核心畫面
Picture a pair of scales that has dropped on one side, and something being added to the other side until it sits level again. Compensate is that adding-back. What goes on the light side can be an effort, a strength, or extra care — and when the loss was somebody else's, it is usually money.
可以想成：一副天秤往一邊沉了下去，你在另一邊加東西，直到它重新持平。compensate 講的就是這個「補回去」的動…更多收起
可以想成：一副天秤往一邊沉了下去，你在另一邊加東西，直到它重新持平。compensate 講的就是這個「補回去」的動作。加上去的可能是努力、可能是別的長處、可能是多一點用心——而如果這個虧損是別人承受的，加上去的通常就是錢。原始詞典資料4 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
compensateverb/ˈkɒm.pən.seɪt/
- 1
To do (something good) after (something bad) happens.
- 2
To pay or reward someone in exchange for work done or some other consideration.
- It is hard work, but they will compensate you well for it.
- 3
To make up for; to do something in place of something else; to correct, satisfy; to reach an agreement such that the scales are literally or (metaphorically) balanced; to equalize or make even.
- His loud voice cannot compensate for a lack of personality.
- To compensate me for his tree landing on my shed, my neighbor paved my driveway.
- 4
To adjust or adapt to a change, often a harm or deprivation.
- I hate that old car because it steers a little to the left and I'm always compensating for that when I drive it.
- To compensate for his broken leg, Gary uses crutches.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。