PARALLEL

英英释义：a person or thing that is similar to another    

例句：There are many striking parallels between Shanghai and New York City.

2. 为什么选这个词？    

“parallel”作形容词讲，本意是“与......平行的（A is parallel to B）”；作名词讲，本意是“平行线（a pair of parallel lines）”。它的名词意思可以引申为“相似处、共性”，由几何中的平行线而来，形象、有画面感。

在口语和写作中，如果想描述两个事物的共同特征，除了用 similarity 外，还常可以用“parallel”替换。    

注意“parallel”的拼写：中间是两个 l，最后是一个 l。在托福写作和雅思听力、阅读、写作中要尤其注意，以免拼写错误。    

下面通过几个例句体会这个词的用法。    

很多年前在《英语沙龙》杂志读到现任北大光华学院金融教授 Michael Pettis 的一个访谈，主题是中美文化差异。他在回答“中国哪个城市最像纽约”的时候，是这样说的：    There are many striking parallels between Shanghai and New York City.

“striking”的意思是“明显的”，经常用来修饰 difference 和 similarity，也常用来修饰 parallel，这类常见搭配在《牛津英语搭配词典》中就可以查得到。我们可以在上面这句话的基础上，改写造句：    When many New Yorkers visit Shanghai, they can readily sense familiar parallels between Shanghai and the Big Apple.（“The Big Apple”是纽约市的昵称。）    

2014 年底我从美国东海岸搬到旧金山，参加了当地两个 Toastmasters Club 公众演讲俱乐部。当时有会员问我喜不喜欢旧金山，我大概是这么说的：    I love San Francisco as much as I love New York City. In terms of cultural diversity and vibrancy, I see a lot of striking parallels between the two cities.

“parallel”最常见的一个用法是“to draw parallels/a parallel between A and B”，意思是“在 A 的身上可以看到 B 的影子”。当我们想表达“A 和 B 有很大的相似性”时，就可以想到使用“parallel”。比如：Many foodies try to draw a parallel between Chinese noodles and Italian pasta.

Some psychologists have drawnmind-boggling parallels between video gaming and casino gamble.

个人拓展：

搭配：to draw parallels /a parallel between A and B

//draw / make /provide a significant /striking/ interesting /direct /exact/ clear /close/ obvious parallel

//if something has no parallel or is without parallel, there is nothing similar to it or of the same high quality as it

背诵：

同义词：parallel, similarity, resemblance

 There are many striking parallels between Shanghai and New York City.

A close parallel to this behavior is found in dolphins. 句型

It is a masterpiece without parallel.

It has no parallel as far as I know.