法律上提出控告
這一支不是「比較喜歡」的比喻，而是回到字源最字面的一面：ferre 是「帶到、呈到面前」。把案子呈到法庭或警方面前，就是提出控告。
bring a legal charge · verb · A2
To make an official statement to the police or a court that someone has broken the law.
提出控告
核心畫面
You put two things side by side and carry one of them out in front — that front one is the one you would rather have.
可以想成：兩樣東西擺在你面前，你把其中一個往前挪、擺到前頭——那個被你放在前面的，就是你比較想要的。prefer 的…更多收起
可以想成：兩樣東西擺在你面前，你把其中一個往前挪、擺到前頭——那個被你放在前面的，就是你比較想要的。prefer 的動作核心，比較像「把某個選項放在別的前面」。From the word’s history
From Latin praeferre = prae- (before) + ferre (to carry) — literally to carry before, to set in front. Liking one thing more is putting it in front of the rest; and the old legal prefer a charge is literally laying it before a court.
來自拉丁文 praeferre：prae-（在前）＋ ferre（帶、拿），字面就是「拿到前面、擺在前頭」。比較喜歡某樣東西，就是把它擺到別的前面；而法律上的「提出控告」，字面也是把案子「呈到」法庭面前。
etymonline.com/word/prefer (Latin praeferre = prae- + ferre)
From the picture
Also in this word
like better · verb · A2
To like one person or thing more than another, so that you would choose it if you could.
比較喜歡／偏好
wish it were different · verb · A2
Used in 'I'd prefer it if…' to say you wish a situation were different.
希望（情況不同）
polite request not to · verb · A2
Used in 'I'd prefer it if you didn't…' to ask someone politely not to do something.
希望你不要…（客氣）
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。
preferverb[pɹɪˈfɝ]
- 1
To be in the habit of choosing something rather than something else; to favor; to like better.
- I prefer tea to coffee.
- I'd prefer it if you didn't do it.
- 2
datedTo advance, promote (someone or something).
- So ſhall you haue a ſhorter iourney to your deſires, by the meanes I ſhall then haue to preferre them. And the impediment moſt profitably remoued, without the which there were no expectation of our proſperitie.
- And the maiden pleaſed him, and ſhe obtained kindneſſe of him,[…], and hee preferred her and her maids, vnto the beſt place of the houſe of the women.
- 3
To present or submit (something) to an authority (now usually in "to prefer charges").
- […], let him go, And preſently preferre his ſuite to Cæſar.
- At length the Maroons, who were delighted to have him with them, became diſcontented with his abſence, and for ſeveral years, during the ſeſſions of the Houſe of Aſſembly, preferred repeated complaints againſt him.
- 4
obsoleteTo put forward for acceptance; to introduce, recommend (to).
- one Master David Hume, who making some use of his purse, gave him Letters to his friends in Scotland to preferre him to King Iames.
- Such were the arguments which my will boldly preferred to my conscience, as coin which ought to be current; and which conscience, like a grumbling shopkeeper, was contented to accept,[…].
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。