our question this week is about three words with similar meanings but important differences.the verbs in question are to injure, to damage and to hurt. when to use them depends on whether we're talking about people and animals or objects and also if the pain is physical or emotional.
about this script关于台词的备注：
please note that this is not a word for word transcript of the programme as broadcast. in the recording and editing process changes may have been made which may not be reflected here.
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。
li: 大家好欢迎收bbc英语教学网的听你问我答节目，我是杨莉。现在和我一起在播音室的是我的搭档neil. how are you, neil?
neil: hi li. i'm not very well actually. i was playing football last night and someone hurt my leg. argh...
li: oh dear, i can see it's very painful. neil在踢足球的时候腿被人撞了，撞得很疼to hurt. do you often get hurt?
neil: argh… no, i don't usually get hurt, but last night's game was very dirty. in fact i injured the player who hurt my leg as well.
li: oh no. neil 说那是一场恶战，因为他把对方也给弄伤了。让某人受伤就是to injure.那么你是怎样伤害那个人的？how did you injure him?
neil: oh just an elbow in the face when we were jumping for the ball. i think i broke his nose!
li: neil! 你可真行啊，再腾跃抢球的时候neil的胳膊撞到了对方的鼻子，造成鼻梁骨骨折。但愿你不是在报复性的攻击！球赛最后怎么结束的呢?
neil: it was very bad-tempered actually. there was a fight between a few of the players and one of them damaged the goalposts!
li: and you call this fun?! 打起来了，有人把球门给砸了to damage. 唉，我们干吗喋喋不休地谈论一场充满了伤亡和暴力的球赛呢?
neil: it's our question and answer of the week.
li: i see. that's right. 一名自称篱落悥殇的读者给我们写信说请问injure damage hurt这三个单词有什么区别？谢谢！
neil: these verbs have similar meanings but differ in important ways.
li: 下面我们听听neil 和他的对在昨晚球赛中的一段对话，看你能不能听出来这几个看上去近似的词语在本质上有什么区别。
insert
neil: argh! take it easy! you hurt my leg!
player: wimp! what are you - a little girl or something?!
li: neil 大叫了一声"you hurt my leg". 你踢疼了我的大腿。这里的hurt 是个动词用来形容一个人或者一个动物被弄疼了。可是这个踢人的队员却把neil比作一个小女孩，s说他一点疼痛都忍受不了，还说他弱不禁风a wimp.
neil: yes, he hurt my leg but he also hurt my feelings.
li: to hurt 这个词也可以用来形容对一个人感情上的伤害。to hurt someone's feelings.
sting
li: neil 的这场球赛的故事还没完呢。接下来是neil的对手叫苦的时候了，neil把他的鼻梁给打碎了，他肯定跟你急了吧neil？
insert
neil: my ball!
player: argh my nose! you injured my nose with your elbow. i think it's broken! you animal!
neil: it was an accident, honestly!
li: neil 打伤了他对手的鼻子。he injured his nose. 对方狠狠地骂了他一句，说neil 是畜牲 – an animal. did that injure your feelings?
neil. this is the important difference, li. 'hurt' and 'injure' both mean to cause someone pain, but you can't injure someone's feelings. to injure only means to cause physical harm.
li: oh i see. so hurt 和injure 都有伤痛的意思，但是injure 单纯指对肢体上造成的伤害。ok, so you say the game ended with a fight?
neil: yes, unfortunately some of the players got a bit upset and started fighting. they were picking up anything they could see and started using them as weapons.
li: oh my dear. 一些队员动起手来，眼前有什么就抄起什么当作武器。
insert
player: come on then!
ref: put that down! you've damaged the goalposts!
li: 他们当中的一个队员砸坏了damaged 球门的柱子，注意这里的门柱子不是人或动物所以不能用hurt 或者injure只能用damage. 不过，neil 你说一下我们能不能用damage 这个词来表示对人的伤害呢?
neil: you usually use 'injure' or 'hurt' for people, though there are some exceptions. for example we say smoking damages your health.
li: neil, i think you have made everything crystal clear, thank you. 现在让我来总结一下: hurt 这个动词用来表示对身体和感情上的伤害; injure 专指对肢体的伤害，和情感没有关系; 最后damage 这个词通常用来表示对物体的破坏。也就是说你不能去hurt 或injure 一件物品。well neil, are you going to play football next week?
neil: no li, i don't think i will. i think it's time for me to… retire from football.
li: i think that's a good idea.
do you have a question about learning english? 你有没有英语学习上的问题？
then email us at questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk
