落霞与孤鹜齐飞，秋水共长天一色------英语的排比与对比

唐朝王勃题《滕王阁序》，其中两句：“落霞与孤鹜齐飞，秋水共长天一色”最为脍灸人口，皆因为其对仗工整严谨，意境优美如画。既有音韵美，也有视觉美。
同样，英语中也有排比句和对比句。它们的特点是：句子结构对称，词汇简练类似，但在语序或某些字眼上略作改动，形成鲜明的对比，生龙活现地表达了某种哲理或观点：

A man is a person who will pay two dollars for a one-dollar item he wants. A woman will pay one dollar for a two-dollar item she doesn’t want.
男人会花两块钱去买值一块钱的东西，只要他用得着；女人会花一块钱去买值两块钱的东西，纵使她用不着。

In the old days, a girl married a guy for his money. Now, she divorces him for the same reason.
以前的女孩子为钱而结婚。现在的女孩子为钱而离婚。

Nowadays, we are kept alive by half of what we eat, and killed by the other half.
现在，我们吃的东西有一半是为活命，有一半则是会致命。

In a backward country you can’t drink the water, and in an advanced country you can’t breathe the air.
落后国家的水你不敢喝；先进国家的空气你不敢吸。

At eighteen, one adores at once; at twenty, one loves; at thirty, one desires; at forty, one reflects.
十八岁一见钟情；二十岁谈情说爱；三十岁欲火焚身；四十岁往事如烟。



（原载于温哥华《环球华报》周三教育版）