#词汇辨析#alternate&alternative

综述：

alternate指轮流的（happens or appears by turns），alternative则指供选择的（having a choice），但现在美国也用alternate指选择（例：offer alternate selections, taking an alternate route when they drive, alternate technologies，但英国人在上述语境中依然使用alternative）。

*alternate

adj.

-one after the other, alternating in a regular pattern（交替的）:

at alternate periods

-every other, every second (one)（间隔的）:

on alternate weekends

n.

-someone who alternates with somebody else in doing something

-a substitute or reserve for someone else（替补）

named first alternate to sb.

*alternative(comes from the Latin for "the other of two")

adj.

-one of only two possibilities (traditional)-->choices between two or more things (modern)

-something that you prefer to something else, or that you at least accept as a choice:

alternative energy sources（替代能源）

alternative medicine（替代医学/替代疗法）

alternative rock （另类摇滚）

n.

-a possible choice between two or more things:

once they have exhausted all other alternatives

# Keep in mind that the word alternative may suggest an obligation to make a choice; also, saying that something in one alternative may imply that it's a good choice, or at least that it's good enough.

来源：May I Quote You on That