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Postpone，Delay，Defer，Put off —— 拖，延。
🚩postpone主要是指“故意延期，时间上的推迟，延缓”。柯林斯解释为If you postpone an event, you delay it or arrange for it to take place at a later time than was originally planned.。它表示把一件事情搁下，等其他事情发生或者，再继续进行。
如：
He decided to postpone the expedition until the following day... 他决定把探险推迟到第二天。
The visit has now been postponed indefinitely. 参观现在已经被无限期推迟了。
🚩delay有可能是“故意的”，有也可能是“因为事故或者其他外力”。表示“暂时受阻，稍微留到后面继续”。柯林斯有三个解释，分别是If you delay doing something, you do not do it immediately or at the planned or expected time, but you leave it until later.，搭配delay doing something，或者delay something，即“不按照计划或者期望的进行，暂时搁下等后面继续”。
如：
For sentimental reasons I wanted to delay my departure until June.因为感情方面的原因，我想把离开的日期延迟至6月。
They had delayed having children, for the usual reason, to establish their careers.为了那个通常的原因——创立自己的事业，他们推迟了要孩子。
🚩delay还有两层含义，是To delay someone or something means to make them late or to slow them down.，后面宾语可以是人，也可以是物，表示“使耽搁，延误”；和If you delay, you deliberately take longer than necessary to do something.，是“故意拖延，磨蹭”。
如：
Can you delay him in some way?... 你能想办法拖住他一会儿吗？
Various setbacks and problems delayed production... 各种各样的挫折和问题耽搁了生产进度。
🚩defer是“主动地、有计划地推迟；决定延期到适当时候，有意将来继续进行”，柯林斯解释为If you defer an event or action, you arrange for it to happen at a later date, rather than immediately or at the previously planned time.。
如：
Customers often defer payment for as long as possible... 顾客常常会尽可能地拖延付款。
I'm not going to defer decisions just because they are not immediately politically popular. 我不会因为它们没有即刻在政治上受到欢迎就推迟作出这些决定。
🚩put off意思与delay几乎一样，不过put off更为口语化，且略微含有负面意义。柯林斯解释为If you put something off, you delay doing it.。不过要注意，put off宾语是人的话，意思是“搪塞，敷衍”，柯林斯解释为If you put someone off, you make them wait for something that they want.。
如：
This afternoon's meeting will have to be put off. 今天下午的会议得延期。
She keeps putting off going to the dentist. 她老是拖延着不去看牙病。
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