amaze astonish surprise
都含有"使……惊异" 的意思,而且它们都是一般以事物或他人作主语, 以本人作宾语; 以本人作主语时用被动形式。
amaze强调"使惊异, 困惑"间或还有"惊叹, 佩服"的意思, 是意义很强的词, 如:
We were amazed at the ingenuity with which they solved their difficulties.
他们在解决困难中所表现的智慧使我们惊叹[佩服].
astonish表示"使人大吃一惊"、"几乎无法使人相信", 但没有"惊叹"的意思, 如:
I was astonished at his rudeness.
他的粗野使 我大吃一惊。
surprise语气较上述两词弱, 只表示"出乎意外地惊异", 如:
We were surprised at finding the house empty.
我们惊讶地发现房子是空的。