这些动词均有“烦恼、担忧”之意。
worry : 普通用词，着重使人焦虑、烦恼或深深不安。
- Try not to worry – there’s nothing you can do to change the situation.
别发愁了——你没法改变这种局面。 - Don’t worry, she’ll be all right.
别担心，她会没事的。 - It’s silly worrying about things which are outside your control.
为自己无法掌控的事发愁是很愚蠢的。 - She’s worried (that) she might not be able to find another job.
她担心自己无法再找到一份工作。
brood 语气比 worry 强，多指沉思、沮丧或忧郁。
- I wish she wouldn’t sit brooding in her room all day.
我希望她不要整天呆在房间里忧心忡忡的。
care : 多指极强烈的关心和忧虑。常带纯客观的意味。
- She’s never cared very much about her appearance.
她对自己的外表从不很在意。 - I really don’t care whether we go out or not.
我们出不出去我真的不在意。 - I don’t care how much it costs, just buy it.
我不在乎它要价多少，就买了吧。 - “Was Lorna happy about the arrangements?” “I don’t know and I don’t care.”
“洛娜对安排满意吗？”“我不知道，也不关心。” - Your parents are only doing this because they care about (= love) you.
你父母之所以这么做全是因为他们爱你。
fret : 通常指因悲哀、焦虑或忧愁等所持续困扰的心理状态。
- Don’t fret – I’m sure he’s OK.
别发愁——他肯定没事。 - She spent the day fretting about/over what she’d said to Nicky.
她为对尼基说的话而担心了一整天。
#词汇辨析