第一， 迷你对话

A: Sue and Lily have both taken dancing lessons. They want to be famous dancers, I think.

Sue 和Lily都选择了舞蹈课，我想她们将来想当舞蹈家。

B: Yet Sue is not a patch on Lily because she’s not as diligent and clever as Lily.

Sue比不上Lily，因为她没有Lily那么刻苦和聪明。

A: I think you are holding a brief for Lily.

我觉得你在有意维护Lily。

第二， 地道表达

hold a brief for

1. 解词释义

Hold a brief是在“在诉讼中当某人的辩护律师为其辩护”，引申为“为某人或某事辩护”“为……大声疾呼”“主张……”。

2. 拓展范例

e.g. I hold no brief for severe punishment.

我不赞成严惩。

e.g. I hold no brief for people with extreme views.

我不支持持极端观点的人。

第三， 咬文嚼字

as… as：和……一样

e.g. This film is as interesting as that one.

这部电影和那部电影一样有趣。

e.g. Your pen writes as smoothly as mine.

你的钢笔书写起来和我的一样流畅。

be a patch on：不如……，比不上……

e.g. What they accomplished was not a patch on what they had planned.

他们的成就远不如预期。

e.g. Her latest novel isn't a patch on her others.

她这部新小说比以前所写的差得远。