bbc你问我答--Electric and electrical 两词区别（在线收听）

BBC Learning English 

Q and A of the Week 你问我答 

Electric and electrical 

两词区别 

  关于台词的备注: 

请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。 

  請注意：中文文字内容只提供簡體版 

Neil:   Hello, I'm Neil. Welcome to Question and Answer of the week.  

Feifei:  大家好，我是冯菲菲。在《你问我答》节目中我们会回答你在英语学习中遇到

的语法和词汇问题。Today's question is from Wang Ying. 

Question 

Hello, my name is Wang Ying, I'm from Ningbo. I'm always confused about 

adjectives like 'electric' and 'electrical', 'electronic' and 'electronical'. 

So my question is how you distinguish adjectives that end with "ic" and "ical". 

Feifei:  Wang Ying的这个问题问得很好，我上学的时候对这几个词的区别也很模

糊。I remember getting very confused over these words when I 

was a student. 

Neil:   Yes, these words can be very confusing! Let's explain them one by 

one. We use 'electric' to describe things to do with current and 

voltage, things that produce, produced by, carry or use electricity. 

Feifei:   我们用electric 来描述和电流、电压有关的东西，这些东西可能是用来发电

的、由电产生的、用电的或是导电的。比方说表述发电的“发电机”electric 

generator。 

Neil:  Electric generators are used to produce electricity. 

Feifei:        由电产生的“电流”electric current. 

Neil:   An electric current is produced by electricity.  

Feifei:  用于导电的电源插头 electric plug. 

Neil:   An electric plug is used to carry current to an appliance. 

Feifei:  用电的“电灯泡”electric light bulb. 

Neil:    An electric light bulb uses electrical power.   

Feifei:  Neil, we should probably explain the word 'electrical' now you've 

mentioned 'electrical power'. 

Neil:  Yes, we use 'electrical' to describe things that are related to 

electricity.  

Feifei:   我们用 electrical 来描述与电有关的事物。 

Neil：  These things can be an industry, a component, a machine or a 

device.  

Feifei:    通常我们所说的与电有关的东西包括以下几个方面：首先，可能是一个行业 

industry. 

Neil:  Electrical engineering.  

Feifei:  电机工程 electrical engineering. 

Neil:  Electrical connector.  

Feifei:   作为连接传递电信号的“电接头”。 

Neil:  Home electrical appliance. 

Feifei:   家用电器。还有electrical fault 电器故障，electrical test 电器测试等等。  

Neil:   Now Feifei, tell us something useful to remember about these 

words. 

Feifei:  区分这两个词的最好办法就是记住用electric来描述一个和电有直接联系的东

西，而用electrical 来描述和电有关的，但不一定是连电的、带电的。OK, 

next let's look at the word 'electronic'. 

Neil:  The word 'electronic' usually describe a device that has or operates 

with the help of many small components which control and change 

the current passing through the device.   

Feifei:  That sounds very complicated. Electronic 通常修饰一个使用很多不同小

部件来控制或改变电流的一种设备。Can you give us some examples 

please? 

Neil:  Yes, I can. So for example, an electronic calculator. 

Feifei:  电子计算器electronic calculator. 

Neil:  An electronic keyboard. 

Feifei:  电子键盘。 

Neil:  Nowadays, we hear things like electronic mail – email, electronic 

book – ebook, electronic banking – ebanking etc. These activities 

are usually done on a computer over the internet.  

Feifei:  还有大家现在都很熟悉的电子邮件email - electronic mail, 电子图书 

ebook – electronic book, 网络银行 electronic banking – ebanking. 这

里用 electronic 来描述通过使用电子设备完成的一个动作。 

Neil:  Finally the adverb 'electronically' means things or processes that 

are done using a computer. We can say 'The result of your exams 

will be sent to you electronically'. 

Feifei:  考试成绩会以电子形式electronically传送给你，这里“电子形式”指的是用

邮件发送。 

好了，希望以上我们所讲的内容回答了Wang Ying 的问题。最后我想说我个

人觉得掌握英语里易混淆单词的最好的方法就是多学多练，见得多了也就不怪

了。 

Neil:  If you have a question, please send it to us electronically to 

[email protected].   

Feifei:  当然你也可以在微博上给我们留下你的问题。Thanks for listening and do 

join us again for another Question and Answer of the week.  

Neil:    Ah, I just got a shock (jokingly).  

Feifei:  Bye.