词汇精选：famine的用法和辨析

一、详细释义：

n.

饥荒；饥饿 [U,C]

例句：

Thousands of lives were snuffed out during the famine.

饥荒夺去了成千上万人的生命。

例句：

People found hoarding food during the famine were punished.

灾荒时期屯积食物的人受到了惩罚。

极度缺乏，奇缺 [U,C]

例句：

People in the eastern cities thought they faced a serious coal famine.

东部各城市的人民认为他们将面临一次严重的煤荒。

例句：

There is a famine of executive talent in the shipping industry.

航运业中有行政才干的人奇缺。

二、词义辨析：

hunger,famine,starvation

这些名词均有“饥饿”之意。hunger普通用词，指人体对于食物迫切需要的正常生理现象。famine指因天灾人祸而引起大规模饥荒；用作引申，指严重缺乏某种物资或人力。starvation语气比hunger强得多。指因长期缺乏食物所造成的痛苦，甚至死亡，侧重人为的灾难所致。

三、参考例句：

Famine caused widespread distress.

饥荒引起了普遍的忧虑。

Famine and war still afflict mankind.

饥荒与战争依旧给人类带来痛苦。

Drought has caused famine in Africa.

非洲的干旱引发了饥荒。

The famine is causing a humanitarian crisis.

饥荒正在引发一场人道主义危机。

Famine hit that benighted country once more.

饥荒再次席卷了那个蒙昧的国家。

Famine and war still afflict mankind.

饥荒与战争依旧给人类带来痛苦。

Organizing famine relief presents huge logistical problems.

筹划饥荒救济工作在后勤方面遇到了很大的问题。

Thousands of people died of famine.

成千上万的人死于饥荒。

Famine and deprivation wracked the land.

饥荒和穷苦肆虐大地。

Please give generously to famine relief.

请为饥荒赈款慷慨解囊。