两种基本方法

3.2　两种基本方法

要进行比较，首要条件是所比较的事物一定要有某种关联，这样的比较才能进行或有意义。根据这一点，对比比较的方法一般有两种。

3.2.1　事物与事物整体对比( subject-by-subject)

以对比的事物为基础，先处理A事物的全部相应对比点，然后再处理B事物的全部相应对比点。整篇文章分两大部分。它的正文基本结构是:

A事物的情况:

Point 1

Point 2

Point 3

B事物的情况:

Point 1

Point 2

Point 3

请看一篇以乘火车旅游与乘飞机旅游作对比的文章。

Travelling by train

1.speed

2.expense

3.safety

4.comfort

Travelling by air

1.speed

2.expense

3.safety

4.comfort

下面一篇范文被采用的是事物与事物的整体对比手法。

Task 27

You are allowed 40 minutes to write an essay about 250 words on the following topic.

There are three popular forms of transportation when people consider traveling long distances.They are trains，buses and planes.

Which form do you prefer? Give reasons to illustrate your choice.

Sample Answer

Forms of Transportation

1)People travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land，sea，or air.Despite the fact most of people choose to travel by train or bus，the most popular forms of transport in China，I like to go by air.(点出要比较的交通工具，表明自己的选择是飞机)

2)Hardly anyone can positively enjoy sitting in a train for more than 10 hours.(主题句)Though the price is reasonable，I can't bear the notorious condition that train compartments often get cramped and stuffy.Reading or talking to your seatmates are only a partial solution，for the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rail soon lulls you to sleep.(首先讨论乘火车:其优点是廉价，但缺点是不舒服，时间长)

3)Long bus journeys are even less pleasant，for it is quite impossible even to read.(主题句)Though you can travel fairly safely at high speeds since highways are built，the greater part of the journey is still spent on the narrow， bumpy roads which are crowded with traffic.Like the train journey， you arrive at your destination almost exhausted.(其次讨论乘长途汽车，其缺点同样是不舒服，耗时间)

4)Nothing can match airplanes for speed and comfort though they have the reputation of being dangerous ( in fact， the accident rate is much lower than travelling by train and bus).For a couple of hours you sit in a deep armchair to enjoy an exhilarating experience: the extraordinary sight of mountains and deep valleys below，of unbroken clouds with the sun shining brilliantly above.The journey is so smooth and fast that you arrive at the destination before you know where you are.(最后谈论飞机，其优点是速度快又舒服)

5)True，airplanes have the grave disadvantage of being the most expensive form of transport.But nothing is precious than time.Not only does the flight take you only a few hours，but you arrive fresh and uncrumpled.You won't have to spend the next day recovering from a long and arduous journey like travelling by train and bus.(承认飞机出游的缺点是价格昂贵，但通过对时间的看法，进一步说明乘飞机的好处)

闪光点:

1.具体描写: train compartments often get cramped and stuffy， the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rail， the narrow，bumpy roads，mountains and deep valleys below，of unbroken clouds with the sun shining brilliantly above (在描写某事物优缺点时，用具体的形象词，往往给人以深刻的印象)

2.句型变化: You arrive at your destination almost exhausted， you arrive fresh and uncrumpled.(补语)Nothing can match airplanes for speed and comfort， nothing is precious than time.(否定词开头)

我们可以看到，这是一篇倾向性的比较文。有倾向性的比较，就要有详写和略写。哪些要写，哪些不写，哪些详写，哪些略写取决于作者的观点、态度，一般采用事物的整体比较。在事物整体比较中，有些对应点可以大说特说，有些对应点可以略带一笔，有些对应点甚至可以不提。如上面这篇文章都围绕速度、价格、安全、舒适来比较。先说火车，其次汽车，最后飞机，但不是每一个交通工具都提到这些因素。如说到乘火车时只提到价格优点，突出它的不舒适。谈论汽车时也只突出它使乘客不舒适。谈到飞机时主要突出它的速度和舒适。安全、价格只是一笔带过，即使价钱贵这一主要缺点，在作者的笔下也变成了优势:最昂贵的是时间，节约时间就是最大的便宜。这样安排充分体现了作者鲜明的观点。

三个事物之间的比较是如此，两个事物的比较也如此。比如下面一篇文章，也是倾向性的比较，因此用一整段来全部分析城市生活的缺点，用两段来专门阐述市郊生活的优点。而且在谈到城市生活时只用了一个短语抽象地提了一下其优点，其余的则具体描写其缺点。然而说到市郊生活时，全部阐述其优点，没有一句缺点方面的描述。

Task 28

You are allowed 40 minutes to write an essay about 250 words on the following topic.

There is a tendency to buy houses in the suburbs.Why do people tend to move out of the city center? What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in the city center and in the suburbs?

