rather

adv.

1. （常用于表示轻微的批评、失望或惊讶）相当，在某种程度上
   used to mean ‘fairly’ or ‘to some degree’, often when you are expressing slight criticism, disappointment or surprise
   1. The instructions were rather complicated.
      这些说明相当复杂。
   2. She fell and hurt her leg rather badly.
      她跌倒了，腿伤得相当重。
   3. I didn't fail the exam; in fact I did rather well!
      我没有考不及格，事实上，我考得不错！
   4. It was a rather difficult question.
      这是个相当难的问题。
   5. It was rather a difficult question.
      这真是个难题。
   6. He looks rather like his father.
      他看上去很像他的父亲。
   7. The patient has responded to the treatment rather better than expected.
      病人对治疗的反应比预想的好得多。
   8. He was conscious that he was talking rather too much.
      他意识到他说得实在太多了。
2. （与动词连用以减弱语气）有点儿，稍微
   used with a verb to make a statement sound less strong
   1. I rather suspect we're making a mistake.
      我有点儿怀疑我们正在犯错误。
   2. We were rather hoping you'd be able to do it by Friday.
      我们希望你最好能在星期五之前做这件事。
3. （纠正所说的话或提供更确切的信息）更确切地讲，更准确地说
   used to correct sth you have said, or to give more accurate information
   1. She worked as a secretary, or rather, a personal assistant.
      她当了秘书；确切地讲，是私人助理。
   2. In the end he had to walk─or rather run─to the office.
      最后他不得不走着——应该说是跑着——去办公室。
4. （提出不同或相反的观点）相反，反而，而是
   used to introduce an idea that is different or opposite to the idea that you have stated previously
   1. The walls were not white, but rather a sort of dirty grey.
      墙面不是白的，而是灰不溜秋的。

exclamation

1. （表示同意某人的提议）
   used to agree with sb's suggestion
   1. ‘How about a trip to the beach?’ ‘Rather!’
      “去海边旅游怎么样？”“太好了！”

1. PREP-PHRASE 而非；胜于；而不是
   You use rather than when you are contrasting two things or situations. Rather than introduces the thing or situation that is not true or that you do not want.
   1. The problem was psychological rather than physiological...
      问题是心理方面的而不是生理方面的。
   2. Sedge is similar in appearance to grass but has a solid rather than a hollow stem...
      莎草看上去和普通的草没什么两样，但其草茎是实芯的而不是空芯的。
   3. The dark star in Nova Muscae 1991 is a black hole rather than a neutron star...
      在1991年苍蝇座中的暗星其实是一个黑洞而非中子星。
   4. When I'm going out in the evening I use the bike if I can rather than the car.
      我晚上要外出的时候，我宁愿骑自行车而不是开车。
   5. Rather is also a conjunction.
      
