这些动词均有“描写、描述”之意。
describe : 侧重指描述细节,给读者或听众提供清晰的视觉图像。
- Could you describe your attacker?
你能描述一下袭击你的人的样子吗? - He described the painting in detail.
他详细地描述了那幅油画的内容。 - Let me describe (to you) how it happened.
让我来(给你)讲讲事情的经过吧。 - She described Gary as shy.
她说加利很害羞。
represent : 指有代表性或象征性地描述或讲述。
- The statue represents St. George killing the dragon.
这座雕像展现的是圣乔治斩龙的故事。 - This new report represents the current situation in our schools.
这份新的报告介绍了我们这儿的学校现状。 - He represents himself as an expert, but he knows nothing.
他自称是个专家,可是他一窍不通。
sketch : 指快速地勾勒或概略地叙述。
- She sketched out her plan for tackling the problem.
她简要叙述了解决问题的计划。 - Cross sketched the story briefly, telling the facts just as they had happened.
克罗斯简要地叙述了事情的经过,把当时发生的情况一五一十地说了一遍。
picture : 着重能够栩栩如生地把事物或场景等描绘出来。
- Before the trial Liz had been pictured as a frail woman dominated by her husband.
审讯之前,利兹被描绘成受丈夫操纵的孱弱女子。 - I'll try and give you a better picture of what the boys do.
我会试着更清楚地向你描述一下这些男孩子都干些什么。