VOA名师答疑2023 create和do的区别

（单词翻译）

Hello Learning¹ English, I would like to ask you about the word “essay.”

你好，英语学习栏目，我想问一下essay这个词。

Do we say, “create an essay” or “do an essay?”

应该说“创作一篇文章”还是“做一篇文章”？

Thank you for your help, Mekhpara.

谢谢你的帮助，梅赫帕拉。

Dear Mekhpara, this is a great question, and one that we actually have not talked about.

亲爱的梅赫帕拉，这是一个很好的问题，而且我们还真的没有讨论过。

Your question is less about the word “essay,” and more about the choice of which verb to use, “do” or “create.”

你的问题其实不是关于essay这个词的，而是关于选择哪个动词，是do还是create。

Let’s look at each of these more closely².

让我们更仔细地逐个看看这两个词。

Let’s start with “do.”

首先讲do。

The verb “do” is an irregular verb that has many uses.

动词do是一个不规则动词，有很多用法。

We use “do” for actions that we are required or must do and for general activities that we often repeat.

我们用do来表示被要求或必须做的事情，以及我们经常重复的一般活动。

I will do the dishes tonight after dinner.

今晚吃完晚饭后我会洗碗的。

We also use “do” to show the completion or achievement of things.

我们也用do来表示完成了某事。

Is that report done?

那份报告写好了吗？

Sometimes we use “do” for talking about a job or for studying.

有时我们用do来谈论工作或学习。

What did you do at your last job?

你上一份工作是做什么的？

We can use “do” to mean “produce” something, like an essay or something artistic³.

我们可以用do来表示“产出”某物，比如一篇文章或艺术作品。

We use it in place of more specific verbs that focus on the operative action.

我们用do来代替更具体的动词，这些动词着重说明操作的动作。

Using “do” focuses more on the general action or completion of the action.

而do更侧重于一般动作或动作的完成。

I’m doing my essay this weekend, so I do not have to worry about it over spring break.

这个周末我要完成作文，这样春假期间就不用担心作文没写完了。

I’m writing my essay this weekend, so I do not have to worry about it over spring break.

这个周末我要写作文，这样春假期间就不用担心作文没写完了。

She did the painting in watercolors.

她用水彩作了这幅画。

She painted in watercolors.

她是用水彩画的。

This brings us to “create.”

接着来看create这个词。

To “create” something means to bring something new into existence.

创作某事的意思是把一些新的东西变成现实。

When we think of “create,” we think of something new that has not been produced before.

当我们想到create时，我们会想到一些以前从未产生过的新东西。

To “create” something requires imagination, a special skill or talent, a new method, or a unique process.

“创作”东西需要想象力、特殊技能或天赋、新方法或独特的过程。

Heather likes to create new dances for her students.

海瑟喜欢为她的学生编新的舞蹈。

She created the recipe from just 5 simple ingredients⁴.

她只用了5种简单的原料就创造了这个食谱。

We can “create” an essay.

我们可以“创作”一篇文章。

For example, your teacher might ask you to “create” an essay about a problem or a solution.

例如，你的老师可能会让你“创作”一篇关于某个问题或解决方案的文章。

But think about the actions that you perform to “create” the essay.

想想你为“创作”这篇文章所采取的行动。

You might research the subject, form ideas about how to express yourself and more.

你可能会研究这个主题，形成如何表达自我的想法等等。

Yet finally, to create an essay you must write.

然而，最后，要创作一篇文章，你必须要动笔写。

This is the required action and the more specific verb.

这是必需的动作，也是更具体的动词。

So just like “do” is a less specific verb, here “create” is the less specific verb for the entire process of writing an essay.

因此，就像do是一个不太具体的动词一样，这里的create也是一个不太具体的动词，指的是整个写作过程。

Tony is writing an essay about climate change.

托尼正在写一篇关于气候变化的文章。

I wrote many essays in college.

我在大学里写了很多文章。

Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Mekhpara.

请让我们知道这些解释和例子是否对你有帮助，梅赫帕拉。

And that’s Ask a Teacher.

以上就是本期《名师答疑》。

I’m Faith Pirlo.

我是费思·皮尔洛。