雅思小作文因为比较模式化,相对来说用错词的情况也少一些。朗阁海外考试研究中心提醒考生们在常见错误方面应注意:在谈及价位时我们应该用高低而非大小贵贱来表达,即high/low price 而非big/small price 或者expensive/cheap price; great value而不是big value; their living condition is poor而非bad等等。其实,小作文中比较集中的错误在“比较与对比”搞不清楚,所以出现 ‘compare’与 ‘contrast’ 的使用错误,这里我们详细说一下。
一、compare与contrast的误用
我们先从两者的定义入手来看两者的区别。Compare的定义为:to examine people or things to see how they are similar or different. Contrast的定义为:to compare two or more things to show the difference between them. 由定义不难看出前者侧重于找到两个或多个事物的异同,而后者则侧重于它们的不同。
看个例句:
It is interesting to compare their situations to ours./It is interesting to contrast their situations to ours.
前一句翻译为:对比一下我们的情况与他们的情况会很有趣。
后一句的翻译为:我们的情况与他们的情况有很大的不同,这很有趣。
再看一个引自OXFORD ADBANCED LEARNER’S DICTIONARY的例子:
There is an obvious contrast between the culture of East and West.
The company lost million in contrast to a profit of .2 million a year earlier.
When you look at their new system, ours seems very old-fashioned by contrast.
不难发现,Compare 翻译为“ 与。。。相比”而contrast可译为“明显不同的是。。。”,切记这种翻译方式就不会用错彼此了。