英语语法：140 "Compared to," and "Compared With

Grammar Girl here.
Verbal ambiguity¹ can lead to a range of confusing scenarios². Guest-writer Rob Reinalda explains.
How to Use “Between”
Someone once said, “Between Springfield and St. Louis there’s only one brain surgeon.”
“Oh,” came the puzzled reply. “Do you mean that if you combine all the medical professionals in those two cities, there’s only one brain surgeon?
“Or do you mean that within the territory that one must traverse to pass from one city to the other, there’s only one brain surgeon?”
Turns out, it was the latter--there's only one brain surgeon practicing in the region between Springfield and St. Louis.
As with many words that have multiple interpretations³ or applications, “between” can create confusion.
“Between 2003 and 2004 … ” one might write.  Guess what? There is nothing between 2003 and 2004. There’s not an infinitesimal fragment of time there; it’s one year or the other.
If you use “between 2003 and 2004” construction, you may be trying to describe a time spanning all or part of those two years or you may be trying to contrast one year against the other, and there are better ways to do both.
For example, let's say you want to you want to talk inclusively about 2003 and 2004. You could write “In 2003 and 2004 …” or “From 2003 through 2004 …”
"From 2003 through 2004" is still a bit nebulous, as you’re not specifying⁴ when in 2003 your starting point is. “From the start of 2003 through 2004 …” makes it clear that you mean from the beginning of 2003 through the end of 2004.
If you want to contrast two years, make that clear, too: “In 2004, more than 3,500 bison flew out of the Buffalo⁵ airport, contrasted with 2003, when only 1,900 buffalo took wing.”
How to Use "Compared To" and "Compared With"
As an aside, because “compared to" and "compared with” constructions are so widely—almost zealously—botched, spare yourself.  Use “liken to” and “contrast with,” and you’ll save yourself about a hundred bucks⁶ a year in headache remedies.  However, if you must, here’s the Quick and Dirty Tip:  “Compare to” refers to similarities, and “compare with” indicates considering both similarities and differences (1, 2).
For example, Squiggly could compare a flying bison's take off to that of a Chinook helicopter. When he uses "compare to," he's noting the similarity. On the other hand, Aardvark could compare a bison with a Chinook helicopter to look for clues about how a bison could fly. When he uses "compare with," he's examining both things that are the same between a helicopter and a bison, and things that are different.
Between, the Preposition
Two more notes on “between.” It’s often used as a preposition, and when it is, use the objective case of the pronouns—“ just between you and me,” “that’s between him and her,” “there’s a rift⁷ between them and us.”
"Between" Versus⁸ "Among"
We also recently covered the difference between the words "between" and "among." As a brief review, you often use "between" when you're referring to two individuals or entities⁹ and "among" when you're referring to people or items in a larger group, but it's much more nuanced than that, so if you're interested, refresh your memory.
How to Use the Word “Ranges”
Very often a writer will use a range in mentioning a collection of distinct yet closely related elements: “Contributors range from internal communicators to external communicators to public relations professionals to journalists to bloggers.”  Gee¹⁰, that’s not much of a range, is it?
The Quick and Dirty Tip on using the word “ranges” is this:  Make sure your “range” really spans something.  Imagine that the range is like the one in the song “Home on the Range”—offering a wide, expansive view, of an entire landscape from end to end. Your range can span many things--time, size, the alphabet, a continuum of dress designs throughout the ages.
The totem poles in the display ranged from three feet to four feet tall.
Her hair color over the years had ranged from platinum¹¹ blond to raven¹² black.
If you're describing a collection of things, use the words "as diverse as" or "as varied¹³ as" instead of "range" (3, 4):  His collectibles were as diverse as steam calliopes, odd-shaped persimmons, and Esperanto bartender guides.
"Include" also works. Contributors include internal communicators, journalists, and bloggers. Remember this, though: When you use “include,” don’t list every contributor (or whatever).  Those who are “included” are a subset of the entirety.
 

1 ambiguity   

n.模棱两可；意义不明确

参考例句：

• The telegram was misunderstood because of its ambiguity.由于电文意义不明确而造成了误解。
• Her answer was above all ambiguity.她的回答毫不含糊。

2 scenarios   

n.[意]情节；剧本；事态；脚本

参考例句：

• Further, graphite cores may be safer than non-graphite cores under some accident scenarios. 再者，根据一些事故解说，石墨堆芯可比非石墨堆芯更安全一些。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Again, scenarios should make it clear which modes are acceptable to users in various contexts. 同样，我们可以运用场景剧本来搞清楚在不同情境下哪些模式可被用户接受。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

3 interpretations   

n.解释( interpretation的名词复数 )；表演；演绎；理解

参考例句：

• This passage is open to a variety of interpretations. 这篇文章可以有各种不同的解释。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The involved and abstruse passage makes several interpretations possible. 这段艰涩的文字可以作出好几种解释。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 specifying   

v.指定( specify的现在分词 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性

参考例句：

• When we describe what the action will affect, we are specifying the noun of the sentence. 当描述动作会影响到什么时，我们指定组成句子的名词。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Procurement section only lists opportunistic infection drugs without specifying which drugs. 采购部分只说明有治疗机会性感染的药物，但并没有说明是什么药物。 来自互联网

5 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

6 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

8 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

9 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

10 gee   

n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转

参考例句：

• Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。
• Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇！我们会赚好多钱啦！

11 platinum   

n.白金

参考例句：

• I'll give her a platinum ring.我打算送给她一枚白金戒指。
• Platinum exceeds gold in value.白金的价值高于黄金。

12 raven   

n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的

参考例句：

• We know the raven will never leave the man's room.我们知道了乌鸦再也不会离开那个男人的房间。
• Her charming face was framed with raven hair.她迷人的脸上垂落着乌亮的黑发。

13 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。