Disease 通常指具體、往往會影響特定身體部位的疾病，也就是那些可以染上或傳染，由細菌或病毒所導致的疾病；此外，醫學研究或醫學上所稱的各種疾病通常也是用 disease 這個字。Disease 可當可數名詞和不可數名詞用，後者是指疾病的總稱，如 heart disease (心臟病)、lung disease (肺病)、skin disease (皮膚病)、a sexually transmitted disease (STD，性病)、contagious/infectious diseases (傳染病)；Many diseases are caused by bacteria. (許多疾病是由細菌所引起)；Arthritis is a chronic disease. (關節炎是一種慢性病)；Tuberculosis is a very serious disease. (肺結核是一種非常嚴重的疾病)；Rats spread disease. (老鼠傳染疾病)。
Illness 亦有「(某種) 疾病」之意，但大多指心理或精神上的「疾病」。然而，illness 主要用來表示身體或精神不適的狀態或時間，可能是由 disease 所引起的不健康狀態 (poor health)，即「生病；患病；有病」。Illness 同樣可當可數和不可數名詞用，如 Physical and mental illness (身體和心理疾病)；Emma is away from school because of illness. (艾瑪因病沒有來上學)；Kevin was weak from a long illness. (凱文因久病而身體虛弱)；My father had had no serious illnesses and had never been in hospital. (我父親沒生過大病，也從未住過院)。
Sickness 也有「(某種) 疾病」之意，如 Some of the climbers suffered badly from altitude sickness. (若干登山者患有嚴重的高山症)。但它的含意與 illness 大致相同，所以兩者往往可以互換，如 mental sickness (心理疾病 － 但一般大多使用 mental illness，很少用 mental sickness)；Emma is away from school because of sickness. (艾瑪因病沒有來上學)；Do you know what her sickness is? (你知道她生什麼病嗎?)；My father knows all about this sickness. (我父親對這種疾病瞭如指掌)。不過，sickness 還意為「噁心；嘔吐」(不可數)，這是 illness 所沒有的意思，如 The virus causes sickness and diarrhea. (該病毒引起上吐下瀉)；I felt a wave of sickness come over me. (我感到一陣噁心)。
文章出處：英文資訊交流網
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