insist、persist、persevere、adhere与cling这些动词均有“坚持”之意。
insist : 通常用于对意见、主张等的坚持。
- Greg still insists (that) he did nothing wrong.
格雷格仍坚称自己没有做错任何事。 - Please go first - I insist!
请先走——我坚持这样！ - She insisted on seeing her lawyer.
她坚持要见她的律师。
persist : 用于褒义指坚持继续做某事，但更常用于贬义，指不听劝告，顽固坚持。
- If he persists in asking awkward questions, then send him to the boss.
如果他没完没了地问令人尴尬的问题，就把他打发到老板那里去。 - The government is persisting with its ambitious public works programme.
政府在坚持实施其雄心勃勃的市政工程规划。
persevere : 含褒义，强调坚持不懈的努力。
- It looks as if the policy will be a success, providing that the government perseveres and does not give in to its critics.
看来如果政府锲而不舍，不向批评家屈服，这项政策就有可能成功。 - The education director is persevering in his attempt to obtain additional funding for the school.
教育主管在坚持不懈地为该校争取更多资金。 - Despite receiving little support, the women are persevering with their crusade to fight crime.
尽管得不到什么支持，这些妇女们仍然坚持与犯罪做斗争。
adhere与to连用，指坚持意见、计划或承诺等，含坚持不懈之意。
- She adhered to her principles/ideals throughout her life.
她终生对自己的原则／理想忠贞不渝。 - They failed to adhere to the terms of the agreement/treaty.
他们没有遵守协议／条约的条款。 - The translator has obviously adhered very strictly to the original text.
显然，译者严格忠实于原文。
cling和to连用，指对信仰、意见、习惯等的坚持。
- She clings to the hope that her husband will come back to her.
她坚信丈夫一定会回到自己身边。
