a comparison between things that have similar features, often used to help explain a principle or idea

He drew an analogy between the brain and a vast computer. 他把大脑比作一台庞大的计算机。

It is sometimes easier to illustrate an abstract concept by analogy with (= by comparing it with) something concrete. 有时用具体事物作比拟来阐释抽象概念会更容易些。