就在旁邊
最直接的那一層：講的就是空間上的緊鄰。
preposition · A2
Right beside someone or something, so close that there is no other person, building or thing in the space between them.
旁邊／隔壁
核心畫面
One way to hold next to is a row of seats. Your seat, and then the very next seat along, with nothing at all in the gap. Two things stand shoulder to shoulder. From that one picture the other uses open out: if an amount stands shoulder to shoulder with zero, it is next to nothing; if a job stands shoulder to shoulder with impossible, it is next to impossible; and when you set two people side by side, the difference between them shows, which is how standing beside turns into comparing.
「next to」可以想成一排連著的座位。你的位子，再過去那一個位子，中間什麼都沒有夾。兩樣東西肩並肩站著。這個畫面…更多收起
「next to」可以想成一排連著的座位。你的位子，再過去那一個位子，中間什麼都沒有夾。兩樣東西肩並肩站著。這個畫面一路撐起了它其他的意思。一個數量肩並肩站在 zero 旁邊，就是 next to nothing。一件事肩並肩站在 impossible 旁邊，就是 next to impossible。而兩個人一擺在一起，高矮胖瘦就看出來了，所以「站在旁邊」也自然走向了「拿來比較」和「排名次」。Three branches
貼著極端：幾乎等於
把「旁邊」從空間搬到刻度上：一個量或一個程度，就站在刻度最末端的旁邊，只差一步沒到。
preposition · A2
If you know, have, pay or get next to nothing, the amount is so small that it is almost none at all.
幾乎沒有
並排著看：比較與排名
兩樣東西一旦並排，差別就跑出來了，所以「擺在旁邊」很自然地變成「拿來比」和「排先後」。
preposition · A2
Used to compare two people or things, saying how one of them seems when it is measured against the other.
跟…比起來