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」。
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