compare
/kəmˈpeə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /kəmˈper/ (ame, ipa) · /kəm-ˈper/ (ame, mw) · /kəmˈpeər/ (bre, ipa)
compare — 動詞
1. to look at two or more people or things side by side in order to notice what is
比較
對照兩者以找出異同
to look at two or more people or things side by side in order to notice what is different or similar between them.
Before buying a car, Priya compared the prices of three different models.
Priya 在買車前比較了三款不同車型的價格。
compare + noun + with/to + noun for examining differences
The teacher asked the class to compare two poems written in the same century.
老師要求全班比較同一世紀寫成的兩首詩。
If you compare this year's sales figures with last year's, the growth is clear.
如果你把今年的銷售數字跟去年的相比，成長就很明顯了。
Diego compared the original document with the copy to look for changes.
Diego 把原始文件跟副本進行比對，找出修改之處。
文法句型
compare + noun + with/to + noun
用法筆記
With this sense, both 'compare A to B' and 'compare A with B' are common. Some users prefer 'compare with' when looking at differences in detail, but the two forms are largely interchangeable in everyday use.
常見錯誤
2. to say or think that one person or thing is like another person or thing, especi
比擬
認為與某事物相似或相當
to say or think that one person or thing is like another person or thing, especially in terms of quality, value, or character.
Critics have compared the young filmmaker to a legendary director from the 1970s.
影評人把這位年輕導演比擬為 1970 年代的一位傳奇導演。
compare + noun + to + noun for likening
Some people compare city life to a never-ending race where nobody stops.
有些人把都市生活比擬為一場永不停歇的賽跑。
The mayor compared the town's recovery to a garden growing after a storm.
市長把小鎮的重生比擬為風雨過後重新生長的花園。
Many fans compare the band's new album to their earlier works from the 1990s.
許多樂迷把樂團的新專輯比擬為他們 1990 年代的早期作品。
- liken
more formal and literary; means the same thing
- equate
stronger; suggests the two things are equal, not just similar
- draw a parallel
phrasal; suggests highlighting shared features
- contrast
to point out differences rather than similarities
文法句型
compare + noun + to + noun
用法筆記
This sense almost always takes 'to' rather than 'with'. Saying 'I compared his singing to a bird' means you think his voice sounds like a bird. Using 'with' here would shift toward the EXAMINE DIFFERENCES sense.
常見錯誤
3. used to say that one person or thing is so much better than another that the two
比不上
遠不如另一事物
used to say that one person or thing is so much better than another that the two cannot be seen as equal or similar.
Homemade soup simply does not compare with the canned kind from the shop.
自製湯品和商店買的罐頭湯完全無法相提並論。
does not compare + with/to — negative pattern
No other beach along this coast can compare to the beauty of Hana Bay.
這片海岸沿線沒有任何沙灘能比得上 Hana 灣的美。
For Yusuf, the corner café's coffee does not compare to what he makes at home.
對 Yusuf 來說，街角咖啡店的咖啡比不上他自己在家沖泡的。
The service on this train does not compare with what passengers received ten years ago.
這班火車的服務和十年前乘客所得到的待遇無法相比。
- cannot match
stronger and more direct; 'cannot match X' means X is clearly better
- pales in comparison
idiomatic and slightly formal; 'pales beside' for an even shorter version
- rival
positive; 'can rival X' means it is almost as good as X
文法句型
does/did/will not compare + with/to + noun
用法筆記
Always appears in negative sentences ('doesn't compare', 'cannot compare'), never in positive statements like 'this compares with that'. The positive form belongs to the COMPARES WELL sense instead.
常見錯誤
4. to be as good as or better than something else when judged side by side, often u
相媲美
與同類相比表現不遜色
to be as good as or better than something else when judged side by side, often used with an adverb to show the result of the comparison.
This new laptop compares favourably with models that cost twice as much.
這台新筆電和價格貴一倍的機型相比毫不遜色。
compare + favourably + with/to — evaluates as good or better
The local hospital compares well against top medical centres in the capital.
這間地區醫院和首都的頂級醫療中心相比表現絲毫不差。
Although the fabric costs less, it compares favourably with more expensive silk.
雖然這種布料價格較低，但它和更昂貴的真絲相比品質毫不遜色。
The university's engineering programme compares well with those at much older schools.
這所大學的工程學程與歷史悠久的老牌學校相比毫不遜色。
- rival
more direct and active; 'rivals X' means it matches X in quality
- match
suggests equal quality; 'matches X in performance'
- hold its own
idiomatic; 'holds its own against X' means it performs respectably
- fall short
opposite direction; 'falls short of X' means it is not as good
文法句型
compare + adverb (favourably/well) + with/to + noun
用法筆記
Frequently paired with adverbs ('favourably', 'well', 'badly', 'poorly'). The British spelling 'favourably' is standard in UK English; 'favorably' is used in American English.
常見錯誤
compare — 名詞
1. used in expressions such as 'nothing compares (to)' to say that a person or thin
無可比擬
沒有事物能達到相同水準
used in expressions such as 'nothing compares (to)' to say that a person or thing is so good that no other person or thing reaches the same standard.
For fresh seafood, nothing compares to the early morning market in Keelung.
說到新鮮海產，沒有什麼比得上基隆清晨的市場。
nothing compares to — fixed expression of superiority
When it comes to solving complex problems, nobody compares to Dr. Okafor.
說到解決複雜問題，沒有人比得上 Okafor 博士。
In terms of sound quality, nothing compares to hearing live musicians in a small hall.
就音質而言，在小音樂廳聽現場演奏是任何音響都比不上的。
In the world of classical piano, nothing compares to listening to the great masters of the past.
在古典鋼琴的世界裡，聆聽過去大師的作品是任何事物都比不上的。
- unmatched
adjective; 'unmatched quality' means no other is as good
- second to none
idiomatic; 'the service is second to none'
- beyond compare
formal/literary; 'beauty beyond compare'
文法句型
nothing/nobody compares + to + noun
用法筆記
Though structurally a verb form ('compares' is third-person singular), the expression 'nothing/nobody compares to X' functions as a fixed phrase meaning X is the best. It is closely related to the CAN'T COMPARE verb sense but is used without 'does not'.