effort、trouble、pains、endeavour与struggle这些名词均表示“努力”之意。
effort : 通常指完成某特定任务所需付出的或大或小的努力，可指一次的努力，也可指坚持不懈的努力。
- If we could all make an effort to keep this office tidier it would help.
如果我们都努力保持整洁，那么办公室的面貌肯定会大有改观。 - You can't expect to have any friends if you don't make the effort with people.
如果不努力去和人们交往，你就别想有朋友。 - In their efforts to reduce crime the government expanded the police force.
为了减少犯罪，政府扩大了警察的队伍。 - He's jogging around the park every morning in an effort to get fit.
为了调整好身体状况，他现在每天早晨都绕着公园慢跑。 - It takes a long time to prepare the dish but the results are so good that it's worth the effort.
做这道菜很费时间，但结果大家都很爱吃，工夫真没白费。
trouble和pains均侧重在面临困难或阻力时所作的努力，但强调在努力时的细心和谨慎，相比之下，pains更适合表示尽力的努力。
- They went to a lot of trouble (= made a lot of effort) for their dinner party, but half the guests didn't bother to turn up.
他们费了很大的劲准备晚宴，可是竟有半数的客人没来。 - It's annoying, but I don't think I'll go to the trouble of making an official complaint.
这太烦人了，可我觉得我不会费劲去提出正式投诉。 - She is at pains to point out how much work she has done.
她极力表白她做了的工作是那么多。 - I went to great pains to select the best staff available.
我煞费苦心地从现有人员里挑选最好的员工。
endeavour : 指持久的，坚持不懈的，甚至是终身的努力，强调努力的认真与决心。
- In spite of our best endeavours, it has proven impossible to contact her.
尽管我们尽了最大的努力，但最后还是未能联系上她。 - Crossing the North Pole on foot was an amazing feat of human endeavour.
徒步穿越北极是人类探索领域的一次壮举。 - artistic endeavour
对艺术的探索
struggle : 指为克服困难或阻力所作的努力，也指因决心、意志或干劲而产生的极大努力。
- The dog had been struggling to get free of the wire noose.
那条狗一直拼命想挣脱金属套索。 - I've been struggling to understand this article all afternoon.
我琢磨了整整一下午，想弄懂这篇文章的意思。 - Fish struggle for survival when the water level drops in the lake.
湖水水位下降时，鱼会拼命挣扎求生。
