hire、lease、rent、let与charter这些动词均含“租、租用”之意。
hire : 多指短期租用。在英国一般指租用车、船。
- How much would it cost to hire a car for the weekend?
租一辆车周末用要多少钱？ - You could always hire a dress for the ball if you can’t afford to buy one.
如果你买不起舞会礼服，总还可以租一套。
lease : 指按照租约租出或租用房屋、土地或其它不动产。
- The building’s 60 units are currently leased to students of the university.
这栋楼里的60个单元目前租给了这间大学的学生。 - It was agreed they would lease the apartment to him/lease him the apartment.
按照约定他们要把公寓租给他。
rent : 在英国指较长时间租出或租入房屋、商店或土地；而在美国指长时间或短时期租用各种资产以及日用东西。
- The old lady rented me her spare bedroom for £200 a week.
这位老太太以每周200英镑的价格把她一间闲置的卧室租给了我。 - My Dad has a villa that he rents (out) to tourists.
我爸爸有一处乡间小屋出租给游客。 - I rented a car from a garage so that I could get about.
我从汽车修理厂租了一辆车，以便能够四处走走。
let : 尤指出租房屋或地产等。
- They are letting their house (out) for the summer.
他们准备夏天把房子租出去。 - He’s let his flat to a young couple.
他把公寓房租给了一对年轻夫妇。 - She has a room to let in her house.
她的房子里有一个房间要出租。
charter : 指承租大型运输工具，如飞机、轮船、大客车以及火车等。
- They’ve chartered a plane to take delegates to the conference.
他们包了一架飞机送代表参加会议。 - He chartered a jet to fly her home from California to Switzerland.
他包了架喷气式飞机把她从加利福尼亚送回瑞士家里。
#词汇辨析