How to Make Comparisons

⊙ By Jesse Hunter

How to Make Comparisons

⊙ By Jesse Hunter

怎样用英语把不同的事物进行比较，这是高中必须掌握的重点之一。事实上，比较并不只是比较级这么简单，我们来看看各种不同的表达方式吧。建议你结合本期《决胜考场》中关于听说训练技巧的具体做法学习本文，这样会有更多的收获哦。

Part1 A Tale of Two Cities 双城记

Dalton: Miranda, is that you?

Miranda: Dalton! I don’t believe it! What are you doing in the States?

Dalton: I could ask you the same thing.

Miranda: Oh, my husband and I moved here to New York City years ago. What about you? Are you still working for that radio station in Guangzhou?

Dalton: Yep, still at it. But I always wanted to visit the Big Apple. So I took some time off from work to come here and see it for myself.

Miranda: That’s awesome. So, in that case, let me welcome you to The City That Never Sleeps! How do you think it measures up to[够得上]the City of Flowers?

Dalton: Oh, it’s OK. I mean I like it here, although the big GZ will always be better in my heart.

Miranda: That’s what I used to think. And when I first arrived in New York, I was not all that impressed. While I was excited to see this “new world,” I was particularly put off[使反感]by the poor quality of the city’s transportation network. Am I right?

Dalton: You hit the nail on the head. I was shocked at how old and dirty the airports andsubways are. It’s much worse than in China.

Miranda: Yes, they’ve fallen into disrepair[失修]. But don’t forget, Guangzhou Metro[地铁]is just over a decade old, while NYC’s Metro North is closer to a century. And the New York streets are so old that it would be hard to create a more convenient bus system, such as Guangzhou’s BRT line.

Dalton: I did love taking the ferry across the Hudson River yesterday, to see the Statue of Liberty. And there were far fewer people than on the Guangzhou ferries.

Miranda: Lady Liberty is certainly a must-see. And buildings like The Empire State and Chrysler are also tourist favorites.

Dalton: Did you ever get a chance to visit the top of Canton Tower before you left Guangzhou?

Miranda: No, unfortunately I never got around to it.

Dalton: Aw, that’s a shame. I think I liked that tower even better than the Empire State Building, because there are way more things to see. Like all those cool rotating[旋转的]booths at the very top, which give you this amazing view of the Guangzhou skyline.

Miranda: I remember thinking that I would miss Guangzhou food most of all. But it’s actually been the opposite. I do still love Cantonese food, but New York literally has a different kind of cuisine everywhere you look. And it’s not just a better variety, this city is such a melting pot of different cultures, so you get an incredible fusion[混搭]of tastes, combining the foods of different cultures.

Dalton: Yeah, and don’t forget about the pizza!

Miranda: Oh my goodness[哎呀], how could I forget the pizza!

Dalton: I always thought Pizza Hut and Papa Johns were the best pizza joints[小店]. Boy, was I wrong… The crust[酥皮]here is so thin, and the cheese is so stretchy[有弹性的].

Miranda: Just remember to dab[轻拭]your enormous slice of New York pizza with a handful of napkins before you fold it up and eat it, because of all the grease[油脂]…

习语学习

● I could ask you the same thing 我正想问你（这个问题）呢

大多数英语学习者可能会用I want to ask you the same thing来表示相同的意思，但这个对话中的表达更为婉转。原来，我们非常熟悉的can的过去形式could可以表达愿望，是“想要，真想”的意思，如：I could go with you to the movie. （我真的想跟你一起去看电影。）

● You hit the nail on the head 正中要害，说得好

这是一个英语口语的常用习语，其含义十分形象，正是从生活中锤子正好打在钉头上的效果引申而来，指话说到点子上，击中要害，如：Your comments on the performance really hit the nail on the head. （你关于那场演出的意见真是一针见血。）

Part2 From High School to College 回忆高中岁月

Jack: Whew! The first semester final exams are finally a thing of the past. But I think those late night study sessions[课时]really paid off.

Diane: Tell me about it! These first few months of college have been way harder than high school.

Jack: It’s true. I can’t even remember a time when I had to study so hard.

