我们先从两者的定义入手来看两者的区别.Compare的定义为：to examine people or things to see how they are similar or different.Contrast的定义为：to compare two or more things to show the difference between them.由定义不难看出前者侧重于找到两个或多个事物的异同,而后者则侧重于它们的不同.
看个例句：
It is interesting to compare their situations to ours./It is interesting to contrast their situations to ours.
前一句翻译为：对比一下我们的情况与他们的情况会很有趣.
后一句的翻译为：我们的情况与他们的情况有很大的不同,这很有趣.
再看一个引自OXFORD ADBANCED LEARNER’S DICTIONARY的例子：
There is an obvious contrast between the culture of East and West.
The company lost $7 million in contrast to a profit of $6.2 million a year earlier.
When you look at their new system,ours seems very old-fashioned by contrast.
雅思培训班名师指点迷津：不难发现,Compare 翻译为“ 与...相比”而contrast可译为“明显不同的是...”,切记这种翻译方式就不会用错彼此了.