跑的时候是不是全身赤裸?
We haven't done our grocery shopping this week, and I'm afraid the cupboards are bare.
这星期我们还没去买食品杂货,恐怕柜子空着。
Bare wires were sticking out of the cable.
电缆露出了裸线。
也可以作动词,意为“揭开,脱掉”,例如:
The men bared their heads as they entered the church.
这些人走进教堂时,脱掉了帽子。
He became nervous when the dog growled and bared its teeth at him.
当狗向他吼叫并露出牙齿时,他变得紧张起来。
所以 bare 跟熊没有任何关系。
二、bear 才是真正的熊,它是一种很大的哺乳动物,不过 bear 的用法永远超过了它的本意,这些用法经常困扰着写作的人。
1、bear 作名词时,除了熊的意思外,在证券市场还可以意为“卖空的人”,例如:
The bears are driven by bad economic news from Japan, such as July's 2.4% monthly slump in industrial production.
看跌的人是受日本的不好的经济消息的影响,比如7月工业生产月环比下降2.4%。
2、bear 作动词时,用法太丰富了,可以意为“忍受;承担责任;显示;支撑;举止;生(孩子)“等等,这里简单例举,例如:
I can't bear this stifling humidity.
我受不了这种闷热的湿气。
Their baby bears a strong resemblance to its grandfather.
他们的孩子长得很像爷爷。
The chair, too fragile to bear her weight, collapsed.
椅子太脆弱,无法承受她的重量,倒了下来。
She had borne six children by the time she was 30.
她30岁时已经生了六个孩子。