mean、imply、indicate、represent、denote、signify与suggest这些动词均含有“表示……的意思”之意。
mean : 最普通用词。指文字或符号等所表示的各种明确的或含蓄的意义。
- What do you mean by that remark?
你那话是什么意思？ - She’s kind of strange though. Do you know what I mean?
可是她有点怪。你明白我指什么吗？
imply : 侧重用文字或符号表示的联想，暗示。
- Are you implying (that) I’m fat?
你是在暗示我长得胖吗？ - I’m not implying anything about your cooking, but could we eat out tonight?
我并不是暗示你做的饭不好吃，只是想提议我们今晚去外面吃，好吗？ - I detected an implied criticism of the way he was treated.
我觉察到他在含蓄地批评自己受到的待遇。
indicate : 指明显的表示。
- Exploratory investigations have indicated large amounts of oil below the sea bed.
勘测调查表明海床下有大量的石油。 - Please indicate which free gift you would like to receive.
请标出你想要哪种免费礼物。
represent : 指体现或代表。
- This contract represents 20% of the company’s annual revenue.
这份合约相当于公司20%的年收入。 - This decision represents a significant departure from previous policy.
这个决定意味着在很大程度上脱离了原先的政策。
denote : 指某一词字面或狭义的意思，或指某些符号或迹象的特指含义。
- The colour red is used to denote passion or danger.
红色用于表示激情或危险。 - signify : 指用文字、说话或表情等表示单纯的意思。
- Nobody really knows what the marks on the ancient stones signify.
没人真正知道那些古代石头上的记号代表什么含义。 - The number 30 on a road sign signifies that the speed limit is 30 miles an hour.
路标上的数字30表示时速限定为30英里。
suggest : 通常指暗含地、隐晦地表达意思。
- Are you suggesting (that) I look fat in these trousers?
你言下之意是说我穿这条裤子显得胖？ - Something about his manner suggested a lack of interest in what we were doing.
他的举止流露出的某种东西表明他对我们正在做的事情并无兴趣。
#词汇辨析