dark、dim、black、gloomy、obscure、vague与grey这些形容词都含有“完全地或不完全地缺少光亮”之意。
dark : 最普通用词,指缺乏自然光线或人工照明,使某物漆黑无光或光线十分微弱。
- It was too dark to see much.
光线太暗,看不清楚。 - What time does it get dark in the summer?
夏季天什么时候黑?
dim : 指光线不足或视力较差,不能清晰地看见物体。
- The lamp gave out a dim light.
那盏灯发出暗淡的光芒。 - He sat in a dim corner of the waiting room.
他坐在候车室一个昏暗的角落里。
black : 侧重颜色是黑色的,有时也指无光的黑暗。
- a shiny black car
发亮的黑汽车 - black storm clouds
带来暴风雨的乌云
gloomy : 指光线不足或部分光线受阻而出现的阴暗。
- What gloomy weather we're having!
今天天气太阴沉了! - We waited in a gloomy waiting room.
我们在阴暗的候车室里等着。
obscure : 指因光线不充足而使物体灰暗不清,失去光泽或若隐若现。作借喻时指因复杂、深奥或含糊而难于理解。
- 朦胧的暗色轮廓
an obscure silhouette - 那个小官员的回答模糊不清,令人费解。
The petty official's answers were obscure and confusing. - 他莫名其妙地没有排演最后一幕。
For some obscure reason, he failed to rehearse the final scene.
(拓展学习:一词多义 | obscure)
vague : 通常作借喻用,形容抽象事物。
- Through the mist I could just make out a vague figure.
透过雾霭,我只能看到一个模糊的身影。 - In the darkness they could see the vague outline of a church.
他们在黑暗中能看到一座教堂的朦胧轮廓。
grey与dark意思相近,但侧重阴暗单调的意味。
- a grey sky
灰暗的天空 - Night turned into morning, grey and cold.
黎明驱走夜色,天气阴沉而寒冷。