compare、compare to、compare with与contrast这些动词（短语）均含“比较”之意。
compare : 侧重比较两个或更多东西的异同优劣，强调相同或类似之处。
- If you compare house prices in the two areas, it's quite amazing how different they are.
如果比较一下两个地段的房价，你会惊讶地发现它们的差别竟如此之大。 - That seems expensive - have you compared prices in other shops?
那好像很贵——你有没有比较一下其他店里的价格？
compare to : 指两物有类似或相似之处，从而“把（一物）比作（另一物）。”
- The poet compares his lover's tongue to a razor blade.
诗人把他恋人的舌头比作剃须刀刀片。 - Still only 25, she has been compared to the greatest dancer of all time.
她才25岁就被誉为有史以来最伟大的舞蹈家。
compare with : 指“把……用……作比较”以便找出差异或好坏。
- Compare some recent work with your older stuff and you'll see how much you've improved.
把你近来的作品与以前的对照一下，你就会知道你的进步有多大。 - Children seem to learn more interesting things compared to/with when we were at school.
与我们上学时相比，孩子们现在学的有趣的东西似乎更多一些。
contrast : 指比较两个或更多东西之间的差异，侧重不同点。
- If you contrast some of her early writing with her later work, you can see just how much she improved.
如果你对比一下她的早期作品和后期的作品，就会看出她进步有多大。
