Meantime 和 meanwhile 都既可以作名词,也可以作副词,且相互之间经常被交替使用。其中 meantime 更常用作名词,如 in the meantime 或 for the meantime,而 meanwhile 更常用作副词,那它们到底是不是同一个意思呢?一、meantime 1. Meantime 更常用作名词,常用于搭配 in the meantime 或 for the meantime 中。 in the meantime 意为“期间”,例如:Your computer won't arrive till Thursday. In the meantime, you can use Jude's.你的电脑星期四才能到。期间你可以用裘德的电脑。Your teacher will be here soon. In the meantime, can you get on with some reading, please?你的老师马上就到。在此期间你能继续读点书吗?for the meantime 意为“眼下,暂时”,例如:I'm changing my email address but for the meantime you can use the old one.我要更换电邮地址,不过那个旧的暂时也还可以用。The Prime Minister has, for the meantime, seen off the challenge of the opposition.首相目前已经经受住了反对派的挑战。2. Meantime 比较少用作副词,通常在非正式场合中使用,例如: I'll contact them soon. Meantime don't tell them I'm back.我会尽快和他们联系。在此期间,不要告诉他们我回来了。二、meanwhile 1. Meanwhile 比较少用作名词,作名词时意思跟 meantime 一样,常用于搭配 in the meanwhile 或 for the meanwhile 中,例如:I hope to go to medical school eventually. In the meanwhile, I am going to study chemistry.我希望最终能上医学院。这期间我打算学化学。We need some new curtains, but these will do for the meanwhile.我们需要一些新的窗帘,但这些暂时还可以用。2. Meanwhile 更常用作副词,意思“同时,与此同时,期间,对比之下”,例如:You can set the table, and meanwhile I'll start cooking dinner.你可以摆好桌子,与此同时我开始做饭。The man was brushing his teeth. Meanwhile, his wife was sleeping.那个人正在刷牙。与此同时,他的妻子正在睡觉。三、两者的区别 1. 在正式的使用中,meantime 更常用作名词,常用于搭配 in the meantime 或 for the meantime 中, 而 meanwhile 更常用作副词,因此在被用作连词副词时,in the meantime 和 meanwhile 是一对的,意为“期间”。2. 当然在非正式的使用中,meantime 也常被用作副词,且 meanwhile 也常被用作名词,说白了就是两者可以互相替换使用。3. 在正式的使用中,除了跟 in the meantime 有同样“期间”的意思之外,meanwhile 还有一个常用的意思“同时,与此同时”,相当于 simultaneously,那么此时以下例句的意思是完全不一样的:a. I'’ll vacuum the house. Meanwhile, you can clean the bathroom.我会用吸尘器打扫房间。同时你可以打扫浴室。b. I'll vacuum the house. In the meantime, you can clean the bathroom.我会用吸尘器打扫房间。期间你可以打扫浴室。解析:句a描述的是 vaccum 和 clean 两个动作同时发生,而句b描述的是 clean 的动作发生在开始 vacuum 和 结束 vacuum 之间。因此在实际的使用过程中,最好把 meanwhile 当作纯粹的副词来使用,意为”同时“,而 meantime 主要用于短语 in the meantime 中,意为”期间“,这样就不会混淆起来了。