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不论是出门旅游还是外出用餐，我们都经常需要预订不少和 “吃、住、行” 有关的服务。不过，你知道 “book” 和 “reserve” 这两个表示 “预约，预订” 的词之间有什么区别吗？“Pre-order” 和 “prepay” 两个带有前缀 “pre-” 的复合词又分表示什么意思呢？听节目，跟主持人步理和 Becca 一起学习这些和 “预约，预订” 有关的英语单词吧。

Buli
大家好，欢迎收听 BBC 英语教学的 “你问我答” 节目。We are here to answer your questions about English language, culture and life. I'm Buli, and I'm with Becca, who is here to help me answer this week's question. Hi Becca.

Becca
Hi Buli. How are you doing today?

Buli
I'm good, thanks, Becca. And you?

Becca
I'm great! I just booked tickets to one of my favourite bands playing in Manchester. They're coming all the way from Australia!

Buli
Oh, that's awesome! Let's talk more about that after we hear this week's question. 在本期节目中，我们将要回答下面这个问题：

Question
请问：用 “book”、“reserve” 和 “pre-order” 表示 “预约” 的时候有什么区别？我还注意到可以用 “hold something” 来表示类似的含义，它们的用法一样吗？

Buli
So, Becca, will you stay in Manchester for the concert? It's a bit of a journey from London, isn't it?

Becca
It is. Yeah, I reserved a bed in a dorm in a hostel for the night.

Buli
Nice. Did you have to prepay for it?

Becca
Yeah, just a small deposit. They said they'd hold the bed for me until the day before check-in, so I have to pay the full price before then.

Buli
That makes sense. And it also gives you some flexibility.

Becca
Absolutely! Also, I pre-ordered the band's album because pre-orders come with a signed poster!

Buli
Wow, you must be a big fan of this band!

你正在收听的是 BBC 英语教学制作的 “你问我答” 节目。在本期节目中，我们正在学习和 “预约，预购” 等有关的单词和表达。在刚才的对话中，我们可以听到诸如 “book”、“reserve”、“pre-order”、“prepay” 和 “hold something” 等等和这个意思有关的用法。So, let's dive into this week's topic.

Becca
Yes. And though these words can all be quite similar, they're not interchangeable in every situation. Firstly, 'booking something' means to arrange and pay for something, often in advance. It's regularly used for travel, accommodation, restaurants and tickets for events.

Buli
Ah, yes, you booked tickets to see your favourite band! But Becca, with the context of accommodation, you also used 'reserve'.

Becca
I did. When we reserve something, it is kept available for us. It's slightly formal, and it's also used in contexts for restaurants, accommodation and even seats! If the concert was seated, I could've reserved a seat. The focus of reserving something is holding the place of it without paying.

Buli
单词 “book” 和 “reserve” 都可以表示 “预订，预约”。它们之间的区别在于，“book” 一般需要在预订时全额支付费用，并且对取消和退款有着严格的限制；而 “reserve” 则更为灵活，通常只需要在实际使用服务或参加活动时再支付费用就可以了。

除此之外，“reserve” 这个词也更常出现在书面语中，并且可以表示 “为他人预留或保留某样东西”。Becca，我们是不是也能用 “hold” 来表达这个意思呢？

Becca
That's true. We can also use the word 'hold' to express a similar meaning – 'to keep something available temporarily'. Usually something can be held until a full payment is received. For example, If I don't have enough money to buy a jacket, maybe the store assistant will hold it for me until the next week.

Buli
So, we can say that their key difference is the commitment to pay.

Becca
Yes. Actually, I prepaid a deposit for the hostel bed. The prefix 'pre-' means 'to do something before'. In the UK, it's common for restaurants and accommodation to ask for a prepayment of a small amount, like a deposit, to ensure that you'll pay the rest, or as a penalty when you don't actually show up for your reservation.

Buli
确实。在英国，不少餐厅和酒店都会要求人们在预订时 “prepay（预先支付）” 一定的保证金。我们在预订的时候需要注意相关的说明，如果临时取消行程的时间太晚了的话，这部分钱可能就不会退还了。我们还可以注意到，可以用 “book” 和 “reserve” 的名词形式 “booking” 和 “reservation” 来指代一项 “预约” 或 “预约的内容”。

Lastly, Becca, you also used the prefix 'pre-' with the verb 'order' when talking about a new album.

Becca
Indeed. The album isn't officially ready to be bought and sent out for delivery yet. When you pre-order something, you buy it before it's available. For example, I can pre-order a book from a favourite author before it's on the shelves in bookstores.

Buli
One must really want something to make a pre-order! 最后，“pre-order” 的意思是 “预购”。非常受欢迎的或限量的商品有时会用预购的形式来提前让人们锁定购买资格，或者让参加预购的人更早地拿到它。“Pre-order” 既可以作名词，也可以作动词。

Becca
Yes! And remember, if you have a question that you'd like us to answer, you can email us too at: questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk

Buli
你还可以通过微博向我们提问。我们的微博账号是 “BBC英语教学”。Bye!

Becca
Goodbye!