   6. Rather than break her appointment and disappoint me, Katie again took the car...
      凯蒂又一次把车开来了，而没有爽约让我失望。
   7. She made students think for themselves, rather than telling them what to think...
      她让学生们独立思考，而不是一味地告诉他们该思考些什么。
   8. I suggest that rather than the show season starting in June, it should be brought forward to April or May...
      我提议它应该提前到4月或5月，而不等要到6月份开始的展示会。
   9. Most of these will be fleeing cold and hunger, rather than fighting...
      这些人中的大部分会因饥寒交迫而逃亡，而不是因为战争。
   10. She prefers to stay in detention rather than be released and go into exile.
       她更愿意呆在拘留所而不是被释放然后开始流亡生活。
2. ADV 而是；更确切地说；还不如说；相反
   You use rather when you are correcting something that you have just said, especially when you are describing a particular situation after saying what it is not.
   1. Twenty million years ago, Idaho was not the arid place it is now. Rather, it was warm and damp, populated by dense primordial forest...
      2,000万年前，爱达荷州并不像现在这样干旱。相反，那时的爱达荷州温暖潮湿，有大片的原始森林。
   2. But there must be no talk of final victory; rather, the long, hard slog to a solution...
      但是这还谈不上是最后的胜利；而是长期、艰难地寻找解决方法的过程。
   3. The process is not a circle but rather a spiral...
      这个过程不是一个圆周运动而是螺旋上升型的。
   4. He explained what the Crux is, or rather, what it was.
      他解释了什么是南十字座，或者更确切地说，过去南十字座是什么。
3. PHR-MODAL 宁愿/不愿；宁可/宁可不
   If you say that you would rather do something or you'd rather do it, you mean that you would prefer to do it. If you say that you would rather not do something, you mean that you do not want to do it.
   1. If it's all the same to you, I'd rather work at home...
      如果对你来说没什么差别，我宁愿在家中工作。
   2. Which programme would you rather appear on?...
      你更愿意在哪个节目中露面？
   3. Kids would rather play than study...
      孩子们宁愿玩也不愿学习。
   4. I have no information one way or the other, but I would rather he do it than not do it...
      我没有办法得到情报，但是我宁愿他去做。
   5. I would rather Lionel took it on...
      我宁愿莱昂内尔负责这件事。
   6. Sorry. I'd rather not talk about it...
      抱歉，我不愿意谈论这个。
   7. Would you like that? Don't hesitate to say no if you'd rather not.
      你喜欢那个吗？如果你不喜欢就直说。
4. ADV 有些;颇为;相当
   You use rather to indicate that something is true to a fairly great extent, especially when you are talking about something unpleasant or undesirable.
   1. I grew up in rather unusual circumstances...
      我在非同寻常的环境下长大。
   2. It had made some rather bad mistakes which I thought should be corrected...
      它犯了一些相当严重的错误，我觉得应该加以纠正。
   3. He had had an excellent dinner at a rather good local hotel...
      他已在当地一个相当不错的饭店里享用了一顿可口的晚餐。
   4. The first speaker began to talk, very fast and rather loudly...
      第一个发言者开始讲话了，语速很快，声音相当大。
   5. We got along rather well...
      我们相处得相当融洽。
   6. I'm afraid it's rather a long story...
      恐怕这说来话长。
   7. The reality is rather more complex...
      事实要更加复杂。
   8. As you can see, he did rather better for himself than I did.
      你可以看出，他自己做的比我做的还要好。
   9. ...a figure rather too good to be true...
      好得有点不真实的人物
   10. The fruit is rather like a sweet chestnut...
       这种果实颇似甜栗子。
   11. Robbie was there with his family, keeping rather in the background.
       罗比和他的家人一起在那里，深居简出。
5. ADV （放在动词前）更…，宁愿…
   You use rather before verbs that introduce your thoughts and feelings, in order to express your opinion politely, especially when a different opinion has been expressed.
   1. I rather think he was telling the truth...
      我倒觉得他讲的是真话。
   2. I rather like the decorative effect.
      我倒很喜欢装饰的效果。
6. CONVENTION （表示同意或接受）当然，的确
   People sometimes say rather to express agreement or acceptance.
   1. 'Well, he did have a sort of family connection with it, didn't he.' — 'Oh yes. Rather.'
      “那么，他的确和它有些家族渊源，是不是？”——“噢，是的，的确如此。”

Rather, pretty, quite, and fairly can all be used to modify adjectives and adverbs, but are all less strong than very. Rather and pretty are the strongest of these words and are the closest to very. Pretty, in this sense, is informal. Therefore, if you said to someone, 'Your work is pretty good' or 'Your work is rather good', they would be more likely to be pleased than if you said 'Your work is quite good' or 'Your work is fairly good'. However, rather is commonly used with words indicating negative qualities. I was feeling rather sad. It is the only one of these words than can be used with comparatives, and with too. Global warming could be rather worse than we think it will be... He was becoming rather too friendly with my ex-boyfriend. Quite is slightly stronger than fairly, and may suggest that something has more of a quality than expected. Nobody here's ever heard of it but it is actually quite common.
rather, pretty, quite 和 fairly 都可以用于修饰形容词和副词，但是它们都没有very的程度强。rather 和 pretty 在这4个词中程度最强，意思和very最接近。表达这个意思时pretty是非正式说法。因此，如果对某人说Your work is pretty good（你干得非常好）或Your work is rather good（你干得相当好）要比说Your work is quite good（你干得很不错）或Your work is fairly good（你干得还不错）更令他高兴。但是，rather 往往和有消极意义的词连用，如：I was feeling rather sad（我觉得很难过）。在这些词中唯有rather可以和比较级或too连用。如：Global warming could be rather worse than we think it will be（全球变暖可能比我们想象的更加严重），He was becoming rather too friendly with my ex-boyfriend（他和我的前男友好得有些过了头）。quite比fairly的程度稍强一些，表示某物有些超乎人们的期望。如：Nobody here's ever heard of it but it is actually quite common（这里没有人听说过它，但是它实际上颇为常见）。

