contrast
contrast — 名詞
1. A noticeable difference that appears when you compare people, objects, or ideas
對比；差異
兩個或多個事物間的明顯不同
A noticeable difference that appears when you compare people, objects, or ideas directly.
There is a striking contrast between Pim's relaxed teaching style and his brother's strict methods.
Pim 輕鬆的教學風格和他哥哥嚴格的方法之間有著驚人的對比。
contrast + between + noun + and + noun
Iris prefers working outdoors, a sharp contrast to her sister who likes office jobs.
Iris 喜歡在戶外工作，和喜歡坐辦公室的妹妹形成鮮明對比。
contrast + to + noun
The contrast between the old neighborhood and the new shopping district surprised the visitors.
老社區與新購物區之間的差異讓遊客們感到驚訝。
Christopher's old apartment was tiny; by contrast, his new house feels huge and open.
Christopher 的舊公寓很小；相比之下，他的新房子感覺寬敞又開闊。
- difference
more general; contrast implies a difference that stands out when things are compared directly
- distinction
focuses on a fine or subtle separating feature rather than a broad opposition
- disparity
suggests inequality or unfair imbalance, e.g. wealth disparity
- similarity
shared qualities between two things
文法句型
contrast + between + noun + and + noun
contrast + of + noun
contrast + to + noun
用法筆記
Often paired with adjectives like 'striking', 'sharp', 'marked', or 'clear' before the word. 'In contrast to' and 'by contrast' are common fixed phrases used to introduce a comparison.
常見錯誤
2. The level of separation between bright and shadowed parts of an image, whether o
對比度
影像中明暗區域的差異程度
The level of separation between bright and shadowed parts of an image, whether on a screen, in a photo, or in a painting.
Ryo raised the contrast on his screen to make the small text easier to read.
Ryo 調高了螢幕的對比度，讓小字更容易閱讀。
contrast + on + [device]
The photographer raised the contrast so the white flowers stood out against the dark background.
攝影師提高了對比度，讓白色花朵在深色背景中更加突出。
Old films often have lower contrast than modern digital movies, giving them a softer look.
老電影的對比度通常比現代數位電影低，因此畫面看起來比較柔和。
Andrei set the screen contrast to maximum so that the night scenes looked more realistic.
Andrei 把螢幕對比度調到最高，讓夜景畫面看起來更逼真。
- brightness range
a more technical term for the span between lightest and darkest tones
- tonal range
broader term covering all shades between black and white
文法句型
contrast + of + noun
high/low contrast
用法筆記
Used as an uncountable noun in photography and design contexts. Can be modified with 'high' or 'low' to describe the degree of separation between light and dark.
常見錯誤
contrast — 動詞
1. To examine two or more things side by side and point out what makes them differe
對照；對比
比較兩者以看出差異
To examine two or more things side by side and point out what makes them different from each other.
The article contrasts the school systems in Japan and Finland.
這篇文章對照了日本和芬蘭的學校制度。
contrast + noun + and + noun
Contrast Faisal's early stories with his recent novel to see how his style matured.
把 Faisal 早期的短篇小說和他近期的長篇小說對照看看，就能看出他的寫作風格成熟了多少。
contrast + noun + with + noun
Historians often contrast the political ideas of ancient Greece with those of ancient Rome.
歷史學家常把古希臘的政治思想和古羅馬的政治思想放在一起對照。
The documentary contrasts life in a small fishing village with city living.
這部紀錄片將小漁村的生活和都市生活做了對照。
- compare
more general; 'compare' can look for both similarities and differences, while 'contrast' focuses on differences
- set against
places one thing next to another for comparison, often in a narrative
- liken
to point out similarities rather than differences
文法句型
contrast + noun + with/and + noun
用法筆記
Typically used in the pattern 'contrast X with Y' or 'contrast X and Y.' The focus is on deliberate comparison to highlight differences, unlike 'compare' which can also look for similarities.
常見錯誤
2. When one person or thing is clearly different from another, especially in a way
截然不同
與另一事物明顯不同
When one person or thing is clearly different from another, especially in a way that is easy to notice.
Bilal's calm voice contrasted sharply with the loud shouting from the crowd all around him.
Bilal 平靜的聲音與周圍人群的喧鬧叫喊形成了鮮明的對比。
contrast sharply with
The bright red flowers contrasted beautifully with the green leaves in the garden.
鮮紅的花朵與花園中的綠葉形成美麗的對比。
Rafael's modern style contrasts strongly with the classical works in other rooms of the gallery.
Rafael 的現代繪畫風格與畫廊其他展廳中展示的古典作品形成強烈對比。
Andrei's quiet personality contrasts with his brother Christopher's outgoing nature.
Andrei 安靜的個性和他哥哥 Christopher 外向的性情形成對比。
- differ from
more general and less formal; does not imply the difference is striking
- stand out against
emphasises visibility against a background rather than simple difference
文法句型
contrast with + noun
contrast + adverb + with
用法筆記
Cannot take a direct object. The pattern is always 'X contrasts with Y.' Adverbs such as 'sharply', 'strongly', 'strikingly', and 'clearly' are commonly placed before 'contrasts' to intensify the difference.