holiday/vacation/leave

单数形式的 holiday 可指一、两日的短期假日：

1. We have a holiday every Sunday. (ECD) 我们每星期日休息一天。

2. Did he have a holiday on Saturday afternoons? (Mis) 他星期六下午休息了吗?

较长期的假期常用复数形式 holidays,但也可用单数形式 holiday:

1. When do the summer holidays begin? 暑假什么时候开始?

2. Didn't you know I had been to Florence for the Christmas holidays? (Voynich) 你知道我到佛罗伦萨过的圣诞节吗?

3. But she went to France for a holiday. (Macaulay) 但是她去法国度假了。

4. I shall be getting a whole month's holiday. (EED) 我将有整整一个月的假期。

vacation 主要用于美国英语,既可表示长时间的假期,也可指一两天的短时的假日,在英国英语中则专指“大学假期”:

1. Where are you going for your vacation? (LDCE) 你到哪里去度假?

2. The college is closed during (the) vacation. (LDCE) 大学在假期关闭。

3. I think I'll take a vacation this weekend. 我打算周末度假。

在英国英语里,英国大学和律师业也使用 vacation 这个词。例如,英国大学常用“the long vac.”来表示暑假。

leave 主要指军人或官员的假期或病假、事假：

1. The soldiers are given two leaves each year. (ELD) 士兵们一年可得两次假期。

2. Will you be taking your leave in South Africa? (Greene) 你会在南非度假吗?

3. He informed him that he was on sick leave from a government office. (Shaw) 他告诉他，他正在休病假，没在政府机关上班。

4. He went home on leave. (OSD) 他回家度假去了。