抓住現在：present的用法和辨析
If the present world goes astray, the cause is in you, in you it is to be sought.
——Dante Alighieri, Poet
如果現實生活不如所願，起因在你，從心裏找尋原因。
——但丁·阿利吉耶裏 (詩人)
一、你知道present有幾種含義嗎？
adj.
1.目前的，現在的 existing or happening now
What is the present situation?
目前的形勢是怎樣的呢？
2.出席的，在場的 being in a particular place
Everybody present welcomed the decision.
出席的人都欣然接受那個決議。
3.【語】現在時態的 of, relating to, or constituting a verb tense that is expressive of present time or the time of speaking
We use simple present tense to express interests and preferences.
我們運用一般現在時表達自己的喜好。
n.
1.禮物 [C] gift
But Zeus, the chief of the olympian gods, gave law to mankind as his greatest present.
而奧林匹斯山衆神之首宙斯把法律作爲他最偉大的禮物賜予了人類。
2.現在 [U] now
I don't need the dictionary at present.
我現在不需要這本字典。
v.
1.贈送 [T] to give sth to sb, especially formally at a ceremony
I want to present everyone a gift.
我想給每個人贈送一份禮物。
2.提出 [T] to bring (as a play) before the public
The difficult problem present by him entangle the conferee.
他所提出的問題使與會人士感到困惑。
3.介紹 [T] to show or describe sth / sb in a particular way
May I present professor carter?
請允許我介紹卡特教授。
4.舉槍瞄準 [I] to aim, point, or direct (as a weapon) so as to face something or in a particular direction
Never present the gun at someone!
千萬不要拿槍對人瞄準！
5.呈現 [T] to show or offer sth for other people to look at or consider
The latter must be presented in the database.
後者必需在數據庫中呈現。
二、你知道還有哪些詞能表示present的意思嗎：
modern, contemporary, current, recent, present, up-to-date
這些形容詞均有“現代的，當代的”之意。
modern指現代或近代，時期可長可短。也可指新穎、時髦的。
contemporary僅指當今這個時代，不涉及任何過去的時代。但可表示不同的人或物存在於同一時代。
current指目前存在和發生的。
recent表示新近的，最近的，時間的長短依據所修飾的人或物而定。
present是這些詞中語氣最強的一個。指現在正發生、起作用的。
up-to-date一般用於非正式場合，指很時新、能反映當前的最新發展。
三、含有present的常見短語
at present
1.目前；現在
birthday present
生日禮物
present participle
n.[語]現在分詞
present perfect
n.[語]現在完成時
present tense
n.[語]現在時
present progressive
現在進行時
四、接下來，做個填詞遊戲吧
She sniffed at his _____.
她對他的禮物嗤之以鼻。
