maintain（保持⽔平）,retain（保留）,sustain（维持⽣
命）
李敖北大演讲（转...)3.问：maintain .retain,sustain，都有保持的意思，请问怎么区别这3个词！谢谢！
答：同学，你好！
要区别同义词，主要从两个⽅⾯考虑，⼀是词的搭配，⼆是词的意思。
折纸大全武器⾸先maintain ,retain和sustain有各⾃不同的意思，但其中都有“保持、维持”的意思。这三个词的区别要从各个词的原始（original）意思上去体会细微的意思差别。
maintain --keep sth. in existence at the same level, standard.维持（保持）（已有的⽔平、标准）如：
I hope you will maintain your recent improvement.我希望你能保持最近取得的进步。
Let's maintain peace in the world.让我们来维持世界和平。
maintain law and order维持治安仓库流程图
maintain prices保持价格稳定
retain--keep sth. in one's posssion or u.保留如：
This village still retains its old world character.这个村庄仍然保持着古⾊古乡特⾊。
校园心理剧We retained the original fireplace when we decorated the room.我们装修那个房间时，原来的壁炉保留不动。
This cloth retains its color.这布不褪⾊
He is 90 but still retains (the u of)all his faculties.他年已九旬，但各种官能仍未衰退。牛肉羹汤的做法
sustain --keep sb./sth.alive or in existence（⽀持、维持⽣命）, to keep up the strength, spirits or determination of （维持体⼒/精神/决⼼）如：
担字组词
The supplies of food were scarcely enough to sustain life.⾷品的供应仅够勉强维持⽣命。
养宠物的好处
A light meal won't sustain us through the day.⼀顿⼩⾷维持不了我们⼀天的精⼒。
Hopes alone sustained him in his miry.他在痛苦之中只有希望⿎励着他。
现代英语中也有互⽤的情况。如：
我们也看到“enough food to maintain one's stength”这样的句⼦。这时maintain =sustain .
这样解释对你理解有帮助吗？欢迎讨论！（转。。。）
maintain:you continue to have it ,and do not let it stop or grow weaker
eg:push yourlf to make friends and to maintain the friendships
排骨煲
the government was right to maintain interst rates at a high level
sustain: if you sustain sth., you continue it or maintain it for a period of time
eg: he has sustained his fierce social conscience from young alulthood through old age
every aircraft in there has sustained some damage
retain:to retain sth. means to continue to have that thing
If left covered in a warm place,this rice will retain its heat for a good hour other countries retained their traditional and habitual ways of doing things
下⾯这个图是我⾃⼰的理解
