<blockquote>
<p>[比] - [<strong>之</strong>] - [<strong>为</strong>] - [杠杆]</p>
<p>[compare(v)] - [<strong>it</strong>(pronoun)] - [<strong>as</strong>(adverb)] - [lever(object-noun)]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>之 here follows the verb 比. It functions as a pronoun for the indirect object 人生.</p>
<p>为 here functions as an adverb for the verb 比. [比为] = [compare as]</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[教师] - [<strong>之</strong>] - [<strong>为</strong>] - [教]</p>
<p>[teacher(n)] - [<strong>'s</strong>(possessive particle)] - [preform(auxiliary verb)] - [teaching(v)]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>为 (being) here is an auxiliary verb for the main verb  教</p>
<p>之 here follows the subject noun 教师 , it is a possessive particle that indicate 教师 possess the clause 为教</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-04T02:22:05.783Z
2017-06-10T09:42:17.573Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>This is a quote by Bao Yibo.  I understand the meaning of the quote, but the '之为' constrution is kind of throwing me off:</p>

<p>如果把人生比之为杠杆，信念则好像是它的“支点”，具备这个恰当的支点，才可能成为一个强有力的人.</p>

<p>How would I translate this construction?</p>

<p>Many thanks.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-03T21:09:51.423Z
如果把人生比之为杠杆,之 pronoun referring back to  人生life (one’s time on earth), 为 for "to", "if (human) life is compared/likened to a lever",  also note 支点 pivot point; support; supporting point; fulcrum,for more examples enter 之为 into jukuu, examples 1-89 will be relevant,
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-03T21:37:01.837Z
Rachel, you asked this before [here](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22973/how-to-translate-%E4%B9%8B%E4%B8%BA-into-english) Need a second opinion, or just going batty with too much Chinese? :)
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-03T22:52:24.177Z
In previous question https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/21297/what-does-%e4%b9%8b%e4%b8%ba-mean 之为 has different meaning, for present case note "汉语水平考试词典＂:之［义３］代替人或事物（限于做宾语）（used as an object, used in many 成语)：安～ 若素｜操～过急｜持～以恒｜付～一笑｜求～不得｜取～不尽｜束～高阁｜逃～夭夭｜置～不理｜置～度外｜不了了～｜等闲视～｜敬而远～｜取而代～｜泰然处～｜总而言～｜以前的秘书小姐被辞退了，取而代～是位中年妇女
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-04T02:23:24.570Z
users may wonder whether 之 is superfluous, 
note use of verb 比 with fronted object and w/o 之：jukuu: 人生常比为蜡烛。On the other hand note more examples with 把:  把...归之于 (之 refers back to ...)  她把自己的成功归之于勤奋。她也不能把这种行为归之任何的误会或误解。cf. redundant object pronouns in Spanish http://www.elearnspanishlanguage.com/grammar/pronouns/redundantobjectpronouns.html
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-04T02:54:54.613Z
Possible duplicate of [How to translate 之为 into English?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22973/how-to-translate-%e4%b9%8b%e4%b8%ba-into-english)
Mou某
<grammar>
Question about 比之为 construction
# Question about 比之为 construction

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-06-03)

This is a quote by Bao Yibo. I understand the meaning of the quote, but the '之为' constrution is kind of throwing me off:

如果把人生比之为杠杆，信念则好像是它的“支点”，具备这个恰当的支点，才可能成为一个强有力的人.

How would I translate this construction?

Many thanks.

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 如果把人生比之为杠杆,之 pronoun referring back to  人生life (one’s time on earth), 为 for "to", "if (human) life is compared/likened to a lever",  also note 支点 pivot point; support; supporting point; fulcrum,for more examples enter 之为 into jukuu, examples 1-89 will be relevant,  
> **username_2**: Rachel, you asked this before [here](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22973/how-to-translate-%E4%B9%8B%E4%B8%BA-into-english) Need a second opinion, or just going batty with too much Chinese? :)  
> **username_1**: In previous question https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/21297/what-does-%e4%b9%8b%e4%b8%ba-mean 之为 has different meaning, for present case note "汉语水平考试词典＂:之［义３］代替人或事物（限于做宾语）（used as an object, used in many 成语)：安～ 若素｜操～过急｜持～以恒｜付～一笑｜求～不得｜取～不尽｜束～高阁｜逃～夭夭｜置～不理｜置～度外｜不了了～｜等闲视～｜敬而远～｜取而代～｜泰然处～｜总而言～｜以前的秘书小姐被辞退了，取而代～是位中年妇女  
> **username_1**: users may wonder whether 之 is superfluous,  note use of verb 比 with fronted object and w/o 之：jukuu: 人生常比为蜡烛。On the other hand note more examples with 把:  把...归之于 (之 refers back to ...)  她把自己的成功归之于勤奋。她也不能把这种行为归之任何的误会或误解。cf. redundant object pronouns in Spanish http://www.elearnspanishlanguage.com/grammar/pronouns/redundantobjectpronouns.html  
> **username_3**: Possible duplicate of [How to translate 之为 into English?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/22973/how-to-translate-%e4%b9%8b%e4%b8%ba-into-english)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-06-04. Score: 1

> [比] - [**之**] - [**为**] - [杠杆]
>
> [compare(v)] - [**it**(pronoun)] - [**as**(adverb)] - [lever(object-noun)]

之 here follows the verb 比. It functions as a pronoun for the indirect object 人生.

为 here functions as an adverb for the verb 比. [比为] = [compare as]

> [教师] - [**之**] - [**为**] - [教]
>
> [teacher(n)] - [**'s**(possessive particle)] - [preform(auxiliary verb)] - [teaching(v)]

为 (being) here is an auxiliary verb for the main verb 教

之 here follows the subject noun 教师 , it is a possessive particle that indicate 教师 possess the clause 为教


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