区别辨析believe、trust、confide与rely

这些动词均含有“相信,信任”之意。

believe : 普通用词,常表示一种缓和、不太肯定的口气。

  • Strangely, no one believed us when we told them we'd been visited by a creature from Mars.
    奇怪的是,当我们告诉他们曾有火星人来访时,居然没人相信。
  • He believes that all children are born with equal intelligence.
    他相信孩子们出生时智商是一样的。
  • She's arriving tomorrow, I believe.
    我相信她明天会到的。
  • "Is she coming alone?" "We believe not/so (= we think she is not/is)."
    “她一个人来吗?”“我想不是的/是的。”
  • I believe her to be the finest violinist in the world.
    我相信她是世界上最好的小提琴家。
  • All the crew are missing, believed dead.
    机组人员全部失踪,据信都已遇难。

trust : 指绝对相信或信赖某人。

  • My sister warned me not to trust him.
    我姐姐告诫我不要相信他。
  • Trust me - I know about these things.
    相信我——我了解这些东西。
  • Trust your instincts, and do what you think is right.
    相信你的直觉,做你认为正确的事情。
  • I don't trust air travel - it's unnatural.
    我信不过航空旅行——它不合乎自然规律。
  • I trust him to make the right decision.
    我相信他能作出正确的决定。
  • That man is not to be trusted.
    那个人不可靠。
  • I wouldn't trust him with my car.
    我不会把我的车交给他用。
  • Sometimes you have to trust in the goodness of human nature.
    有时你只能寄希望于人性的善良。
  • However much you plan an expedition like this, you still have to trust to luck to a certain extent.
    像这样的探险不管你准备得多么仔细,在某种程度上你仍然得依靠运气。

confide : 侧重忠诚可靠与可信赖。

  • It is important to have someone you can confide in.
    有一位心腹知己很重要。

rely : 指在相信的基础上可进一步依靠,着重可靠性。

  • British weather can never be relied on - it's always changing.
    英国的天气向来靠不住——总是变幻无常。
  • Don't rely on finding me here when you get back (= I might have gone).
    不要指望能在这儿找到我——你回来时我可能已经走了。