英汉词典

1. 代替…;而不是…
    If you do one thing instead of another, you do the first thing and not the second thing, as the result of a choice or a change of behaviour.

    e.g. She had to spend nearly four months away from him that summer, instead of the usual two...
           那个夏天她被迫离开他将近四个月而不是通常的两个月。
    e.g. Check-out workers in London will receive £7.17 an hour instead of £6.54...
           伦敦的收银员每小时工资将从原先的 6.54 英镑涨为 7.17 英镑。

2. 作为替代;反而;相反地
    If you do not do something, but do something else instead, you do the second thing and not the first thing, as the result of a choice or a change of behaviour.

instead

    e.g. He reached for the wine but did not drink, pushed it, instead, across the table towards Joanna...
           他伸手拿酒却没有喝,而是把它推给了坐在桌子对面的乔安娜。
    e.g. The kitchen might have been workable had Nicola kept it tidy; instead it was littered with pots and pans...
           如果妮古拉会收拾,厨房本来是能用的;但现在,这里到处乱放着锅碗瓢盆。