rath·er
adverb OPAL WOPAL S
/ˈrɑːðə(r)/
/ˈræðər/
Idioms - used to mean ‘fairly’ or ‘to some degree’, often when you are disappointed, surprised or expressing slight criticism
（常用于表示失望、惊讶或轻微的批评）相当，在某种程度上 - rather odd/strange/unusual
相当怪异／奇怪／不寻常 - a rather large sum of money
相当大的一笔钱 - A rather small number of people turned up.
没有几个人出席。 - They took a rather different approach.
他们采取了很不一样的方法。 - I thought it was a rather good idea.
我认为这是一个相当好的主意。 - The instructions were rather complicated.
这些说明相当复杂。 - She fell and hurt her leg rather badly.
她跌倒了，腿伤得相当重。 - I didn't fail the exam; in fact I did rather well!
我没有考不及格，事实上，我考得不错！ - It was a rather difficult question.
这是个相当难的问题。 - It was rather a difficult question.
这真是个难题。 - He looks rather like his father.
他看上去很像他的父亲。 - The patient has responded to the treatment rather better than expected.
病人对治疗的反应比预想的好得多。 - He was conscious that he was talking rather too much.
他意识到他说得实在太多了。
Which Word? quite / fairly / rather / prettyquite / fairly / rather / prettyLook at these examples:- The exam was fairly difficult.
这场考试颇难。
- The exam was fairly difficult.
- The exam was quite difficult.
这场考试相当难。
- The exam was quite difficult.
- The exam was rather difficult.
这场考试十分难。
- The exam was rather difficult.
- Quite is a little stronger than fairly, and rather is a little stronger than quite. Rather is not very common in North American English; pretty has the same meaning and this is used in informal British English too:
- The exam was pretty difficult.
这场考试十分难。
- The exam was pretty difficult.
- In British English quite has two meanings:
- I feel quite tired today
今天我感到相当累。
- I feel quite exhausted.
我感到筋疲力尽。
- Your essay is quite good
你的文章还不错（挺好，不过可以更好）；
- Your essay is quite good
你的文章还不错（挺好，不过可以更好）；
- I feel quite tired today
- In North American English quite usually means something like ‘very’, not ‘fairly’ or ‘rather’. Pretty is used instead for this sense.
Extra Examples- I'm sorry, I've got rather a lot on my mind.
对不起，我的烦心事已经够多了。 - Recently she'd been thinking about him rather too much.
最近她对他的思念实在是太多了。 - She looked rather well after her night in hospital.
在医院住了一夜之后，她看起来相当健康。 - The rules are rather complicated.
这些规则相当复杂。 - They'd had rather a lot to drink.
他们喝了很多酒。
- rather odd/strange/unusual
- used with a verb to make a statement sound less strong
（与动词连用以减弱语气）有点儿，稍微 - I've always rather liked Charlie.
我一直蛮喜欢查理的。 - I rather suspect we're making a mistake.
我有点儿怀疑我们正在犯错误。 - We were rather hoping you'd be able to do it by Friday.
我们希望你最好能在星期五之前做这件事。
- I've always rather liked Charlie.
- used to correct something you have said, or to give more accurate information
（纠正所说的话或提供更确切的信息）更确切地讲，更准确地说 - She worked as a secretary, or rather, a personal assistant.
她当了秘书；确切地讲，是私人助理。 - In the end he had to walk—or rather run—to the office.
最后他不得不走着，应该说是跑着，去办公室。
Language Bank i.e.i.e.Explaining what you mean- Some poems are mnemonics, i.e. they are designed to help you remember something.
有些诗歌是记忆代码，即是说，其目的是帮助人们记起某事。
- Some poems are mnemonics, i.e. they are designed to help you remember something.
- Some poems are mnemonics, that is to say, they are designed to help you remember something.
有些诗歌是记忆代码，就是说，其目的是帮助人们记起某事。
- Some poems are mnemonics, that is to say, they are designed to help you remember something.
- Mnemonic poems, that is poems designed to help you remember something, are an excellent way to learn lists.
记事诗，即帮助人记起事情的诗歌，是记住一系列事物的极佳方式。
- Mnemonic poems, that is poems designed to help you remember something, are an excellent way to learn lists.
- A limerick’s rhyme scheme is A–A–B–B–A. In other words, the first, second, and fifth lines all rhyme with one another, while the third and fourth lines have their own rhyme.
五行打油诗的韵律是 A-A-B-B-A。就是说，第一行、第二行和第五行押一个韵，而第三行和第四行押另一个韵。
- A limerick’s rhyme scheme is A–A–B–B–A. In other words, the first, second, and fifth lines all rhyme with one another, while the third and fourth lines have their own rhyme.
- In this exercise the reader is encouraged to work out the meaning, or rather the range of meanings, of the poem.
