爱华网
【英语词汇】
dedicate、devote
佳中
这两个词都含“奉献”、“献身”的意思。
● dedicate正式用词，指某人对高尚的事业坚定的决心和信念，并为其奉献
一切，乃至生命。devote普通用词，指决心把全部身心、精力、时间等献
给某一目标、人或事业，并不十分强调对理想的奉献，而更多地强调出于热
心，爱好而奉献。两者只是意义侧重不同，常可替换。常用结构是：
dedicate/devote ……to …… 。to为介词，常接sth. 或 doing sth.。
1）She dedicated /devoted all her life to the welfare ofwomen and
children.
她把一生都献给了妇女和儿童福利的事业。
2）He started to study ecology and decided to devote/dedicated his whole life
to the science.
他开始研究生态学,并决心把整个生命奉献给这门科学。
3）He has devoted /dedicated himselfto teaching since he graduated from the
college in 1962.
一九六二年他大学毕业后一直献身于教育工作。
4）I want to see all of us dedicate ourselves to theprinciples for which we
fought.
我希望看到所有的都人献身于我们为之奋斗的原则中去。
5）She gladly gave up her part-time job to devote herselfentirely to her art.
她欣然辞去了兼职工作，全身心地投入到她的艺术中去。
● dedicate还可以用于表示把某物献给某人以表示爱戴或纪念。
1）I dedicate this volume in token ofaffection and gratitude to my uncle.
我将这套册子献给我叔叔谨表示对他的深爱积和感激。
2)The filmisdedicated to those who gave their lives forthe cause of
liberation.
这部电影献给那些为解放事业献出了生命的人们。
3）She dedicated her first album to WoodyAllen.
她把自己的第一张专辑献给了伍迪·艾伦。
●这两个词的被动结构还可以用于表示“专用于”，dedicated多用于指组织、
机构、报刊杂志等专用于；devoted多用于指物品专用于。
1) The magazing isdedicated to science as all its articles dealwith
scientific matters.
这本杂志是有关科学的专门杂志，所有文章都讲述科学问题。
2)Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) is an organizationdedicated to assisting
developmentin the world’s poor countries.
海外志愿服务是一个致力于援助世界上最贫困的国家的组织。
3）They have developed 160 000 hectares of plantationsdevoted to oil palm, tea,
cocoa and banana.
他们开发了16万公顷的种植园，专门种植致油棕榈、茶、可可和香蕉。
4）Evening courses for adultys range from classes devoted tobasic skills to
classes for graduate univsersity degrees.
为成人开设的夜校课程范围从基本技能课程直到大学研究生学位课程。
● devote还可以用于表示“把“时间、精力、金钱等）花在……上面”，其结
构是：devote……to（doing）sth., 相当于spend的用法，但spend的结
构是：spend …… on sh. 或 spend …… (in) doing sh.。
1）He devoted much of his time and effort to theimprovement of the device.
He devoted much of his time and effort to improvingthe device.
他把他的大部分时间和精力花在的改进装置上。
2）He spends much of his time and effort onthe improvement of the device.
He spendsmuchof his time and effort (in) improving the device.
他把他的大部分时间和精力花在的改进装置上。
3)Web publication of course notes allows teachers to spendless class time
(in)lecturing and to devote more timeto discussion.
网络出版的课程笔记可使教师花较少时间用于授课而把更多时间用于讨论。
4）Theconstitution requires the government to devoteone-fifth of its spending
toeducation.
宪法要求政府把开支的五分之一投放到教育。
