核心问题
(1)Can you walk a little slower? I can't keep up with you. 你能走慢一点吗?我跟不上你。
(2) He's working hard to catch up with the others, after missing a term. 他休学了一个学期,现在正努力学习,想赶上其他同学。
keep up with 和 catch up with 一般的英汉词典都译作“赶上”,它们有无区别呢?
词典解答
这两个习语是有区别的。keep up with 是指在同时起步的条件下“跟上”“不落后于”。它的实际意义是:“与……并肩前进”“与……并驾齐驱”“与……保持同等地位”“跟得上”。你提出的句子(1)很好地说明了这一点:I can't keep up with you. 是指在一齐往前走的条件下“跟不上了”。类例:
Johnny finds it difficult to keep up with the rest of the class in mathematics. 约翰尼发现在数学方面很难跟上班内的其他同学。
而 catch up with 是指在已经落后的情况下“追上”“赶上”。你提出的句子(2)很清楚地说明
了这一点:“他休学了一个学期”,当然处于落后的状态了。类例:
He was behind in his studies because of illness, but he is catching up now. 他因为生病学习落后了,但现在正在奋起直追。