看起来很像,其实不然
首先,在意义上三者的侧重点有所差别。
look意为“看来好像、似乎、显得“,强调直观感受,是“根据视觉印象作出的判断“,这种判断有可能与事实相符,也有可能与事实不符。
seem意为“好像,似乎“,强调主观印象,是说话人“主观上根据某种迹象得出的看法、结论或判断“,并暗含了“这种判断是有一定根据的“,接近于实际情况。
appear意为“显得,看来好像,似乎“,是“根据外表作出的判断“,含有“实质上并非如此“的意味。
例1 Miss Lucy looks quite pretty.露茜小姐看上去很漂亮。(客观地指出Lucy的外表给人的直观印象很漂亮)
例2 Miss Lucy seems quite pretty.露茜小姐看起来很漂亮。(强调自己觉得Lucy确实很漂亮)
例3 Miss Lucy appears quite pretty.露茜小姐显得很漂亮。(暗指Lucy的貌似很漂亮,实际上本人不怎么漂亮)
除了意义不同,用法上,look, seem, appear也有区别。
(1)look可用于进行时(尽管也不多见),而seem,appear均不能。
例4 You are looking very unhappy.What’s the matter? 你看来不高兴,怎么啦?
(2)与动词不定式连用时,seem和appear后既可以接to be(也常可省去),也可接to do sth. 或to have done sth.;而look只能接to be。
例5 They don’t seem/appear to have known about the secret.他似乎还不知道这个秘密。
例6 He looks/seems/appears to be a rich man.他看上去像个有钱人。
(3)look和seem能与介词like构成习语,表示“看上去好像……“之意;而appear不能,因为它本身就有此含义了。
例7 He looks/seems like a fool. 他看起来像个大傻瓜。
例8 The weather does not look like clearing up. 天气不像会晴朗起来。
(4)seem和appear可用于“It seems/appears that…“和“there seem/appear to be…“的结构中,而look则不能。
例9 It seemed/appeared that he had a taste for music.看来他对音乐有一定的鉴赏力。
例10 There seems/appears to be no difficulties to be discussed.看来没有什么难题要讨论。
(4)look,seem,appear三者都可接as if引导的表语从句;但当as if后的从句采用虚拟语气时,不能用appear。
例11 It seems/looks/appears as if it is going to snow.天好像要下雪。
例12 It seem/looks as if it might/should have a thunder-storm.好像会有雷雨天气。(句中采用虚拟语气,所以这里appear不能通用)