理解 “Compare Apples And Oranges”：一个重要的英语习语
你有没有听过 "Compare Apples And Oranges" 这个短语，并且好奇它真正的含义？这个常见的英语习语是表达一种特定推理错误的绝佳工具。作为英语学习者，理解这些习语表达有助于让你说起来更自然，也能更轻松理解母语者的表达。学会辨别何时某个对比属于 compare apples and oranges，将大大提升你的英语批判性思维和沟通能力。在这篇文章中，我们将探讨它的含义、用法、常见错误，并举例说明，帮助你掌握这个生动的表达。
目录
- “Compare Apples And Oranges”是什么意思？
- 什么时候该用“Compare Apples And Oranges”？
- “Compare Apples And Oranges”怎么用？
- 同义词和相关表达
- 英语对话示例
- 练习时间！
- 结论：避免错误的对比
“Compare Apples And Oranges”是什么意思？
表达 "compare apples and oranges" 指的是对比两种（或两组）本质上完全不同的事物，导致这种直接比较是无效的、不公平的或不合逻辑的。当你说某人 comparing apples and oranges，你就是在指出他们的对比没有意义，因为这些事物没有共同的评价基础。
字面来看：苹果和橙子都是水果，但味道、口感、营养成分、种植条件都不同。如果有人问你“苹果和橙子哪个更好？”你的答案很可能取决于你选择的标准（口味偏好、维生素C含量、易剥皮程度等）。这个习语正是表达如果没有具体的评价标准，这种对比往往毫无意义，或者说用同一标准对完全不同的东西评判是不可行的。
閱讀更多: 理解习语Come Up Short：含义、用法与英文对话全攻略
什么时候该用“Compare Apples And Oranges”？
你应该在非正式和半正式的语境下主要使用 "compare apples and oranges" 这个习语。它非常适合日常对话、讨论、辩论，或非正式写作（如博客、邮件），当你想指出某人做出的对比存在问题时。这也是一种委婉表达，表明你不同意某个对比的前提。
例如，如果有人试着把一位古典钢琴家的技能与一位爵士吉他手直接等量齐观，你可能会说：“他们当然都是音乐家，但风格和所需的技能差别太大了；你这是 comparing apples and oranges。”
不适用场合： 虽然这个概念非常普遍，但习语本身在正式的学术论文或严肃官方报告里可能有些不够正式。在这样的场合，你可能会更直接地表达类似意思，比如说：“二者并不具有可比性，”或者“由于性质上的根本不同，这构成了无效的对比。”
常见错误： 以下是一些学习者在使用这个习语时常犯的错误及纠正方法：
| 常见错误 | 为什么错 / 说明 | 正确用法 / 如何改正 |
|---|---|---|
| "He compared apples to oranges."（介词错误） | 虽然能理解，但固定短语是 "compare apples and oranges." | 始终使用标准表达方式：“That's like trying to compare apples and oranges.” |
| 当对比对象实际上很相似时用这个习语。 | 这个习语专门用于本质上不同、不具备对比意义的事物。 | 只在对象差异太大、不适合比较时用。例如：不应用在两款非常相似的智能手机上。 |
| 以为是选择两个同样好的选项。 | 真正含义是强调这种对比不成立或不合逻辑。 | 只用于批评对比成立理由不充分，而不是单纯表达“各有千秋”。 |
| "It's like comparing an apple with an orange."（单数） | 标准结构是“apples and oranges”（复数）。 | 保持复数表达："You're comparing apples and oranges." |
閱讀更多: 掌握英语成语：理解 Come To Terms With 的情感接受与应对变化指南
“Compare Apples And Oranges”怎么用？
习语 "compare apples and oranges" 作为动词短语出现，常常跟在 "it's like..."、"that's like..."、"you are..." 或 "to... is to..." 之后。它用来描述某人做出不公平或不合逻辑的对比。
以下是几个例子：
- "Trying to say that a dog is a 'better' pet than a cat without considering individual preferences and lifestyles is like trying to compare apples and oranges."
- "You can't evaluate the success of a community project solely on profit metrics used for a business; you'd be comparing apples and oranges."
