一、先測(cè)測(cè)你是否會(huì)想當(dāng)然
1. 請(qǐng)先觀察以下短語，這幾組短語至少在表示某一意思時(shí)它們是反義詞：
(1) up 與 down 是一對(duì)反義詞，前者表示“向上”，后者表示“向下”。如：
He continued to jump up and down like a boy at a football match. 他不停地上躥下跳，活像個(gè)足球賽中的男孩。
Aircraft can avoid each other by going up and down, as well as by altering course to left or right. 飛機(jī)可以通過上下升降和左右移動(dòng)改變航線來避免相撞。
(2) upstairs 與 downstairs是一對(duì)反義詞，前者表示“樓上”，后者表示“樓下”。如：
The bedrooms are upstairs and the dining-room is downstairs. 寢室在樓上，餐廳在樓下。
(3) go up 與 go down 是一對(duì)反義詞，前者表示“上升”，后者表示“下降”。如：
The incomes of skilled workers went up. Meanwhile, unskilled workers saw their earnings go down. 熟練工的收入上升了，而與此同時(shí)，不熟練工發(fā)現(xiàn)他們的收入下降了。
(4) turn up 與 turn down 是一對(duì)反義詞，前者表示“開大音量”，后者表示“關(guān)小音量”。如：
The baby fell asleep, so I asked him to turn the TV down, but a few minutes later he turned it up again. 寶寶睡著了，所以我叫他把電視機(jī)音量調(diào)小些，但是沒過幾分鐘他又把音量調(diào)大了。
2. 請(qǐng)從所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選擇一個(gè)最佳答案填空：
slow up 與 slow down 是一對(duì) ________。
A. 同義詞 B. 反義詞 C. 無關(guān)詞 D. 互補(bǔ)詞
【測(cè)試結(jié)果】如果你選擇的答案是“反義詞”，你就錯(cuò)了，正確答案是填“同義詞”。盡管up和down是一對(duì)反義詞，并且確實(shí)也有不少含有up和down的短語也是反義詞，但是，slow up和slow down卻是一對(duì)同義詞。
二、相關(guān)詞和短語的用法說明
slow up和slow down均表示“變緩”“變慢”“減速”等，從使用的廣泛性來看，slow down比slow up用得更多、更廣泛。兩者的具體用法如下：
1. 表示“(使)慢下來”“(使)減速”
(1) slow down的用例：
I put on the brakes and slowed the car down. 我踩下剎車降低車速。
The train slowed down as it went around the bend. 火車在轉(zhuǎn)彎處減速了。
She slowed down her pace so I could keep up with her. 她放慢腳步好讓我跟上她。
The train slowed down to a crawl as it approached the station. 火車進(jìn)站時(shí)慢了下來。
You see drivers speeding up when they should be slowing down. 你可以看到有些司機(jī)在應(yīng)該減速時(shí)卻加速。
(2) slow up的用例：
The bus slowed up as it approached the junction. 公共汽車在駛近交叉路口時(shí)放慢了速度。
The roadworks are slowing the traffic up in the mornings. 道路施工使早上的交通遲緩下來。
2. 表示“(使某人)松弛”“(使發(fā)展)減緩”
(1) slow down的用例：
The economy has slowed down. 經(jīng)濟(jì)放緩了。
He looks ill, and he should slow down. 他看上去不太舒服，應(yīng)該放松一下。
(2) slow up的用例：
Output has slowed (up) a little. 生產(chǎn)已放慢了一點(diǎn)。
They claim they can slow up the ageing process. 他們聲稱能夠減緩老化的速度。
三、用法聯(lián)想與拓展
跟slow down與slow up用法類似的還有close up與close down。但close up與close down在表示“關(guān)閉”時(shí)，只是意義相近，并不完全相同：close down表示公司或商店等永久性關(guān)閉(即“倒閉”)，而close up則表示公司或商店等臨時(shí)性關(guān)閉(如“歇業(yè)”“打烊”)。如：
The factory closed down ten years ago. 這家工廠10 年前就倒閉了。
All the shops had closed up for the night. 深夜所有的商店都已經(jīng)打烊了。
有些含有up和down的相似短語，既不是同義詞或近義詞，也不是反義詞，它們各自有各自的意思和用法。如：
back up(驗(yàn)證;支持;備份;倒車;后退)
back down(認(rèn)錯(cuò);認(rèn)輸;退讓)
bring up(養(yǎng)育;教養(yǎng);提出)
bring down(使落下;打倒;降低;減少)
