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Hi.
大家好。
Welcome to www.engvid.com.
欢迎大家访问www.engvid.com.
I'm Adam.
我是亚当。
In today's video I want to talk to you about some confused words.
在今天的视频中，我想要和你们讨论一些易混淆的词汇。
Now, these are words that are everyday words;
现在，这些词汇都是日常用语；
they're actually pretty basic words, but people mix them up all the time.
它们实际上都是十分基础的词汇，但是人们一直混淆它们。
Now, this is especially important for those of you taking the IELTS test
现在，这些词汇对于要参加雅思考试的人们尤其重要，
and especially in Task 1 where you're going to have to compare some information in a bar graph or a pie chart, etc.
特别是在任务1中，要比较柱状图或饼状图等中的一些信息。
But it's also very useful for everybody who's learning English because we're looking at the words: "lower" and "less".
对于学习英语的人来说也很有用，因为我们来看看“lower”和“less”。
And, again, very simple words, but mixed up all the time.
再说一次，它们是非常简单的词，但却一直混淆。
Now, while we're already here, I also thought I'd give you a quick look at a couple other words, or three other words: "lesser", "least", and "lessen".
现在，既然我们已经看到这了，我还想让你快速看看另外几个词，或者其他三个词：“less”，“least”和“lessen”。
"Lessen", it sounds like the lesson you have at school or this particular lesson,
“Lessen”这个词听起来像是你在学校上的课或者是这节课，
but notice that it is an "e", not an "o", so it's a different "lessen" and I'll talk about that in a moment.
但是要注意，这是个“e”，不是“o”，所以这是个不同的“lessen”，我稍后再讨论。
So, we're going to start by looking at the function of these two words: "lower" and "less".
我们先来看看这两个词“lower”和“less”的功能。
Okay?
好吗？
The first thing to keep in mind: "Less" is the opposite of "more".
我们首先要记住的是：“less”是“more”的反义词。
Okay?
对吧？
So we're talking about a quantity, we're talking about an amount of something and we're making a comparison; both of them are used to compare two things.
所以我们要讨论的是量，我们在讨论某物的数量，我们在做比较，这两个词都是用来比较两个东西的。
And we use "less" when we have an uncountable amount; time, money, water.
当数量无法计数时，像时间、金钱、水，我们使用“less”。
Okay?
对吧？
"I have less water than she has.",
“我的水比她少。”，
"I have less time than she has." etc.
“我的时间比她少。”等等。
"Lower" is the opposite of "higher".
“lower”是“higher”的反义词。
Okay?
对吧？
"Higher", "lower", so we're talking about level; we're not talking about quantity or amount.
“higher”，“lower”，所以我们说的是水平，而不是量或数量。
Okay?
对吧？
That's the big difference.
这是最大的区别。
Okay?
对吧？
Different level or different...
不同的水平或者不同的……
now, here I put "amount", and I'm not talking about "amount" in terms of this amount;
我在这写着“amount”，我不是想要表达数量；
I'm talking about "amount" - the number, and I'm going to explain that when I give you some examples.
我说的是“数额”，是数字，我会给你一些例子并进行解释。
When I use the word: "amount", or "number", or "rank", etc. I'm going to be using the word "lower".
在我使用“amount（数额）”，“number（数字）”，或者“rank（级别）”等词汇时，我会使用“lower”。
When I'm not using these words, when I'm not giving you the totality of something, then I'm going to be probably talking about "less" when I'm talking about amount.
我要是没有使用这些词汇，我没有表述事情的全部的时候，那么在我谈论“amount（数量）”时，我会用“less”。
This will make sense in a moment, I hope.
我希望这很快就会有意义。
So, let's start with "less", okay?
所以让我从“less”开始，好吗？
The first thing you need to remember is that "less" can be an adjective or an adverb.
首先你要记住“less”是形容词或副词。
As an adjective: "These days, people have less free time than they had in the past."
作形容词时：“如今，人们的空闲时间比过去少了。”
Okay?
对吧？
How much free time now; how much free time then - the quantity: More/less.
现在有多少空闲时间；那时候有多少空闲时间——讨论的是数量：用more或less。
In the past - less; now - more.
过去时less（更少）；现在more（更多）。
As an adverb, meaning that it's going to modify, it's going to give you some extra information about the verb.
