詞彙精選：affirm的用法和辨析

一、詳細釋義：

v.

斷言，肯定，申明，堅持聲稱 [I,T]

例句：

I can affirm that he is tenacious and pertinacious as are few

我可以肯定，像他那樣不屈不撓、百折不回的人是十分罕見的。

例句：

In the appraisal of our work, it is one-sided to affirm everything or to negate everything.

對於我們的工作的看法，肯定一切或者否定一切，都是片面性的。

證實，確認，確實 [I,T]

例句：

Everything I had accomplished seemed to affirm that opinion.

我所取得的一切似乎都證明那個觀點是對的。

例句：

The ministry affirmed that the visit had been postponed.

部裏證實訪問已延期。

二、詞義辨析：

assert,affirm,allege,maintain,testify,claim

這些動詞均含有“斷言，聲稱”之意。assert主觀意味強，指自認爲某事就是如此，而不管事實如何。affirm側重在作出斷言時表現出的堅定與不可動搖的態度。allege多指無真憑實據，不提供證據的斷言或宣稱。maintain與assert近義，但前者指堅決維護某種主張或觀點。testify多指在法庭作證，莊嚴地宣稱自己所說屬實。claim可與assert換用，但語氣弱一些，側重指行爲自己的權利提出要求他人承認。

三、參考例句：

Please affirm with Mr. Li again about the deadline.

請與李先生再次確認截止時間。

I affirm that what he said is true.

我斷言他所說的是實情。

Everything I had accomplished seemed to affirm that opinion.

我所取得的一切似乎都證明那個觀點是對的。

Scientists cannot affirm the existence of life on other planets.

科學家們還不能斷言在其它星球上有生命存在。

They will only affirm whether such weapons were used.

他們只將確定是否使用了這種武器。

In the appraisal of our work, it is one-sided to affirm everything or to negate everything.

對於我們的工作的看法，肯定一切或者否定一切，都是片面性的。

I am not in a position either to contradict or affirm this statement.

我既不能否定這一說法，又不能肯定這一說法。

I can affirm that he is tenacious and pertinacious as are few

我可以肯定，像他那樣不屈不撓、百折不回的人是十分罕見的。

We may go further, and affirm most truly that it is a mere and miserable solitude to want true friends.

我們不妨更進一步並且很真實地斷言說，缺乏真正的朋友乃是純粹可憐的孤獨。

But as Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General, has said again and again, the UN investigation will not affirm who used these chemical weapons.

但正如潘基文祕書長反覆說明的那樣，聯合國的調查將不是確定誰使用了這些化學武器。