区别辨析inform、acquaint、notify与advise

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。

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。