Offer
这个字偏向强调「主动给予、愿意提供」,常见用法有 offer sb. sth. 和 offer sth. to sb.。另外也可以用 offer to do sth.(主动帮忙做某事),但这个用法较少见。
The company offered me a fantastic position.
= The company offered a fantastic position to me.
公司提供我一个绝佳的职位。
这个字也可以延伸出俚语 offer an olive branch,字面上解释为「递出橄榄枝」,表示「主动表达和解意愿」的意思。
The opposition offered an olive branch to the government by ending the civil war.
反对党藉由结束内战向政府表达和解的意愿。
Offer 也可当名词使用,如 job offer,意思就是「(被提供的)工作机会」,如下例句所示:
After considering several job offers, I accepted a position with a startup in Taipei.
在考虑了许多工作机会后,我接受了台北一间新创公司里的职位。
Serve
serve 是指「(餐厅)供应食物或饮料」或「效力,为工作付出」的意思,并可以搭配 out 形成动词片语 serve sth. out 表示「继续工作、担任职务直到规定时限」。 Serve sth. up 是指「向…提供」或是「分配饭菜」之意。
Breakfast is served between 9:00 and 11:00 in this hotel.
这间旅馆在早上九点到十一点之间供应早餐。
She has served in the army for more than 20 years.
她已为军队效力逾二十年。
Our organization serves up meals for the homeless.
我们机构为街友提供餐点。
Could you help them serve out the pizza?
你能帮他们分一下披萨吗?
Provide
提到「提供」, 应该很快可以想到 provide 这个字吧!它的意思就是「给予他人所需要的东西」,有三种用法,分别是 provide sb. with sth.、provide sth. for/to sb. 和 provide sth.。
The language school provides all its new entrants with free boarding.
= The language school provides free boarding for/to all its new entrants.
语言学校提供新生免费食宿。
The language school provides good meals.
语言学校提供的伙食不错。
Supply
Supply 时常与 provide 交替使用,同样是提供他人所需的东西,但 supply 更偏重「大量和长期供给」。当名词使用时,为「供应品、补给品、生活用品」之意涵,强调「定期供应补给」,用法与 provide 雷同,分为 supply sb. with sth. 和 supply sth. to sb. 两种用法。
The company supplies all its employees with a violence-free working environment.
= The company supplies a violence-free working environment to all its employees.
公司为员工提供无暴力的工作环境。
Proffer
Proffer 的发音是 /ˈprɑfɚ/,强调「给出去、伸出去」的动作,也能当作是「提供建议或意见」时的动词,主要用法与 offer 相似为 proffer sb. sth.。这个字是一个比较正式的用法。
A few of the reasons for the failure to realise these expectations are proffered below.
下面提供了未能实现这些期望的一些原因。
She struggled to proffer some great ideas in the morning conference.
她试图在晨间会议中提供一些好点子。