一、三者的结构差异:

相同点:

三者都可以遵循as if/as though子句、to do(不是to be)不定式结构

差异:

1)look对that子句、to do (to be)、appear和seem没有此限制。

2)look like、seem like都可以,但appear like很少。

3)can't seem可以,但没有can't appear结构。

第二:含义上的差异:

《朗文高阶英汉双解词典》(最新)第2042页seem词条

appear(正式)看来,似乎(有某种特质)

Light colors make a room appear bigger than it is. 浅色使房间显得比实际更大。

look(尤指外表)看上去,看起来

Mrs Fraser looked very worried. 弗雷泽太太看上去非常忧虑。

《文馨当代英汉词典》第83页appear词条

appear指外表看似…,有时含有其实未必尽然之意。

look亦指外表看来似乎…,常常含有其实亦然之意。

seem指说话者依某种迹象或预示而认为似乎可能。

《英汉多功能词典》第1246页look词条

look:表示说话者根据视觉所作出的判断。

She looks happy是“她看起来(在旁人看来,从表面上看)很开心”之意。

seem:表示说话者根据五种感觉(即视觉、听觉、嗅觉、味觉和触觉)中的任何一种所作出的判断,主要为基于主观思考的判断。

She seems happy是“(从他人的谈话综合来看)她好像很幸福”之意。

appear:原本为“显现姿态”之意,表示根据外观所获得的印象,比look更加强调对象。

appear为对象本身“显现出所具备的某种样子”。

She appears calm有不管说话者的判断如何,“她显现出沉着的样子”之意。

《英语常用词疑难用法手册》(陈用仪编著)第062页appear词条

appear + 不定式或形容词与seem+ 不定式或形容词,指事物给人的客观印象以及人的主观估计,但是连两者有区别:

如果涉及说话者的情感评价部分,就不能用appear而只能用seem。

They have the same surname, but they don’t appear/seem to be related.

他们同姓,但是看来没有亲属关系(去情感评价,所以appear与seem均可。)

She’s not getting any better. It seems/appears that she’s not been taking the medication.

她的病情没有见好。看来药她没有在服用。(无情感评价,所以appear与seem均可。)

It seems (不可appears) ridiculous that he has to stay here to look after the car.

他为了照料猫,非得留在这里,这看来简直是荒谬的。

(有情感评价,所以只能用seem而不能用appear。)

从另一个角度来说,appear表示的是客观给人的印象,而seem则是说话者自己感到的印象。

He seems tired. (是我觉得)他似乎很疲倦。

He appears to be tired. (则是)他客观上给人以疲倦的印象(我却不一定觉得他疲倦)。

《牛津英语用法指南》(第三版)第77页58 appear词条

seem既可用于谈论客观事实,也可用于谈论主观印象和感受。

appear则主要用于谈论客观事实。

The baby seems/appears (to be) hungry. 宝宝似乎饿了。

She doesn’t want to go on studying. It seems a pity.

她不想学下去了,这似乎很可惜。(不能说:It appears a pity.)

seem常与like连用,而appear一般不这样用。

It seemed like a good idea. 这似乎是个好主意。

(比It appears like a good idea. 更为自然)

seem可与can’t连用,形成一种特殊机构。appear则不能这样用。

I can’t seem to make him understand. 我似乎无法使他明白。

(但不能说:I can’t appear to make him understand.)

《英语常用词用法词典》(修订第2版)第93页appear词条

appear, look, seem三个词都有“看起来似…”的意思。

appear强调外表上给人某种印象,有时含有实质上并非如此的意思。

He appears to know more than he really does.

他看起来好像懂得很多,其实懂得没有那么多。

seem暗示有一定根据的判断,这种判断往往接近事实。

The problem seems very complicated. 问题仿佛很复杂。

His health seems to be better. 他的健康似乎有所好转。

look着重由视觉而得出的印象。

He looked as if he was worrying about something.

他看上去仿佛在为什么事情着急(苦恼)。

He is over seventy but he doesn’t look his age.

他已年过七十,但看起来不像那么大(他看上去比实际年轻)。

三个动词后面都可用作表语;

appear和seem后可连用不定式;

look在此种意义上只能与to be连用,意思与seem同。

As far as I can tell, he looks to be the right man for the post.

就我所知,他看来是适合这个岗位的。

2017年9月14日

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