rather
英 ['rɑ:ðə(r)] 美 [ˈræðɚ, ˈrɑðɚ]
adv. 稍微，有点；相当，颇；宁愿；相反地
int. 当然啦，怎么不
相当； 不如说； 恰恰相反； 宁愿
短语介词而非；胜于；而不是
You use rather than when you are contrasting two things or situations. Rather than introduces the thing or situation that is not true or that you do not want.
The problem was psychological rather than physiological...
问题是心理方面的而不是生理方面的。
Sedge is similar in appearance to grass but has a solid rather than a hollow stem...
莎草看上去和普通的草没什么两样，但其草茎是实芯的而不是空芯的。
The dark star in Nova Muscae 1991 is a black hole rather than a neutron star...
在1991年苍蝇座中的暗星其实是一个黑洞而非中子星。
When I'm going out in the evening I use the bike if I can rather than the car.
我晚上要外出的时候，我宁愿骑自行车而不是开车。
Rather is also a conjunction.
Rather than break her appointment and disappoint me, Katie again took the car...
凯蒂又一次把车开来了，而没有爽约让我失望。
She made students think for themselves, rather than telling them what to think...
她让学生们独立思考，而不是一味地告诉他们该思考些什么。
I suggest that rather than the show season starting in June, it should be brought forward to April or May...
我提议它应该提前到4月或5月，而不等要到6月份开始的展示会。
Most of these will be fleeing cold and hunger, rather than fighting...
这些人中的大部分会因饥寒交迫而逃亡，而不是因为战争。
She prefers to stay in detention rather than be released and go into exile.
她更愿意呆在拘留所而不是被释放然后开始流亡生活。
2. 副词而是；更确切地说；还不如说；相反
You use rather when you are correcting something that you have just said, especially when you are describing a particular situation after saying what it is not.
Twenty million years ago, Idaho was not the arid place it is now. Rather, it was warm and damp, populated by dense primordial forest...
2,000万年前，爱达荷州并不像现在这样干旱。相反，那时的爱达荷州温暖潮湿，有大片的原始森林。
But there must be no talk of final victory; rather, the long, hard slog to a solution...
但是这还谈不上是最后的胜利；而是长期、艰难地寻找解决方法的过程。
The process is not a circle but rather a spiral...
这个过程不是一个圆周运动而是螺旋上升型的。
He explained what the Crux is, or rather, what it was.
他解释了什么是南十字座，或者更确切地说，过去南十字座是什么。
3. 情态动词短语宁愿/不愿；宁可/宁可不 If you say that you would rather do something or you'd rather do it, you mean that you would prefer to do it. If you say that you would rather not do something, you mean that you do not want to do it.
it's all the same to you, I'd rather work at home...
如果对你来说没什么差别，我宁愿在家中工作。
Which programme would you rather appear on?...
你更愿意在哪个节目中露面？
Kids would rather play than study...
孩子们宁愿玩也不愿学习。
I have no information one way or the other, but I would rather he do it than not do it...
我没有办法得到情报，但是我宁愿他去做。
I would rather Lionel took it on...
我宁愿莱昂内尔负责这件事。
Sorry. I'd rather not talk about it...
抱歉，我不愿意谈论这个。
Would you like that? Don't hesitate to say no if you'd rather not.
你喜欢那个吗？如果你不喜欢就直说。
4. 副词有些;颇为;相当 You use rather to indicate that something is true to a fairly great extent, especially when you are talking about something unpleasant or undesirable.
I grew up in rather unusual circumstances...
我在非同寻常的环境下长大。
It had made some rather bad mistakes which I thought should be corrected...
它犯了一些相当严重的错误，我觉得应该加以纠正。
He had had an excellent dinner at a rather good local hotel...
他已在当地一个相当不错的饭店里享用了一顿可口的晚餐。
The first speaker began to talk, very fast and rather loudly...
第一个发言者开始讲话了，语速很快，声音相当大。
We got along rather well..
. 我们相处得相当融洽。
I'm afraid it's rather a long story...
恐怕这说来话长。
The reality is rather more complex...
事实要更加复杂。
As you can see, he did rather better for himself than I did.
你可以看出，他自己做的比我做的还要好。
...a figure rather too good to be true...
好得有点不真实的人物
The fruit is rather like a sweet chestnut...
这种果实颇似甜栗子。
Robbie was there with his family, keeping rather in the background.
罗比和他的家人一起在那里，深居简出。
5. 副词（放在动词前）更…，宁愿…
You use rather before verbs that introduce your thoughts and feelings, in order to express your opinion politely, especially when a different opinion has been expressed.
I rather think he was telling the truth...
我倒觉得他讲的是真话。
I rather like the decorative effect.
我倒很喜欢装饰的效果。
6. 惯用语（表示同意或接受）当然，的确
People sometimes say rather to express agreement or acceptance.
Well, he did have a sort of family connection with it, didn't he.' — 'Oh yes. Rather.' “
那么，他的确和它有些家族渊源，是不是？”——“噢，是的，的确如此。”
fairly, pretty, quite, rather
这些程度副词都有“相当，颇”之意。
fairly： 语意最弱，多用于褒义，表示适度地、尚可的意思。不可与too或比较级连用。
pretty： 用法与rather相似。常用于非正式文体。
I would rather go out tonight, if you don't mind.
如果你不介意的话，我宁愿今晚出去。
2. He is kind and friendly despite his rather bluff manner.
他为人厚道，待人亲切，虽然态度有点粗鲁。
3. It's rather funny that he should wear a strange pair of shoes.
他穿一双这样古怪的鞋子很好笑。
4. He's been having rather a thin time since his wife left him.
自从他妻子离开他之后，他日子一直过得不太好。
5. Edison won his spurs as an inventor while rather young.
爱迪生很年轻的时候就获得了发明家的声誉。
6. This restaurant is rather more expensive than that one.
这家餐厅的收费比那家贵得多。
7. His efforts involved thought experiments and analogies, rather than detailed experimentation.
他所进行的是思维实验及类推，而不是细致的实验。
8. I am rather sceptical about their professed sympathy for the poor.
他们声称同情穷人，我对此相当怀疑。
9. The sandwiches came with a rather limp salad garnish.
三明治配着蔫软的色拉饰菜。
10. She has a rather twee manner that I find irritating.
她娇里娇气，我觉得很讨厌。
11. He preferred to die rather than surrender to the enemy.
他宁死也不愿向敌人投降。
12. The sun has faded the curtains so the colours are rather patchy
. 窗帘被阳光晒得褪了色，显得斑斑驳驳。
13. Our findings relate to physically rather than the visually handicapped pupils.
我们的研究结果是关于肢体残疾的学生，而不是视力有障碍的学生。
14. This type of china is rather hard to categorise,it's very unusual.
这种瓷器非常特殊，很难归类。
15. They think his mother's illness is acute rather than chronic.
他们认为他母亲的病是急性的，不是慢性的。
16. I had rather an odd experience the other day.
几天我有过非常奇怪的经历。
17. Underneath his rather severe manner, he is really very kindhearted.
他待人态度相当严厉，但心地确实十分善良。
18. They thus increased their annual grain production rather than diminished it.
他们这样增加了而不是减少了粮食年产量。
19. I'm in a rather tricky position;can you help me out?
我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
20. I'm afraid your chances of success are rather remote.
我担心你成功的机会极小。
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