作为副词要起到修饰作用，用来给你一些关于这个动词的额外信息。
Here, I'm giving you extra information about the noun - that's why it's an adjective.
这句话中，less作为形容词会给你关于名词的额外信息。
Adverb: "Tech devices cost less today than in the past."
作为副词：“现在的科技设备比过去便宜。”
So, cost less.
所以，花费更少
Okay?
对吧？
So, as an adverb, we're talking about the verb.
作为副词时，我们讨论的是那个动词。
"Lower" is never an adverb, and it can't be used in this way.
“lower”不是副词，不能这么用。
"Tech devices cost lower today" does not work
“Tech devices cost lower today”是不对的，
because "lower" is not an adverb.
因为“lower”不是副词。
Okay.
好的。
Now, just before we get to "lower", I just want to make sure that everybody understands the difference between "fewer" and "less".
所以在我们讲“lower”之前，我要确定每个人都理解“fewer”和“less”的区别了。
"Less" - uncountable; "fewer" - countable.
“less”用于不可数，“fewer”用于可数。
So if something is countable and you're comparing the amount - "fewer".
如果某物可数，而你在比较数量时用“fewer”。
"There were fewer people at this year's conference."
“今年的会议人更少。”
I can count how many; 10 people, 12 people, 20 people, etc.
我可以查出有多少个人；10个人，12个人，20个人，等。
I can count them, so there were fewer this year than last year.
我可以查出人，所以今年的人数比去年更少。
Time I can't count: "Less time than last year or in the past", okay?
时间无法计数：“时间比去年，或者过去更少，”对吧？
So that's "less".
所以用“less”。
Let's look at "lower".
我们看看“lower”。
Okay, so now we're going to look at "lower",
所以，我们现在看看“lower”，
okay?
好吧？
"Lower" can be an adjective: "Tech devices have a lower cost today than they did 20 years ago."
“lower”可以是一个形容词：“如今，科技设备的成本比20年前更低。”
Okay?
对吧？
We're using it as an adjective to describe the cost, so $20, $10.
我们用作形容词来描述成本。所以20美元，10美元。
Here we're talking... we're not talking about amount; we're talking about level of price.
我们这句话中不是在说数量，而是价格水平。
Right?
对吧？
20.
20。
10 is lower than 20-right?-in terms of level.
在价格水平上，10比20更低，对吧？
Notice, though, and this is a little bit tricky;
不过，请注意，这有点棘手；
this is where you have to get into the nuances of the language.
这里是你必须了解语言的细微差别。
Sorry.
对不起。
"Tech companies have fewer costs today than they did 20 years ago."
“与20年前相比，如今科技公司的成本更低。”
Completely different meaning.
完全不同的意思。
I just wanted to point this out.
我只想要指出这点。
Why can I use "fewer" here?
为什么这里可以用“fewer”？
And because we're talking about cost.
因为我们是在讨论成本。
In this sentence, "cost" means: How much does it cost the company to operate or to make its products?
在这句话中，“成本”是指：公司运营或生产产品的花费了多少钱？
Here, "cost" means price; the price of the devices.
这里，“成本”是指价格；设备的价格。
Right?
对吧？
So make sure you know what is pointing to what, okay?
所以要明确指代的是什么，好吗？
That's a little bit off topic, but I just wanted to mention that anyway.
这有点离题，但我还是想提一下。
Another thing about "lower" - it can be a verb; obviously "less" cannot.
关于“lower”的另一件事在于它可以是动词；显然“less”不能。
"Companies are striving to lower the costs of their products."
“企业正在努力降低产品成本。”
Okay?
对吧？
So, this is the main thing that separates it; you can't use "less" as a verb, you can use "lower".
所以这是主要区别；“less”不能用作动词，而“lower”可以。
You can't use "lower" as an adverb, and you can use "less" as an adverb.
“lower”不能用作副词，而“less”可以用作副词。
Let's look at a couple more examples, here.
让我们再看几个例子。
"Gold is a lower-risk investment than the stock market", for example.
例如，相比股票市场，黄金投资风险更低”。
Now, here I'm using it as a compound.
现在在这句话中作为复合词来使用。
And "lower risk", I'm talking about the risk.
