以下是引用solome在2004-2-5 9:13:00的发言: 非常感谢2love2live,我来把它贴全
while, whereas, or although The use of "while" to show contrast is common and accepted in informal usage. In formal writing, however, "while" should be reserved to show that two or more events occur at the same time. In the following sentence, the two events are occurring simultaneously.
Measurements were taken while the specimen was rotating in the rig. For comparisons and contrasts, "whereas" and "although" should be used instead of "while."
Positions are logged manually, whereas temperatures and pressures are recorded automatically by the thin-film sensors. These two events happen in different ways. They do not necessarily occur at the same time.
Although positions are logged manually, temperatures and pressures are recorded automatically by the thin-film sensors. The meaning of this sentence is similar to the previous one, but it places more emphasis on the differences between the two events.
Indiscriminate use of "while" where "whereas" or "although" would be more appropriate can even result in ambiguity and misunderstanding:
While my cat, Princess, eats quickly, she enjoys a leisurely stroll. Does she do both at the same time? Using "whereas" or "although" in this sentence would clear up the confusion.
In each sentence, select the best choice for formal writing:
While /Although the method is efficient for most applications, it can produce errors when small, irregularly shaped specimens are tested. Place the sample into the rig while / whereas the power is off. The Structures Division had responsibility for the fan blade design, while /whereas the Materials Division was to develop the composite material for the blade. (The two projects are not necessarily happening at the same time.) While /Although the experiment was thermal cycling, an inert atmosphere was maintained to avoid oxidation of the aluminum framework. The single-crystal material is somewhat stronger, while /whereas the composite is significantly lighter. Make sure that excessive pressure is not applied while / whereas the surfaces are in contact with each other.
从这里的解释可以看出来, while一般用在非正式英语中。正式英语中,while表示对比概念的时候,两个事物要是同时发生的。(进一步说明了while表达两个动作同时发生的特性) whereas则是重点表示事物的强对比性,而两者不一定是同时发生的。 在当同时出现while和whereas,而句子是要表达两者的强对比概念时,应该使用whereas 而although是表示让步的意思。 用while/whereas/although 主要还是看句子意思。强调同时发生用while,强调对比用whereas,表让步用although |