这些动词均含有“停止”之意。
cease : 指逐渐、徐徐中止某种状态的存在。书面用词。
- Whether the protests will cease remains to be seen.
抗议活动是否会停止还说不定。 - The company has decided to cease all UK operations after this year.
公司决定从明年开始停止一切在英国的业务活动。 - Workplace nurseries will cease to be liable for tax.
将停止对工作场所的托儿所征税。
pause : 指暂时的、瞬间的停顿，隐含有再进行之意。
- There will be a brief pause in the proceedings while the piano is moved into place.
在将钢琴搬过去放好之前，活动将暂停一会儿。 - After a long, awkward pause, someone finally asked a question.
在长得令人尴尬的停顿过后，有人问了个问题。 - She spoke for three quarters of an hour without so much as a pause.
她一连说了45分钟，连停都没停一下。 - There followed a pregnant (= filled with meaning) pause in which neither of them knew what to say.
接下来是意味深长的停顿，两人谁也不知道说什么好。
stop : 指动作、运行、进展等被停下来，含突然、断然的意味。
- Once I start eating chocolate, I can't stop.
我一开始吃巧克力，就停不了嘴了。 - Stop shouting - you're giving me a headache!
别再叫了——你搞得我头都疼了！ - I couldn't stop laughing.
我忍不住笑个没完。 - Stop it!/Stop that!
住手！
halt : 侧重突然地、决定性地终止、停止某一活动。
- "Halt!" called the guard. "You can't go any further without a permit."
“站住！”警卫喊道，“没有通行证不能入内。” - Production has halted at all of the company's factories because of the pay dispute.
由于工资纠纷，这家公司所有工厂都停产了。 - Security forces halted the demonstrators by blocking the road.
警卫部队用封路的办法来制止示威者前进。
quit : 指最终彻底停止某事，有时暗示遭到失败或面临挫折。
- Would you quit your job if you inherited lots of money?
假如继承了一大笔钱，你会辞掉工作吗？ - I'm going to quit smoking.
我准备戒烟。 - Quit wasting my time!
别浪费我的时间！ - Press Q to quit the program.
退出该程序请按Q。
