所以会混淆,是因为两者都有残余、剩余的意思,但是,做“残余、剩余”的名词解时:
leftover一般指吃剩的饭菜,作残留物也指具体的事物,如:
Substances such as urea (a leftover from protein metabolism) and excess phosphate ions therefore flow from the blood to the water.
类似于尿素(蛋白质新陈代谢的副产品)和多余的磷酸盐就从血液流进了水里.
remains主要是遗体、尸体、残骸.引申为残留物时常指抽象的事物,如:
He also argued that much remains unknown about the interaction between Arctic sea ice,sea level,and temperature rise.
他还认为,有关北极海冰、海平面图和气温上升之间的相互作用还存在许多未知数.