collapse与fall这两个动词都含有“倒塌”之意。
collapse : 通常指房屋等由于压力、无力或缺乏支持而突然倒塌。
- Thousands of buildings collapsed in the earthquake.
数以千计的建筑物在地震中倒塌了。 - The chair collapsed under her weight.
椅子承受不了她的重量散架了。 - He thought his whole world had collapsed when his wife died.
妻子去世后他觉得自己的整个世界都坍塌了。
fall : 一般指由于失去平衡等原因而倒塌，也可作引申用。
- She slipped on the ice and fell.
她在冰上滑了一跤。 - I fell over and cut my knee.
我摔倒了，划破了膝盖。 - The house looked as if it was about to fall down.
房子看起来好像就要倒塌似的。