“更低的风险”，我讨论的是风险。
I'm not talking about a quantity, how much risk is there;
我不是在说数量，有多少风险；
I'm talking about the level of risk - high risk, low risk.
我说的是风险的水平，高风险、低风险。
Right?
对吧？
So, when we're talking about level, we're going to use "lower".
所以在我们说到水平的时候，我们要用“lower”。
But: "Gold involves less risk than the stock market."
但是：“黄金的风险比股市小。”
How much risk are you taking on when you buy gold?
你买黄金要承担多少风险？
How much risk are you taking on when you invest in the stock market?
你投资股票市场要承担多少风险？
So ask yourself the question: "Can I ask: 'How much?'"
所以问自己一个问题：“我能不能问‘有多少？’”
Here: "How high of a risk am I taking?
这句VB画中“我要承担多高的风险？
How low of a risk?
多低的风险？
How much risk?"
多少风险？”
That's a little bit of a difference.
这会存在一点区别。
Now, might be a little bit difficult to distinguish between these two sometimes.
现在，区别这两个词有时会很难。
In some... in some cases you can probably use either one; but in most cases you can't.
在某些……在某些情况下，你可能会使用其中一个，但在大多数情况下，你不能。
So, level: high/low; quantity: much or more...
所以，说到水平时用high或low；数量时用much或more……
yeah, much or less than that.
是的，差不多或更少。
Now: "Polyester is a lower-quality material."
现在：“聚酯是一种质量较低的材料。”
Here you have to be careful.
这句话中，你要小心了。
"...a lower-quality material", so the "a" goes with "material" obviously;
“一种质量较低的金属”，所以“一种”显然跟修饰“金属”；
"quality" goes with "material"; "lower" tells you something about "quality".
“质量”修饰“金属”；“lower”修饰“质量”。
Now, here we're not comparing two different things.
这句话中，我们不是在比较两个不同的事物。
I'm not comparing the, let's say, polyester and cotton;
我不是在比较，比方说，涤纶和棉；
I'm comparing... i'm giving an idea of the level of quality: high quality/low quality; not how much quality.
我在比较……我说的的是质量水平：高质量/低质量；而不是质量有多少。
Okay?
对吧？
So that's another thing you have to be careful.
你还有要注意的事情。
If I'm using the actual word about the leveller...
如果我使用了讨论水平的实际词汇……
as I mentioned before, there was quality, amount, number, rate, etc.
我以前提到过，有质量，数量，数字，等级等。
If I'm actually using that word in the sentence,
如果我在句子中使用了这样的词，
I'm always going to use "lower"; not "less".
我要用“lower”；而不是“less”。
"A lower amount of money".
“更少的钱”。
If I want to use "less", I just say: "less money"; I don't need to use the word "amount".
如果我要使用“less”，我会说“less money”，我不会使用“amount”这个词。
"A lower number of people" or "fewer people".
更少的人“A lower number of people”或“fewer people”。
Now, if you want to count numbers...
如果你想要计数……
so, there's a conference, and every year a certain number of people come, but over the last few years there has been fewer numbers of people coming to the event, so fewer numbers.
所以，有一个会议，每年都有一定数量的人来，但是在过去的几年里，来参加这个活动的人越来越少，所以fewer numbers。
But if I'm just using number, then I'm going to use "lower".
如果我要用number这个词，我就得用“lower”。
Amount - lower, quality - lower, rate - lower, rank - lower;
数量用lower，质量用lower，速度用lower，等级用lower；
not less, because these are levellers, basically, we're talking about.
不用less，因为基本上，我们说的句子中有表示水平的词，
We're talking about the thing we use to count with; not the thing we use to count the amount, like measure the amounts with.
我们说的是我们用来计数的东西，而不是我们用来计算数量的东西，比如用来测量数量的东西。
Okay?
对吧？
I hope this is a little bit clear;
我希望大家搞清楚了；
but again,
但再说一次
this is the main ones: "lower" versus "less".
主要要记住“lower”对比“less”。
Now I'm going to give you a bit of a bonus with: "lessen", "lesser", and "least".
现在我要给你讲一些额外的，包括：“lessen”、“lesser”和“least”。
Let's look at those.
让我们看看这些单词。
我们也在这里： 
