相似英语词汇辨析136：shrunk, shrunken

136  shrunk, shrunken

这一对词原来都是动词shrink的过去分词，现在只用shrunk作过去分词，而shrunken则用作形容词，它们都表示“收缩的”、“皱缩的”之意。shrunken是定语形容词，用在名词之前。例：

My hat has shrunk so much that it no longer fits me.
这顶帽收缩得很厉害，我戴不了啦。
My gums have shrunk.
我的牙龈已经收缩。
The doctor is examining the shrunken body of a starving child.
医生正检查小孩饿瘦了的身躯。
Facing high inflation and heavy taxation, the worker can hardly live on their shrunken wages.
面对高通涨及重税，工人难以以收缩了的工资为生。
与之类似区别的词有sunk和sunken。这两个字都是sink的过去分词，表示“沉下”、“下陷”之意，但前者用作动词，而后者则用作定语形容词，放在它所修饰的名词之前。如：
The ship has sunk quickly in the waves.
The ship was sunk by a torpedo.
a sunken basement下陷的地下室
a sunken ship沉没之船
sunken eyes (cheeks)凹陷的眼睛（脸颊）