区别辨析kill、murder、slaughter、massacre、assassinate与execute

kill、murder、slaughter、massacre、assassinate与execute这些动词均有“杀、杀死”之意。

kill : 普通用词,含义广泛,泛指以任何方式使人、动物或植物死亡。

  • Her parents were killed in a plane crash.
    她的父母死于一次空难。
  • Smoking can kill.
    吸烟会危及生命。
  • Food must be heated to a high temperature to kill harmful bacteria.
    食物必须经高温加热以杀灭有害细菌。

murder : 指谋杀或凶杀。

  • Two sisters have been charged with (= officially accused of) murder.
    两姐妹被控谋杀。
  • There were three murders in the town last year.
    去年镇上发生了3起谋杀案。
  • The three were convicted of (= proved guilty of) murder.
    这三人被判犯有谋杀罪。
  • a murder weapon (= a weapon used to commit a murder)
    凶器

slaughter : 本义指大批宰杀动物,也指像屠宰牲畜一样一次杀死许多人。

  • Hardly anyone in the town escaped the slaughter when the rebels were defeated.
    叛乱分子被击败后,镇上几乎没有人能逃过随之而来的大屠杀。
  • We must find ways of reducing the slaughter which takes place on our roads (= death of many people in car accidents) every year.
    我们必须设法减少每年因车祸而造成的大量死亡。

massacre语气比slaughter强。指大屠杀,尤指屠杀失去了自卫能力的人。

  • Hundreds of civilians were massacred in the raid.
    数百平民在那次袭击中惨遭杀戮。

assassinate : 通常指因政治原因用非法手段杀害政治领袖人物或短名人士。

  • a plot to assassinate the president
    暗杀总统的阴谋

execute : 指依法处死罪犯。

  • He was executed for murder.