Diane: Except for those weeks and months leading up to the National College Entrance Exam.

Jack: Of course! That goes without saying. But while I love being in college, I still miss high school sometimes.

Diane: I do too. Especially having our parents around all the time.

Jack: Really? That’s one of the few things I actually don’t miss. Although I do miss my family, of course, I like it much better now.

Diane: How come?

Jack: Now I can sit in my dorm room playing computer games for more than an hour at a time. Mom and dad would never let me play any longer than that.

Diane: I used to feel like I wanted some space away from them, but now I miss the little things more than ever, like my parents’ constant reminders about important stuff I need to do.

Jack: You mean you actually miss their nagging[唠叨]?

Diane: I miss a lot of things. I miss my old friends. While I had this whole support group back home, I haven’t been able to make any friends here. And the girls who I room with are not the ideal bunkmates[同铺的人], with their loud music and incessant[不间断的]chit chatting[闲聊]. It’s so difficult to get my studying done, and my grades have suffered as a result.

Jack: But here at college we have access to a far superior library, and a much faster Internet connection too.

Diane: Ugh, you and your games again.

Jack: Um, a faster Internet is not just for gaming. You can stream movies and shows without any issues.

Diane: Whatever. But you have to admit that nothing compares to your own family’s home cooking. Am I right?

Jack: You’ve got me there. I think I miss my Grandma’s steamed meat buns most of all. The ones around here just aren’t the same. They’re way too chewy[耐嚼的]!

Diane: Yeah, and for me it’s my mom’s rice porridge. The porridge here has fewer spices, and isn’t made with love.

Jack: Although one really awesome thing about being in college, compared to high school, is all the opportunities to broaden your horizons[眼界], with internships[实习机会]and work-study programs, interest groups, clubs, intramural[校内的]sports and other activities.

Diane: That’s right. And it would probably do us a whole lot of good to get out there and take advantage of these great opportunities before it’s too late.

Jack: Eh, what’s the rush? We’ve got three and a half more years left, right?

Diane: That sounds like simple procrastination[拖延]to me. Did you learn nothing in high school?

Jack: Well, apparently, not enough.

口语学习

● Tell me about it：这句话并不是“告诉我吧”的意思，而是表达对他人刚才的话表示赞同，甚至同情。

● That goes without saying：这句话是“不用说，显而易见”的意思，在口语中很常用，通常用以表示说话者赞同他人刚才的话。

● You got me there：在这个表达中，动词get的意思是“驳倒”。双方在讨论问题时，一方用You got me there承认对方有道理，被对方驳倒了。副词there在这里并没有具体意思，只起加强语气的作用，也可省去。当然，表达中的人称代词是可以视具体情况变化的，如：I think he got her.

进行比较的常见用法

在生活中，可比较的人或事范围很广，可以是具体的比较，如事物的大小、高低、好坏等，又如客观事件的比较，也可以是抽象的比较，如人在感觉上、情感上的比较，因此，在表达方式上也有许多不同。

● 形容词或副词的比较级：这是一种最直接的方法，几乎适用于所有情况，但表达比较单一，如这两段对话中的far fewer people than…、way more things to see、way harder than…、a far superior library、a much faster Internet connection等。

● 主观看法：通过表达个人主观看法的方式进行比较，如这两段对话中的I like that tower even better than…、I like it much better等。

● 短语表达：通过一些作比较时常用的短语进行比较, 如这两段对话中的compared to…。

● While的用法：如相比较的人或事不适合用简单的形容词或副词比较级，而需要作具体叙述时，一个包含了while从句的复合句会更合适，这样还可以避免重复用比较级这种简单的方式，如这两段对话中的Guangzhou Metro is just over a decade old, while NYC’s Metro North is closer to a century、while I love being in college, I still miss high school sometimes和While I had this whole support group back home, I haven’t been able to make any friends here等。

● Although的用法：这个表达方式与while的情况很相似，但要注意的是，这时主句与从句之间的比较通常是对立的，如这两段对话中的I like it here, although the big GZ will always be better in my heart和Although I do miss my family, of course, I like it much better now等。