relieve、alleviate、ease、lighten、mitigate
英语词汇
relieve、alleviate、ease、lighten、mitigate
嘉中
这五个词是常用词，用于表示 “减轻” 疼痛、痛苦、负担等，或表示 “缓解” 精
神压力，紧张等。
relieve 缓解，减轻，指较大幅度地减轻疼痛、痛苦、负担等 (to make an
unpleasant feeling, such as pain or worry, less strong); 使宽心，使宽慰。
例句：
She was given a shot of morphine to relieve the pain.
医生给她注射了一针吗啡来止痛。
The Government acted quickly to relieve the widespread distress caused by the
earthquake.
地震造成大范围的灾难，政府迅速采取行动赈济灾民。
However, at this time of economic downturn, it is our responsibility to help relieve
the hardships faced by the community.
但是，在目前经济低迷的情况下，我们有责任帮助纾解民困。
The good news relieved us, for we had been very anxious about it.
这好消息使我松了一口气，因为我们对这件事一直很着急。
She was relieved to learn of her family's safety.
她听说家人平安就放心了。
relieve …… of ……. 解除/减轻某人某事
A very funny joke may relieve you of a whole day's fatigue.
一则非常滑稽的笑话可以使你消除一天的疲劳。
Gradually, the computer will relieve man of all monotonous, dull routine work.
计算机将逐渐使人们摆脱单调枯燥的日常工作。
The adoption of this new policy would relieve the unions of a tremendous burden.
采纳这一新政策将会减轻工会的沉重负担。
alleviate 指局部减轻、缓和，缓解痛苦、负担、压力、困难等，使某事变得能
够忍受。
Tranquillizers help alleviate the distressing symptoms of anxiety.
镇静剂有助于缓解令人痛苦的焦虑症状。
The doctor had to use morphine to alleviate the pain of the terminally ill patients.
医生不得不使用吗啡来减轻临终病人的痛苦。
He suffered quite a lot from the matter and could only alleviate the sorrow by
drinking.
这件事使他很痛苦，他只能借酒浇愁。
Planting trees is one of ways to alleviate the greenhouse effect.
种树是一种有效的减轻温室效应的方法。
The moves should help to alleviate market stresses, but are incremental rather than
transformational.
这些举措应有助于减轻市场压力，但只是量变而非质变。
ease 也可表示 “减轻”、“缓和”，因而变得轻松、安心。
The doctor gave me some medicine to ease the pain.
医生给我一些药减轻我的疼痛。
The secretary general do much to ease the tension in the area.
秘书长对缓和那个地区的紧张局势做了很多工作。
From now on, we will have to do what we can to ease the economic crisis of the
company.
从现在起, 我们将尽我们所能来缓解公司的经济危机。
A good textbook goes a long way towards easing the teacher’s task.
一本好的教科书能大大减轻教师的教育工作。
ease …… of ……. 消除/减轻某人某事
The doctor promised that the medicine he had prescribed would ease the poor man
of his suffering.
医生保证他开的药能减轻这可怜的男人的痛苦。
The canal system should be made full used of to ease the roads of some of their
heavy traffic.
要充分利用运河系统以缓解陆地道路交通拥挤的状况。
lighten 普通用词，用于表示减轻重量、负担，也可表示减轻或缓解精神情绪压
力，使轻松高兴起来。
Seeing the possibility of sinking, the captain had to orders sailors to lighten the ship
of her cargo.
眼看船要沉没, 船长不得不命令水手把船上的一些货物扔掉。
If you want to lighten the weight, had better eat fatting food.
如果你想减轻体重，最好少吃脂肪食物。
nnovation is the best way to overcome and lighten the pressure on enterprise
choices.
创新是克服和减轻企业的决择压力的最好方法。
Congress endeavored to pass through the bill to lighten the taxpayers' burden.
国会努力想通过减轻纳税人的负担的提案。
Her heart lightened at once when she heard the news.
听到这消息，她心情一下轻松了。
He tried to lighten the atmosphere by telling a joke.
他想通过讲笑话来缓解一下气氛。
mitigate 正式用词，语气较文雅，常用来指缓和或减轻窘困、痛苦、艰辛、风
险、危害等。(to make something less harmful, unpleasant, or bad)
It is unclear how to mitigate the effects of tourism on the island.
还不清楚如何缓解旅游业对这个岛屿的影响。
Don’t worry too much about him. I believe that time will mitigate his sorrow.
不要太担心他，我相信时间会减轻（冲淡）他的悲伤。
The judge decided to mitigate the man’s sentence in the light of his previous
record.
根据此人以前的表现，法官决定给他减刑。
The civil aviation department shall take effective measures to mitigate
environmental noise pollution.
民航部门应当采取有效措施，减轻环境噪声污染
Some urgent measures have taken to protect against and mitigate earthquake
disasters and to ensure the safety of the people's lives and property.
已经采取一些紧迫措施来防御和减轻地震灾害以及保护人民生命和财产安全。