compared with：與……相比
薩繆爾·約翰遜致切斯特菲爾德勳爵
Samuel Johnson to Lord Chesterfield
薩繆爾·約翰遜（1709—1784），英國評論家、詩人、散文家和詞典編纂家。1728年進牛津大學深造，後因家境貧寒輟學。1735年結婚，婚後定居倫敦，並開始文學創作，先後發表長詩《倫敦》和散文《理查德·薩維奇的生平》等作品。1746年，約翰遜應約承擔編纂詞典任務，經過八年努力，終於在1755年出版了兩卷本的《英文詞典》，收詞四萬餘個，詞義界定精確，文學引語豐富，是辭書編纂史上一座永久的豐碑。
My Lord，
I have been lately informed， by the proprietor of the World， that two papers， in which my Dictionary is recommended to the public， were written by your Lordship. To be so distinguished， is an honour， which， being very little accustomed to favours from the great， I know not well how to receive， or in what terms to acknowledge.
When， upon some slight encouragement， I first visited your Lordship， I was overpowered， like the rest of mankind， by the enchantment of your address； and could not forbear to wish that I might boast myself Le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre； that I might obtain that regard for which I saw the world contending； but I found my attendance so little encouraged， that neither pride nor modesty would suffer me to continue it. When I had once addressed your Lordship in public， I had exhausted all the art of pleasing which a retired and uncourtly scholar can possess. I had done all that I could； and no man is well pleased to have his all neglected， be it ever so little.
Seven years， my Lord， have now past， since I waited in your outward rooms， or was repulsed from your door， during which time I have been pushing on my work through difficulties， of which it is useless to complain， and have brought it， at last， to the verge of publication， without one act of assistance， one word of encouragement， or one smile of favor. Such treatment I did not expect， for I never had a Patron before.
The shepherd in Virgil grew at last acquainted with Love， and found him a native of the rocks.
Is not a Patron， my Lord， one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water， and， when he has reached ground， encumbers him with help？ The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labours， had it been early， had been kind， but it has been delayed till I am indifferent， and cannot enjoy it； till I am solitary， and cannot impart it； till I am known， and do not want it. I hope it is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received， or to be unwilling that the Public should consider me as owing that to a Patron， which Providence has enabled me to do for myself.