Sample Answer

Where to Buy Houses

1)In the last few years city dwellers have begun to choose to live in the suburbs.It is estimated that by the year 2004，nearly one thirds of people in Shanghai will buy houses in the less heavily populated areas at the edge of the city.Why is there a change in the attitudes towards the central city ? What's the advantages of living in the suburbs? (用数据引出许多城市人到郊区买房子的倾向。为什么?为倾向性的比较作好准备)

2)It is obvious that living in the city center is becoming less attractive(主题句).For one thing，the soaring prices of housing in the city centers force more and more people to move to the periphery.For another，the city centers—now full of petrol fumes and toxic gases，and torn by the roar of buses and lorries—are increasingly perceived as among the least desirable areas to live in despite the social and cultural advantages city life can offer.(揭示人们不愿住市中心的原因:房价高，环境污染)

3)On the other hand，suburbs are no longer suburbs in a traditional sense.(过渡句)These areas have combined advantages of both urban and rural living，and have blurred the dividing line between city and countryside.(这一段和下一段的主题句)The obvious advantage is still there: living in the suburban rings one can fulfill the desire to be closer to nature，to enjoy the clean air and a quiet，peaceful life，and to be free of the limitations imposed by overcrowding.(转向市郊生活的优点:首先是空气新鲜，其次是接近自然)

4)And what is significant now is that all these can be enjoyed with no old worries about inconvenience.For highways and subways have been constructed to make travel from suburb to city much easier.The provision of social services such as supermarkets and big hospitals has been extended too.The result is that living in a suburb is nearly as convenient as living in a city.(同时享受市中心生活的各种便利)

5)As many of urban dwellers have moved to the suburban rings in search of cleaner air， greater privacy and a higher quality of life， a new pattern of urban living has emerged in most big cities.With the growing evidence of its superiority over city life， it will gain more and more popularity among city dwellers.(预测市郊生活会更加繁荣)

闪光点:

1.用词变化: suburb—the periphery—the suburban rings—the less heavily populated areas at the edge of the city，the central city—the city center，city dweller—urban dweller

2.名词化: provision…has been extended，gain more and more popularity among city dwellers

3.词汇亮点: increasingly perceived as， superiority over city life，gain popularity， combined advantages，blur the dividing line，fulfill the desire，be free of， imposed by， in search of，emerge

4.2.2　事物中各点之间进行对比( point-by-point)

这种对比是以对比点为基础的。先讨论A和B事物之间在第一个相应点上的异同，然后再比较它们在第二个相应点上的异同，依次类推，直到所有点都比较完毕。其基本结构如下:

Point 1 ( A事物)

Point 1 ( B事物)

Point 2 ( A事物)

Point 2 ( B事物)

Point 3 ( A事物)

Point 3 ( B事物)

例如:同样是关于火车旅游与飞机旅游对比的文章，也可以这样安排。

Speed

Travelling by train

Travelling by air

Expense

Travelling by train

Travelling by air

Safety

Travelling by train

Travelling by air

Comfort

Travelling by train

Travelling by air

下面我们来看一篇采用事物中各点之间对比法的范文。

Task 29

You are allowed 40 minutes to write an essay about 250 words on the following topic.

Chinese children are different in several ways from American children.

What characteristics of children of the two nations.Tell the difference between them.

Sample Answer

Chinese Children and American Children

1)All young children，whatever their culture，are alike in their charm and innocence—in being a clean slate on which the wonders and ways of the world are yet to be written.But during the years I study in a college near Chicago，I learned that American and Chinese children are different in several ways.(引出要比较的主题:美国小孩和中国小孩)

2)First，young American children tend to be active，enthusiastic and direct.They express themselves openly whatever they want to say.Chinese children，on the other hand，tend to be passive，quiet and to beat around the bush when voicing their demand.They usually wait to be asked and are lacking in initiative spirit.(美国孩子主动，直率;中国孩子被动，婉转)

3)Second，American children show their independence.They pride themselves on making their own decision and being responsible for it.Their Chinese counterparts，however，are still looking to their parents and grandparents to tell them what to do in terms of which school they should select and which job they should accept.(美国孩子独立性强，中国孩子依赖性强)

4)Third，American children tend to more self-reliant.They are taught to believe that money is earned not given.They buy things with their own money.Every piece of housework—washing the dishes and mow the lawn—has a price.But their Chinese counterparts don't have any knowledge of earning money through housework.They take it for granted that their parents will pay for anything they fancy.(美国孩子做家务为了钱，中国孩子没有做家务挣钱的观念)

5)Children who grow up in a particular culture share certain values and assumptions.It is not surprising that in a society where individualism and self-reliance are stressed，children behave more confidently and independently， while in a culture which places the value on respectfulness and moderation， children are more quiet and passive.(最后归纳:中美两国的孩子多方面的不同反映了两国价值观念的不同)