1. I have rather a large influence over a good many people
   我对很多人都有相当大的影响力。
2. The problem was psychological rather than physiological
   问题是心理方面的而不是生理方面的。
3. Sedge is similar in appearance to grass but has a solid rather than a hollow stem
   莎草看上去和普通的草没什么两样，但其草茎是实芯的而不是空芯的。
4. The dark star in Nova Muscae 1991 is a black hole rather than a neutron star
   在1991年苍蝇座中的暗星其实是一个黑洞而非中子星。
5. When I'm going out in the evening I use the bike if I can rather than the car.
   我晚上要外出的时候，我宁愿骑自行车而不是开车。
6. Twenty million years ago, Idaho was not the arid place it is now. Rather, it was warm and damp, populated by dense primordial forest
   2,000万年前，爱达荷州并不像现在这样干旱。相反，那时的爱达荷州温暖潮湿，有大片的原始森林。
7. But there must be no talk of final victory; rather, the long, hard slog to a solution
   但是这还谈不上是最后的胜利；而是长期、艰难地寻找解决方法的过程。
8. The process is not a circle but rather a spiral
   这个过程不是一个圆周运动而是螺旋上升型的。
9. He explained what the Crux is, or rather, what it was.
   他解释了什么是南十字座，或者更确切地说，过去南十字座是什么。
10. If it's all the same to you, I'd rather work at home
    如果对你来说没什么差别，我宁愿在家中工作。
11. Which programme would you rather appear on?
    你更愿意在哪个节目中露面？
12. Kids would rather play than study
    孩子们宁愿玩也不愿学习。
13. I have no information one way or the other, but I would rather he do it than not do it
    我没有办法得到情报，但是我宁愿他去做。
14. I would rather Lionel took it on
    我宁愿莱昂内尔负责这件事。
15. Sorry. I'd rather not talk about it
    抱歉，我不愿意谈论这个。
16. Would you like that? Don't hesitate to say no if you'd rather not.
    你喜欢那个吗？如果你不喜欢就直说。
17. I grew up in rather unusual circumstances
    我在非同寻常的环境下长大。
18. It had made some rather bad mistakes which I thought should be corrected
    它犯了一些相当严重的错误，我觉得应该加以纠正。
19. He had had an excellent dinner at a rather good local hotel
    他已在当地一个相当不错的饭店里享用了一顿可口的晚餐。
20. The first speaker began to talk, very fast and rather loudly
    第一个发言者开始讲话了，语速很快，声音相当大。
21. We got along rather well
    我们相处得相当融洽。
22. I'm afraid it's rather a long story
    恐怕这说来话长。
23. The reality is rather more complex
    事实要更加复杂。
24. As you can see, he did rather better for himself than I did.
    你可以看出，他自己做的比我做的还要好。
25. The fruit is rather like a sweet chestnut
    这种果实颇似甜栗子。
26. Robbie was there with his family, keeping rather in the background.
    罗比和他的家人一起在那里，深居简出。
27. I rather think he was telling the truth
    我倒觉得他讲的是真话。
28. I rather like the decorative effect.
    我倒很喜欢装饰的效果。
29. 'Well, he did have a sort of family connection with it, didn't he.' — 'Oh yes. Rather.'
    “那么，他的确和它有些家族渊源，是不是？”——“噢，是的，的确如此。”
30. This place is rather cramped.
    这地方太局促了。

adv.

rather you, him, etc. than me

• （表明不想做别人要去做的事）
  used for saying that you would not like to do sth that another person is going to do
  1. ‘I'm going climbing tomorrow.’ ‘Rather you than me!’
     “我明天去爬山。”“你去吧，我可不去！”

rather than

• 而不是
  instead of sb/sth
  1. I think I'll have a cold drink rather than coffee.
     我想要冷饮，不要咖啡。
  2. Why didn't you ask for help, rather than trying to do it on your own?
     你干吗非得自己干，而不请人帮忙？

would rather… (than)

• 宁愿；更喜欢
  would prefer to
  1. She'd rather die than give a speech.
     她宁愿死也不愿意演讲。
  2. ‘Do you want to come with us?’ ‘No, I'd rather not.’
     “你想跟我们一起来吗？”“不，我不想去。”
  3. Would you rather walk or take the bus?
     你愿意步行还是坐公共汽车？
  4. ‘Do you mind if I smoke?’ ‘Well, I'd rather you didn't.’
     “你介意我抽烟吗？”“嗯，最好别抽。”

adv

1. to some (great or small) extent
   1. it was rather cold
   2. the party was rather nice
   3. the knife is rather dull
   4. I rather regret that I cannot attend
   5. He's rather good at playing the cello
   6. he is kind of shy

   Synonym:    kind ofkindasort of

2. to a degree (not used with a negative)
   1. quite tasty
   2. quite soon
   3. quite ill
   4. quite rich

   Synonym:    quite

3. on the contrary
   1. rather than disappoint the children, he did two quick tricks before he left
   2. he didn't cal
   3. used English terms instead of Latin ones

   Synonym:    instead

4. more readily or willingly
   1. clean it well, preferably with warm water
   2. I'd rather be in Philadelphia
   3. I'd sooner die than give up

   Synonym:    preferablysooner