inform、acquaint、notify与advise这些动词都有“通知、告知”之意。
inform : 普通用词，指传达事实或信息，或指经过研究或调查而获得的事实或信息。
- The name of the dead man will not be released until his relatives have been informed.
在通知死者亲属之前，不会公布死者的姓名。 - Why wasn't I informed about this earlier?
为什么不早点儿将这事通知我？ - Walters was not properly informed of the reasons for her arrest.
沃尔特斯并未按规定被告知被捕的原因。 - I informed my boss that I was going to be away next week.
我告诉老板下周我不在。
acquaint : 指提供有关信息或情况使某人熟悉某些过程或复杂的情况。
- Take time to acquaint yourself with the rules.
花些时间熟悉一下规则。 - The Broadcasting Museum offers workshops to acquaint children with the world of radio.
广播博物馆还举办讲习班让孩子们了解无线电世界。
notify : 指正式通知需要注意的事情。
- The school is required to notify parents if their children fail to come to school.
如果孩子没来上学，学校必须通知其家长。 - Has everyone been notified of the decision?
这一决定已经通知到每个人了吗？ - We notified the police that the bicycle had been stolen.
我们报警说自行车被盗。
advise : 指正式通知某件重要事，所通知的事情与被通知的人有关。
- They were advised of their rights.
他们被告知自己的权利。 - Our solicitors have advised that the costs could be enormous.
我们的律师已经告知我们，诉讼费用可能会非常高。