这个练习鼓励读者弄清这首诗的意思，更确切地说是弄清其几种含意。
- In this exercise the reader is encouraged to work out the meaning, or rather the range of meanings, of the poem.
- This is a poem about death, or, more precisely, dying.
这是一首关于死亡的诗，更确切地说是关于临终的诗。
- This is a poem about death, or, more precisely, dying.
- He says his poems deal with ‘the big issues’, by which he means love, loss, grief and death.
他说他的诗涉及一些 “重大问题”，这些问题是指爱、失去、痛苦和死亡。
- He says his poems deal with ‘the big issues’, by which he means love, loss, grief and death.
- She worked as a secretary, or rather, a personal assistant.
- used to introduce an idea that is different or opposite to the idea that you have stated previously
（提出不同或相反的观点）相反，反而，而是 - The walls were not white, but rather a sort of dirty grey.
墙面不是白的，而是灰不溜秋的。 - The problem is not in the whole system, but rather in one small part.
问题不在于整个系统，而在于一小部分。
- The walls were not white, but rather a sort of dirty grey.
Word OriginOld English hrathor ‘earlier, sooner’, comparative of hræthe ‘without delay’, from hræth ‘prompt’, of Germanic origin.
Idioms
rather than
- instead of somebody/something
而不是 - I think I'll have a cold drink rather than coffee.
我想要冷饮，不要咖啡。 - Why didn't you ask for help, rather than trying to do it on your own?
你干吗非得自己干，而不请人帮忙？
- I think I'll have a cold drink rather than coffee.
rather you, him, etc. than me
- (informal) used for saying that you would not like to do something that another person is going to do
（表明不想做别人要去做的事） - ‘I'm going climbing tomorrow.’ ‘Rather you than me!’
“我明天去爬山。”“你去吧，我可不去！”
- ‘I'm going climbing tomorrow.’ ‘Rather you than me!’
would rather… (than)
- (usually reduced to ’d rather) would prefer to
宁愿；更喜欢 - She'd rather die than give a speech.
她宁愿死也不愿意演讲。 - ‘Do you want to come with us?’ ‘No, I'd rather not.’
“你想跟我们一起来吗？”“不，我不想去。” - Would you rather walk or take the bus?
你比较喜欢步行还是坐公共汽车？ - ‘Do you mind if I smoke?’ ‘Well, I'd rather you didn't.’
“你介意我抽烟吗？”“嗯，最好别抽。” - Personally, I'd rather see the money and resources going into education.
就我个人而言，我宁愿看到资金和资源投入教育。 - I'd rather have a simple product that actually works than something fancy that's just not reliable.
我宁愿拥有一个实际有效的简单产品，也不愿拥有一些不可靠的花哨产品。
Express Yourself Expressing a preferenceExpressing a preferenceThese are ways of stating what your preferred choice is. Note that we sometimes discount our own expertise or authority before expressing our preference:Topics Preferences and decisionsb2- I like the red one better than/more than the green one.
比起那个绿色的，我更喜欢红的。
- I like the red one better than/more than the green one.
- I prefer beef to lamb.
我喜欢牛肉胜于羊肉。
- I prefer beef to lamb.
- I'd prefer to wait here.
我宁愿在这儿等。
- I'd prefer to wait here.
- I'd rather go to the concert than the play.
与看戏相比，我更愿意去听音乐会。
- I'd rather go to the concert than the play.
- I think I'd rather stay in than go out tonight.
今晚我想待在家里，不想外出。
- I think I'd rather stay in than go out tonight.
- I like swimming better than jogging.
比起慢跑，我更喜欢游泳。
- I like swimming better than jogging.
- I think that colour's much more attractive.
我觉得那种颜色好看多了。
- I think that colour's much more attractive.
- It doesn’t really matter to me whether we eat here or go out.
我们在这儿吃还是出去吃，我真无所谓。
- It doesn’t really matter to me whether we eat here or go out.
- I don't really mind whether we talk now or later.
我们是现在谈还是以后谈，我不大在意。
- I don't really mind whether we talk now or later.
- I’m happy either way.
（两个之中）无论哪一个我都乐意。
- I’m happy either way.
- I don't really care either way.
（这两个）我都无所谓。
- I don't really care either way.
- If it were up to me, I'd choose the green one.
如果让我来选，我会选那个绿色的。
- If it were up to me, I'd choose the green one.
- If you ask me, the old one looks better than the new one.
要问我的话，旧的那个看起来比新的好。
- If you ask me, the old one looks better than the new one.
- I’m not an expert but Design B seems more eye-catching.
我不是专家，但 B 设计似乎更抢眼。
- I’m not an expert but Design B seems more eye-catching.
- She'd rather die than give a speech.