forecast、foretell、predict与foresee这些动词均含“预言、预示、预告”之意。
forecast : 指对未来事件的预报、推测或设想，侧重最终可能出现的结果。
- They forecast a large drop in unemployment over the next two years.
他们预测今后两年失业人口会大幅下降。 - Snow has been forecast for tonight.
预报今晚有雪。 - Oil prices are forecast to increase by less than two percent this year.
预计今年油价上涨不会超过2%。
foretell : 一般的通俗用语，往往指根据客观因素做出的预告，强调预先要发生的事。
- He was a 16th-century prophet who foretold how the world would end.
他是16世纪的一位先知，预言过世界将如何走向末日。
predict : 较正常的正式用词，通常用于人。指根据事实或自然规律进行推断后作出预告，隐含有科学的准确性。
- It's still not possible to accurately predict the occurrence of earthquakes.
现在仍无法准确预报地震的发生。 - Who could have predicted that within ten years he'd be in charge of the whole company?
谁能预料到10年内他会掌管整个公司？ - The hurricane is predicted to reach the coast tomorrow morning.
飓风预计将于明天早晨登陆。 - No one can predict when the disease will strike again.
没人能预见这种病什么时候会再次爆发。
foresee : 指提前、预先料到将要发生的事或指对未发生的事情形成一种概念或判断。
- I don't foresee any difficulties so long as we keep within budget.
只要我们不超出预算，我看不出会有什么困难。