闪光点:

1.修辞比喻: in being a clean slate on which the wonders and ways of the world are yet to be written

2.用词变化: Chinese children—Chinese counterparts，stress—place the value，express—voice

3.词汇亮点: take the initiative，pride oneself on，in terms of

这篇文章并非要评判谁是谁非，而是要求真实全面地反映情况，因此采用了事物之间各相应点的比较方法更好地达到目的。在待人接物方面，一方较直率，一方较婉转;在独立方面，一方靠自己，一方靠父母;在金钱方面，一方是靠自己挣，一方是靠父母给，这样，作者把中美两国孩子的情况介绍得一清二楚。

当然，事物各点之间对比法也可用在倾向性比较文章中。如下面一篇文章，选择小公司工作通过三方面的比较: ( 1)大公司名声响，但一位员工只是一个大机器里的一个小螺丝;小公司名声不大，但工作挑战性强。( 2)大公司里岗位严格，然而不一定能学到很多东西，而小公司比较灵活，涉及的面也广。( 3)大公司虽然工资高，但相对压力也大，小公司环境反而比较宽松。

Task 30

College graduates tend to choose big companies.But there are some who like to work in a smaller company.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in the big and small companies?

What is your choice if you are a college graduate?

Sample Answer

Big Company or Small Company

1)There is a tendency for college graduates to choose big，worldknown companies.It is understandable because working for such a company will provide you with both status and pride，and，because of your association with it，your families and friends will think of you more highly，assuming you are more competent with promising future.Despite the advantage， I will choose to work in a small companies.(作者在第一段中提出了大学毕业生首选大公司的现象及其原因，紧接着提出了自己的看法)

2)It is true that working in a big，famous company，you may enjoy its prestige and glory.But this illusion won't compensate for the fact that many capable persons end up working as a cog in a big machine.Their job is fixed and monotonous.In a small companies，however，you will feel more responsible and excited.You will have more decisions to make，and can see the effect of your work and of your decision right away.(一开头作者就承认大公司的诱人之处，但指出其工作单一，员工只不过是大机器中的一个小齿轮，而小公司的工作更有责任感)

3)In a large company you don't have chances to acquire more skills nor much experience as you tend to be limited to one procedure and taught one thing only.On the contrary，the situation will be different in a small or middle-size business.As you are normally exposed to all kinds of experiences and expected to do more things than in a large company，your ability to work in an corporate organization is fully developed.(由于岗位的限制，员工在大公司里学到的东西不多，而在小公司里接触的东西就多得多了)

4)Admittedly，you may enjoy higher salaries and more fringe benefits a big company offers.But work is demanding and competitive.The constant need to prove that you are as good as or better than your fellow-competitors creates constant anxiety and stress.In a small organization，however，you won't feel such a pressure.Your salary may be a little bit lower，but you work comfortably and feel at ease.(在大公司里工作工资可能高一些，但竞争也相当激烈，而在小公司里的压力一般就没有那么大)

5)In the beginning of one's career，what really counts is not fame nor money but experience and skills.If you want to be an excellent manager or successful entrepreneur in your future career，working in small companies will provide you more opportunities.(最后综述在小公司工作的真正目的)

闪亮点:

1.修饰比喻:把大公司比喻成大机器，雇员在其中不过是一个

小齿轮end up working as a cog in a big machine

2.重复强调: The constant need to prove that you are as good as or better than your fellow-competitors creates constant anxiety and stress.

3.平行同义: prestige and glory，demanding and competitive，

fixed and monotonous，stress and anxiety，experience and skills，be limited to one procedure and taught one thing only

4.用词变化: company—organization—business—enterprise，manager—entrepreneur， stress—pressure

5.词汇亮点: compensate for，exposed to，limited to，end up，association with，what really counts

3.2.3　混合型

比较的方法多种多样，当然不仅仅局限于上面两种比较。比如下面一篇文章，作者把这两种比较法结合了起来。首先用整个一段讨论老弱生病的父母和成人子女住在一起的好处，好像是事物与事物的整体对比。但随后在接下去的两段中，作者运用对应点对比，具体通过身体上和精神上两个相应点的比较，来阐述老弱生病的父母住在养老院要比和成年子女住在一起好得多。

Task 31

You are allowed 40 minutes to write an essay about 250 words on the following topic.

There is a tendency among adult couples to send their parents to the nursing home when they are old and sick，which can be seen in the graph.But still others select to continue living with them.

Which do you prefer? Give your reasons to illustrate your choice.

