postpone

Compared meaning: to put something off until later (verb).

比较义项：推迟、搁置某事（动词）。

• table

  Mainly used in American English for formally postponing a motion, bill, or proposal in a meeting or legislative setting; not used for everyday personal plans.

  主要用于美式英语，指在会议或立法场合正式搁置某项动议、法案或提案；不用于日常个人计划。

  The council voted to table the zoning proposal until they had more information.

  议会投票决定搁置该分区提案，直到获得更多信息为止。

• defer

  Suggests deliberately putting something off to a specific later time, often for practical reasons; common with decisions, payments, and applications.

  指为了实际原因，有意将某事推迟到某个具体的更晚时间；常与决定、付款、申请等搭配使用。

  She decided to defer her college application until the following year.

  她决定将大学入学申请推迟到第二年。

• postpone 本词

  The most neutral and general word for delaying an event to a later time; fits almost any context, formal or everyday.

  是表示将某事推迟到以后最中性、最通用的词；几乎适用于任何正式或日常场合。

  They had to postpone the wedding because of the sudden storm.

  由于突如其来的暴风雨，他们不得不推迟婚礼。

• shelve

  Informal and figurative, like putting something on a shelf; implies a plan or project is set aside indefinitely and may never be resumed.

  非正式、带比喻色彩，就像把东西放上架子；暗示某个计划或项目被无限期搁置，可能永远不会重启。

  After the budget cuts, the company had to shelve its expansion plans.

  预算削减后，公司不得不搁置其扩张计划。

Table, defer, postpone, and shelve mean delaying something. Table is American English for postponing a motion in a meeting. Postpone is the general, neutral word for delaying an event. Defer means putting something off to a set time. Shelve means setting a plan aside indefinitely.

这四个词都可以表示把某事往后推，但语气和场合不同：table 多用于美式英语中正式搁置动议或提案，postpone 是最中性通用的说法，defer 强调因某种原因把事情推迟到具体的时间，shelve 则带有可能无限期搁置甚至放弃的意味。这里不比较 defer 表示“听从、遵从（某人的意见）”的意思，也不比较 shelve 表示“放到架子上”或（地面）“逐渐倾斜”的意思。