最常见的句型结构：
| 句型结构 | "Compare Apples And Oranges" 示例句 | 简要说明 |
|---|---|---|
| 主语 + 动词 + like + comparing apples and oranges. | "Saying this small startup should have the same resources as Google is like comparing apples and oranges." | 常见用法，引出错误对比 |
| You are / They are / One is + comparing apples and oranges. | "If you judge my painting by the rules of photography, you're comparing apples and oranges." | 直接指出对比有误 |
| To compare apples and oranges is/would be... | "To compare apples and oranges by saying a bicycle is 'worse' than a car for all travel is a mistake." | 用作句子的主语或部分主语 |
| Stop / Don't / Avoid + comparing apples and oranges. | "Their roles are completely different, so please stop comparing apples and oranges." | 命令句、请求句等场景使用 |
| That's (just) comparing apples and oranges. | "Assessing a poem based on its word count like a novel? That's just comparing apples and oranges." | 简明扼要地否定错误对比 |
掌握这些句型结构能让你更自然、自信地用好这个英语习语。
閱讀更多: 了解 Come Hell Or High Water：强大英语习语的用法、含义和例句指南
同义词和相关表达
虽然 "compare apples and oranges" 很有特色，但还有其他英语表达可以反映类似“差异、对比、推理有误”等相关概念。理解它们会让你的表达更丰富。
下表列举了一些相关表达并进行比较：
| 同义词/相关表达 | 语气/正式度等细微区别 | 示例句 |
|---|---|---|
| Like chalk and cheese（英式口语） | 非常口语化；强调两人或两物完全不同，没有任何共同之处。 | "My two brothers are like chalk and cheese; one is an artist, and the other is an engineer." |
| Night and day | 口语化；强调两者之间的鲜明差异或天壤之别。 | "The old software and the new version are like night and day in terms of user experience." |
| Worlds apart | 半正式到口语；强调观点、生活方式或特点上有极大差异。 | "Despite being twins, their political views are worlds apart." |
| Not in the same league/category | 半正式到口语；说明一者远超/远逊于另一者，无法公平比较。 | "You can't compare a beginner's work to a professional's; they're not in the same league." |
| Invalid comparison | 正式；直截了当地说明这种比较不具逻辑性。 | "The report's conclusion was dismissed because it was based on an invalid comparison of the data sets." |
| Apples to apples comparison | 反义表达；表示在相似对象间进行公平对比。 | "To make an apples to apples comparison, we need to look at cars in the same price range." |
有些表达，比如“chalk and cheese”或“night and day”，更多侧重于差异的程度，而不是像 "compare apples and oranges" 那样专注于“对比行为本身的不合理性”。
英语对话示例
来看看 "compare apples and oranges" 在日常对话中的用法：
对话1：选择度假方式
- Sarah: "I can't decide between a relaxing beach holiday in Bali or an adventurous trekking trip in Nepal. Which one do you think is better?"
- Mark: "Hmm, that's a tough one because they offer completely different experiences. One is about relaxation and sun, the other about challenge and mountains. Trying to say which is 'better' overall is like comparing apples and oranges, isn't it? It really depends on what kind of holiday you're looking for right now."
- Sarah: "You're right. I need to think about what I want from this vacation first."
对话2：讨论电影
- Liam: "I thought that new action movie was way better than the historical drama we saw last week. The drama was so slow!"
- Chloe: "I see your point if you're looking for excitement, but they are very different genres aiming to do different things. The drama focused on character development and historical accuracy, while the action movie was all about thrills. You're kind of comparing apples and oranges."
- Liam: "Fair enough. I guess I just prefer fast-paced movies."
对话3：企业战略讨论
- Manager: "Team A launched their product in three months, while Team B is taking six months for a similar product. Team B needs to speed up!"
- Team Lead (Team B): "With all due respect, the 'similar' product Team A launched had a much smaller scope and fewer regulatory hurdles. Our product involves new technology and extensive compliance checks. I think we might be comparing apples and oranges if we only look at the timeline without considering the complexity."
- Manager: "Okay, let's look at the specifics of each project then."
练习时间！
准备好测试一下你对 "compare apples and oranges" 理解和运用了吗？来试试这些有趣的练习吧！
1. 快速小测！
选择下列句子/选项中，"compare apples and oranges" 正确的含义或用法：
Question 1: When someone says you are "comparing apples and oranges," they mean:
- a) You are making a very fair and logical comparison.
- b) You are comparing two things that are too different to be compared directly.
- c) You have found two things that are almost identical.
Question 2: "You can't say a short story is 'less valuable' than a novel just because it's shorter. That's ______."
- a) hitting the nail on the head
- b) comparing apples and oranges
- c) a bird in the hand
Question 3: Which situation best illustrates comparing apples and oranges?
- a) Comparing two different brands of orange juice based on price and taste.
- b) Comparing the career of a doctor to that of a musician to decide which is 'superior'.
- c) Comparing your current salary to your previous salary in the same role.
(Answers: 1-b, 2-b, 3-b)
2. 习语搭配游戏（迷你游戏）：
将A栏开头与B栏结尾正确配对，组成含有对比不同事物概念的完整句子。
| A栏（开头） | B栏（结尾） |
|---|---|
| 1. Trying to decide if a fish or a bird makes a 'better' pet overall is | a) you're basically comparing apples and oranges. |
| 2. If you assess a software engineer on their painting skills, | b) like comparing apples and oranges. |
| 3. Judging a historical documentary by the standards of a fantasy movie is | c) an example of comparing apples and oranges. |
(Answers: 1-b, 2-a, 3-c)
结论：避免错误的对比
学会使用 "compare apples and oranges" 这样的表达，不仅扩展你的词汇，还能提高你的批判性思维和表达的精准度。当你能辨识并清晰指出某种对比为何成立不足时，你展现出对话题更深的理解，同时你的英语也会听起来更加流利自然。
这个习语是温和指出讨论中逻辑失误的好方法，能促进思考更清晰。它提醒我们，并非所有事物都应该被用同一尺子衡量。把这个表达加入你的会话工具箱，你将在英语交流和深入讨论中更加自如。
你最近有没有遇到或者听到有人在 comparing apples and oranges 的情景？欢迎在评论区分享你的经历！