Percentage of Old People Living in the Nursing Home in Shanghai

Sample Answer

Where Old Sick People Go

1)It is a traditional custom for Chinese old，sick people to live with their children and their grandchildren.In this way the young people can express their gratefulness and show respect for them.But in the recent decades，the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction.According to a survey conducted in Shanghai alone in 2001，nearly 52 percent of the old and sick parents were placed in the nursing homes.Although many people frown on it，I don't think it is a bad tendency.(用数据引出主题:越来越多的病弱老人住进养老院。同时又提出看法:尽管不少人反对，但这并不一定是坏事)

2)It is true that the young have the duty to take care of their parents，especially when they are old and sick.After a lifetime of hard work and the toil of bringing up and fostering children，our elders deserve the care the young extend to them.On the other hand，younger people can benefit from the experience and wisdom of older people who live with them on a daily basis.(首先承认让老人住在家里，得到家人的照料有一定道理和好处)

3)But for the sake of their health，old and sick people are better off being placed in nursing homes.For there they can receive better service and more intensive care of the professional nurses.On the contrary，living in the home they often can't be taken proper care of as their adult children are often too busy with their own families and their work to give adequate time to them.Since it is a common practice for families to hire a babysitter for them，why not send them to the nursing home with a little more money? (通过对比认为养老院的生活对老人的健康更有益)

4)Most importantly they will be much happier there than at home.As their adult children go to work and grandchildren to school during the day，they have to spend most of the time with themselves.But in nursing homes for the elderly they won't suffer such boredom and loneliness.They can have people of their age to talk and play all day.(通过对比说明老人住在养老院里，其精神也许更愉快)

5)To send the old and sick to the nursing home is something like to send your baby to the kindergarten.It can reduce the adults' burden and worries about their old and sick parents.It is not an act of abandonment，but a sign of love.(归纳总结，进一步说明老人住养老院的好处)

闪光点:

1.修辞比喻:用钟摆比喻从一种倾向转到另一种倾向the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction

2.平行排比: express their gratefulness and show respect for them， a lifetime of hard work and the toil of bringing up，experience and wisdom，boredom and loneliness，burden and worries，it is not an act of abandonment，but a sign of love

3.词汇亮点: frown on，fostering，extend the care to，on a daily basis，reduce the adults' burden

再看下面一篇文章，其内容是有关现代技术和传统文化。作者所列举的三个例子也是用的比较法:电脑与笔写，微波炉与手工烹调，电话与写信之间的比较。

Task 32

You are allowed 40 minutes to write an essay about 250 words on the following topic.

It is inevitable that as modern technology develops，traditional culture is in the danger of being lost.

What do you prefer if you are forced to make a choice?

Sample Answer

Modern Technology Vs.Traditional Culture

1)It is an undeniable fact that the advance of science and technology has brought great benefits to people.But when I'm enjoying the convenience and comfort of telephones，computers and microwaves，I miss very much our traditional culture whose loss is too high a price to pay.(文章一开始就表明看法:虽然现代技术带来许多方便和舒适，但对传统文化的丢失似乎代价太高)

2)True， a computer makes my work more efficient and easier.For this reason I use my computer to write books and essays.But it always gives me a feeling of inadequacy and nervousness.What if I press the wrong key? What if something goes wrong? But writing with pens has never produced such a strange，awkward feeling.(承认电脑的效率，但同时感到有压力，而书写就没有这种压力)

3)I have a microwave.It really saves my mother's time.Throw the frozen or prepared food into it，and you will have a dinner within a few minutes.But I won't have the delicious food cooked by my mother any more.Gone forever are not only the traditional cooking，but the laughing and talking in the kitchen where I had a wonderful time when helping my mother peeling vegetables.(认为使用微波炉方便，但失去了传统的厨房烹调的乐趣)

4)I can't imagine what my life would be if I had no telephone.In terms of communication，it is directer and faster.But I have developed the habit of keeping my message as short as possible.Time is money and I couldn't offer a long talk.I miss the time when I took time in carefully organizing my ideas and writing as long as I like.It makes me feel relaxed and avoid the embarrassment of talking directly.I can conceive of the most beautiful and subtle language and express my inner feeling to the full.(承认电话的迅速直接，但书信更能从容表达思想)

5)I welcome the development of science and technology.I welcome new innovations and machines.But I hate the fact that man is more and more dependent on them to a point where we have become their slaves.I treasure traditional culture，for it embodies the very customs and values that sustain our friendship，family and spiritual life.(最后归纳总结，进一步说明传统文化的优越性)

闪亮点:

1.句型变化: Gone forever are not only the traditional cooking.(倒装句)Throw the frozen or prepared food into it.(祈使句)What if I press the wrong key? What if something goes wrong?(平行排比)

2.词汇亮点: pay a price，take time，embody the value，sustain our friendship，conceive of，express my inner feeling to the full

以上两种方法运用哪种更好，应当视具体情况而定(比如文章的长短，写作的目的等等)。在五段作文模式中如果文章要作平衡性比较的话，作者应用事物之间各点作比较。如果是倾向性比较，应采取事物与事物整体对比比较。