词汇对比与辨析
核心差别
small payment 强调小额酬金指金额不大的付款，compensation 则侧重补偿指为弥补损失、伤害或服务而提供的金钱或等价物
使用场景对比
| 对比方面 | small payment | compensation |
|---|---|---|
| 核心含义 | 小额酬金指金额不大的付款，常用于日常小额交易、兼职报酬或微薄补偿等场景。 | 补偿指为弥补损失、伤害或服务而提供的金钱或等价物，也指工资或代偿机能。 |
| 词性 | 未知 | 名词 |
| 使用语域 | 常用于描述支付或接收小额款项，如“make a small payment”或“receive a small payment”，强调金额较小而非正式支付。 | 常用介词包括 for（表示补偿原因）、in（表示补偿形式）和 as（表示补偿身份）。 |
对比例句
I made a small payment to my friend for helping me move.
我向朋友支付了一笔小额酬金，感谢他帮我搬家。
She receives a small payment each week for babysitting.
她每周因照看孩子而收到一笔小额酬金。
He received compensation for the damage to his car after the accident.
事故后，他收到了汽车损坏的赔偿。
The company offers good compensation to attract talented employees.
这家公司提供优厚的薪酬来吸引有才华的员工。
常见误用提醒
使用 small payment：I gave him a small payment as a gift. → I gave him a small token of appreciation as a gift. (错误在于将“small payment”用于礼物场景，这通常指交易性付款；正确用法应使用“token of appreciation”等词表示赠礼。)
使用 small payment：She paid a small payment for the expensive car. → She made a small down payment for the expensive car. (错误在于“small payment”与高价物品搭配不当，显得矛盾；正确用法应使用“down payment”表示首付款，以明确金额比例。)
使用 compensation：I got a compensation from the company. → I received compensation from the company. (错误：使用 'got' 过于口语化，在正式语境中不准确。正确：用 'received' 更正式，符合补偿的常见动词搭配。)