昨晚Mike又发过来一道词汇辨析题，让我很无语。其实我挺讨厌做这种词汇辨析的！整天把时间浪费在这些词汇、语法的辨析上，我看不到有何意义。但Mike忙得不亦乐乎，我就不好意思说什么了，还是很认真得查阅了一下资料。

原题如下：

   He knocked over a bottle of ink and _________ the table cloth.
   A. damaged       B. harmed       C. ruined       D. destroyed 

我告诉他，这道题一看就选C，“为什么呢？”“我读着顺啊”。Mike很无语，这样和学生讲词汇辨析，肯定会被学生骂死。那就换一种方式呗。

深层记忆中好像听老师说过，“destroy”指不可修复的破坏。damage指使用价值遭到损坏。harm指肉体上或精神上的伤害。所以原题选C. ruined 应该没有争议了。

过了一会Mike又给我发过来他查阅的资料：

  ruin 有时还可指一般意义的弄坏或损坏，此时与 spoil 同义且常可换用，只是语气比 spoil
  稍强。这两个词有时还可用于美好经历或有用东西的损坏(此时不能用 damage 或 destroy)。如
  My new dress is ruined [spoiled]. 我的新连衣裙全完了。(如泼上墨水等)

顺便看一下：wound injury与hurt

wound指用枪弹或刀剑等锐器故意施加的伤害。

wound与injure在肉体受伤的程度上往往比hurt严重。

hurt一词除指肉体的伤害外，也可指感情上的伤害，如hurt one's feeling , hurt one's pride。

下面我们从另一个角度进行词汇辨析：

1. damage：Harm or injury to property or a person, resulting in loss of value or the impairment of usefulness.

1. To destroy completely; demolish.
2. To harm irreparably.
3. To reduce to poverty or bankruptcy.
4. To deprive of chastity.

1. To ruin completely; spoil: The ancient manuscripts were destroyed by fire.
2. To tear down or break up; demolish. See synonyms at ruin.
3. To do away with; put an end to: "In crowded populations, poverty destroys the possibility of cleanliness" (George Bernard Shaw).
4. To kill: destroy a rabid dog.
5. To subdue or defeat completely; crush: The rebel forces were destroyed in battle.
6. To render useless or ineffective: destroyed the testimony of the prosecution's chief witness.

1. Physical or psychological injury or damage.
2. Wrong; evil.

从以上四词的英文释义中，不难看出他们之间的区别，做这种选择题也就迎刃而解了。所以建议还是多查一下英英词典，多看一些英语解释。当然记忆好的例句是必不可少的。