condense, compress, contract, shrink 这些动词均含"收缩，压缩"之意。这些近义词虽然含义相近，但是由于适用的语境不同，所代表的具体含义也有所差别。
condense 指将东西压缩得更紧密、紧凑，但不失去原有的内容。
They form when humid air cools enough for water vapor to condense into droplets or ice crystals.
当湿润的空气冷却到其中的水汽足够凝结成水滴或者冰晶，便形成了高积云。
The water molecules will eventually evaporate, condense, and recycle back to Earth asprecipitation.
水分子会蒸发，凝结，形成降水，重新进入地球的水循环系统。
So I spent hours vaporizing water and watching it condense on a copper plate.
所以我花大量的时间将水汽化，再观察它在铜盘中凝结成水珠的过程。
compress 指把乱而不成形的东西压成一定形状。
Can you compress your speech into five minutes?
你能把你的讲话精简为五分钟吗?
When they are found, doctors pass a tube with a balloon into the narrowed area and inflate theballoon to compress plaque deposits against the side of the artery.
当它们被发现后，医生通过一个软管把一个小气球进入狭小的区域并且膨胀这个气球去压缩动脉边沉淀下来的血小板。
In other words, your goal with time management is to effectively compress, organize and prioritizeactivities for maximum efficiency.
换句话说，你时间管理的目标是有效地压缩，组织和优先排序事宜来达到最高效率。
contract 主要指以内、外部力量进行紧缩，也可用作引申。
They determined the contract.
他们终止了合同。
You should see your stomach expand and contract.
你应该看到你的腹部扩张和收缩。
After five years ONS will assess each new school to judge whether to renew its contract.
五年之后，ONS将对每一个新学校进行评估，决定是否与其续签合同。
shrink 侧重指因收缩而达不到原有的长度、体积或容积。
Will this soap shrink woolen clothes?
这肥皂会使毛织品收缩吗?
In the next few years, the nation’s wealth will either stagnate or shrink.
在接下来的几年里，国家的财富将会停滞不前或者是收缩。
The skin around these areas begins to lose water and shrink, giving the hair and nails theappearance of having grown.
这些区域附近的皮肤开始失去水分，并开始收缩，这给了头发和指甲仍在生长的假象。
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