英语短语 "weigh…against" 的核心含义是 "权衡;把…与…作比较(以评估重要性、利弊或做出决定)",强调在两个或多个因素/选项之间进行利弊权衡或价值对比,通常用于做决策前的理性分析。
短语的常见搭配是 "weigh A against B",其中:
A:被权衡的主要对象(如选择、成本、愿望等);
B:用来对比的参照对象(如另一个选择、收益、责任等)。
通过具体场景理解其用法:
1、 权衡利弊(最常见)
Before quitting your job, you should weigh the risks against the rewards.
(辞职前,你应该权衡风险与回报。)
注:"pros and cons"(利弊)是常见搭配,可替换为 "weigh the pros against the cons"(权衡利弊)。
2、 比较选择/选项
When buying a car, I weighed the fuel efficiency against the price.
(买车时,我权衡了燃油效率与价格。)
She weighed the job offer in New York against her current position in London.
(她把纽约的工作offer和伦敦的现有职位作了比较。)
3、 平衡愿望与责任
He weighed his desire to travel against his obligation to care for his elderly parents.
(他权衡了自己旅行的愿望和照顾年迈父母的责任。)
4、 评估得失(被动用法)
The potential benefits of the project are being weighed against its environmental impact.
(项目的潜在收益正与它对环境的影响作权衡。)
1、 介词固定性:
"against" 是短语的核心介词,不可替换为 "with" 或 "to"(错误:weigh A with B;正确:weigh A against B)。
2、 与 "weigh up" 的区别:
"weigh…against" 侧重两者之间的对比(有明确的参照对象B);
"weigh up" 侧重单独对某事物的全面评估(无明确参照,如 "weigh up the options" 意为“仔细考虑选项”)。
例:
Let's weigh up whether to go abroad.(我们先全面考虑要不要出国。)
Let's weigh going abroad against staying in China.(我们把出国和留在中国作比较。)
3、 主语的灵活性:
通常由人作主语(主动权衡),但也可用于物作主语(被动表达“被权衡”),如上述被动例句。
"weigh…against" 是表达理性决策的高频短语,核心是“将A与B放在天平上比较”,帮助说话者或听者明确“取舍的依据”。掌握其结构和场景,就能准确用于讨论选择、利弊、得失等话题。