1.partner n. 伙伴，伴侣，同伴;合伙人；搭档
普通用词，词义广泛，可指有合作关系的组织或国家、生意上的合伙人、配偶或情人、跳舞或玩游戏的搭档等。
a dancing/tennis, etc. partner
舞伴、网球搭档等
Come to the New Year disco and bring your partner!
携伴来参加新年迪斯科舞会吧！
Find a partner and practise these new dance steps.
找个舞伴来练习这些新舞步。
Can you name one of our principal trading partners in Africa?
你能说出我们在非洲的主要贸易伙伴之一吗？
Spain has been one of Cuba's major trading partners.
西班牙一直是古巴的主要贸易伙伴之一。
He is my business partner.
他是我生意上的合伙人。
I can't agree to anything without my partner's approval.
没有合伙人的认可我什么也不能答应。
The company is being actively considered as a potential partner.
这家公司正在被积极考虑为可能的合作伙伴。
He's a partner in a Chicago law firm.
他是芝加哥一家律师事务所的合伙人。
He prefers to discuss his worries with his partner.
他更愿意和自己的另一半谈谈他的烦心事。
Wanting other friends doesn't mean you don't love your partner.
想交其他朋友并不意味着你不爱你的伴侣。
One of the most important things in a partner is a sense of humour.
作为一个生活伴侣，最重要的素质之一是幽默感。
She is my table tennis partner.
她是我的乒乓球搭档。
With his partner away, all the work now fell to him.
他的搭档走了以后，工作现在全落在他的身上。
2.ally n. 盟友，同盟国
尤指向从政者提供支持的人，或同意在战争中给予另一国家支持和帮助的国家。
He was one of the President's closest allies.
他是总统最亲密的盟友之一。
She described him as a close friend and an ally.
她称他是密友和盟友。
He is a close ally of the Prime Minister.
他是首相的亲密支持者。
She will regret losing a close political ally.
她将为失去一个亲密的政治盟友而懊悔。
The United States is a close ally of South Korea.
美国是韩国的亲密盟友。
She described him as a close friend and an ally.
她称他是密友和盟友。
Washington would not take such a step without its allies' approval.
没有盟国的同意，华盛顿将不会采取这样一种行动。
The two countries will have to consult their allies
两国不得不与盟国商议。
The more obvious potential allies are Ireland, Denmark and, to a lesser degree, the Netherlands.
最可能成为盟国的有爱尔兰和丹麦，放宽些还可以把荷兰算上。
If you're going to succeed in this job, you will need allies.
如果你要在这个工作上成功，你就需要支持者。
Where did the meeting of the European allies take place?
欧洲同盟国会议是在哪里举行的？
Even his closest allies describe him as forceful, aggressive and determined
即使他最亲密的盟友也认为他强硬决断、咄咄逼人，不达目的誓不罢休。
He was confident the allies would make good on their pledges.
他相信盟友们会履行他们的承诺。
The decision left the country isolated from its allies.
这个决定使这个国家在盟国中受到孤立。
Baker was smoothing out differences with European allies
贝克正在努力消除同欧洲盟国之间的分歧。
The Prime Minister found a surprise ally today in the shape of Jacques Delors, the Commission President
首相今天发现了一个令他意外的盟友，即欧洲委员会主席雅克·德洛尔。
A number of the United States' allies had urged him not to take a hasty decision.
美国的一些盟友已力劝他不要急于作决定。
The arithmetic is finely balanced: the socialists and their allies do not have an overall majority.
该估算是经过仔细权衡的：社会主义者和他们的同盟并不占绝大多数。
He's argued from the start that America and its allies are putting too much emphasis on the military option
他从一开始就认为美国及其盟国过于强调军事手段。
3.associate n. 同事；生意伙伴；同伙；朋友
指生意上的合作伙伴或一起工作的人。
Jim is one of Tom's business associates.
吉姆是汤姆的一个生意伙伴。
Mr. Miller is a business associate of our company.
米勒先生是我们公司的生意伙伴。
A former associate of Mr. Pierce's was among the project's boosters.
皮尔斯先生的一个前合伙人是这个计划的热心支持者之一。
My associate Pont is psychologically more adept.
我的同事庞特比较善于揣摩心理。
A close associate of the chairman denied reports that he had cancer.
与董事长关系密切的一位同事否认了他患癌症的报道。
They offered me money if I would betray my associates
他们提出来只要我供出同伙就给我钱。
Many of his Greenwich Village associates thought Dylan had sold out to commercialism.
迪伦在格林尼治村的许多朋友都认为他已经向商业主义屈服了。
acquaintance 泛泛之交；“认识的人”，也许只是打过照面，并没有什么深交或实质性的往来
He is not a friend, only an acquaintance.
他不是朋友，只是一位相识的人。
I have a nodding acquaintance with him, but I wouldn't feel comfortable asking him to help me on this project.
我认识他(不熟)，但我不想在这个项目上找他帮忙。
pal 好友
在日常口语中，“pal”表示特别要好的朋友。另外还有“pen pal”表示“笔友”，“e-pal”表示“网友”等等。
He is my pal at school.
他是我学校里的密友。
We’ve been pals since childhood.
我们打小就是好伙伴。
mate 伙伴；配偶
看着眼熟是吧，华为的手机就有一个系列用它命名，“mate”可以表示伙伴、好友、兄弟、或者一同居住的人。
I was with a mate.
我和一个朋友在一起。
Come on mate, things aren’t that bad.
别灰心，兄弟，事情没那么糟
I thought she was an ideal mate.
我认为她是我的理想配偶。
confidante 知己/密友
可以理解为“闺蜜”“红颜知己”，一般表示女性。一个你可以无话不谈，尽情倾诉的好朋友。去掉”e”以后，则表示男性知己，“蓝颜知己”。
You are her closest friend and confidante.
你是她最亲密的朋友和知己。
Colonel house was a friend and confidant of President wilson.
豪斯上校是威尔逊总统的朋友和知己。
How I longed for a confidante while I lived in total fear and loneliness!
在害怕和孤寂中，我多么需要一个知心的人啊!
He was their adviser, confidant and father confessor.
他是他们的顾问、密友和倾听者。
We're nothing more than friends
我们只不过是朋友
We are just friends. 我们只不过是朋友