habit、custom、manners、usage、practice、convention与tradition这些名词均含有“习惯、风俗、传统”之意。
habit : 侧重于自然养成的，不易去掉的个人习惯。
- I always buy the same brand of toothpaste out of (= because of) habit.
我出于习惯总是买同一个牌子的牙膏。 - I'm trying not to get into (= start) the habit of always having biscuits with my coffee.
我尽量避免养成喝咖啡时总是吃饼干的习惯。 - I used to swim twice a week, but I seem to have got out of (= ended) the habit recently.
我过去每周游两次泳，但最近似乎打破了这个习惯。 - I was taught to drive by my boyfriend and I'm afraid I've picked up (= caught) some of his bad habits.
我是跟我男友学的开车，恐怕我已经染上了他的一些坏习惯。 - I'm trying to get him to break (= end intentionally) the habit of switching on the TV when he comes home at night.
我设法让他改掉晚上一回家就打开电视的习惯。 - I don't mind being woken up once or twice in the middle of the night by my flatmate so long as she doesn't make a habit of it (= do it frequently).
我不介意半夜里被同屋吵醒一两次，只要她不经常这样就行。 - I'm not really in the habit of looking at (= I don't usually look at) other people's clothes, but even I noticed that awful suit!
我没有观察别人衣着的习惯，可就连我都注意到了那身难看的套装！
custom : 指一个国家、一个民族、一个地区或一个社会的习惯、行为方式或风俗习惯。也可指个人的习惯。
- a local/ancient custom
当地的／古老的风俗 - In my country, it's the custom (for women) to get married in white.
在我国，女子结婚穿白衣是一种习俗。 - He left the house at nine exactly, as is his custom.
他9点准时离开了家，这是他的习惯。
manners : 指在某一时期或某一团体中盛行的社会礼仪或社会风俗模式。
- He needs to be taught some manners.
他需要学些礼仪。 - It's bad manners to eat with your mouth open.
张着嘴吃东西是不文雅的。 - It's considered good manners in some societies to leave a little food on your plate.
在某些社会中，人们认为盘中剩下少许食物是礼貌的表现。
usage : 指持续时间长，为很多人公认采纳的惯例、习俗。
- the dictates and usages of polite society
上流社会的规定和惯例
practice : 常指习惯性的做法或行为。
- What can European companies learn from Japanese business practices?
欧洲公司能从日本工商业的做法中学到些什么呢？ - It's common practice in the States to tip the hairdresser.
在美国通常要给理发师小费。 - This is a cruel practice that should be banned immediately.
这是个残忍的习俗，应该立即禁止。 - What is standard practice (= what is usually done) in a situation like this?
在这种情况下通常如何处理？ - Newspaper editors have agreed to a new code of practice on the invasion of privacy.
报社编辑们已同意在侵犯隐私的问题上采取新的行为准则。
convention : 多指约定俗成的行为方式规则或公认的标准，或指艺术上公认的技巧。
- They defied/flouted/broke with convention by giving up their jobs and becoming self-sufficient.
他们离经叛道，放弃了工作，开始过自给自足的生活。 - Convention dictates that it is the man who asks the woman to marry him and not the other way round.
根据习俗，应由男人向女人求婚而不是反过来。 - In many countries it is the/a convention to wear black at funerals.
在葬礼上穿黑色的衣服是许多国家的习俗。 - an artistic convention
传统艺术手法
tradition : 广义指世代相传的伦理、行为规范和生活方式，特指因长久奉行而几乎具有法律效力的习惯、习俗，侧重历史意义。
- Fireworks have long been an American tradition on the Fourth of July.
7月4日国庆日放焰火长期以来一直是美国人的传统。 - Switzerland has a long tradition of neutrality.
保持中立是瑞士长期以来的传统。 - There's a tradition in our office that when it's somebody's birthday, they bring in a cake for all of us to share.
我们办公室有个传统：当有人过生日时，就会带蛋糕来跟大家一起分享。 - We decided to break with tradition (= not behave as usual) this year and go away for Christmas.
今年我们决定打破传统，外出度圣诞节。 - According to tradition, a headless ghost walks through the corridors of the house at night.
据传说，晚上有个无头鬼走过这幢房子的走廊。
