but they have very strong shells that protect them against attack from hungry animals.但种子有一层厚厚的硬壳以阻挡饥肠辘辘的动物

protect against保护

The plants should be protected against the cold.

应该保护这些植物使之不受冻。

Vitamin D also may protect against heart disease.

维他命D还有预防心疾病的功效。

词义辨析:protect from和protect against都是“保护…以防…”“防御…”的意思,其区别是：

1.当防御的对象是“危害”或较小的事情,如冷气等时,要用protect from; 当防御的对象是“袭击”或较大的事情,如天灾时,要用protect against。

2.protect against强调防止against的宾语做某事; protect from则强调保护protect的宾语不受…。例如:

protect A from B's attack

保护A不受B的攻击

protect A against B's attack

防止B攻击A

He doesn't try to crack the nut straight away,这只猴子并不急着敲碎坚果

straight away:立即； 马上

The speaker came to the point straight away.

讲演者直述要点。

She guessed the answer straight away.

她马上就猜中了答案。