but they have very strong shells that protect them against attack from hungry animals.但種子有一層厚厚的硬殼以阻擋饑腸轆轆的動物

protect against保護

The plants should be protected against the cold.

應該保護這些植物使之不受凍。

Vitamin D also may protect against heart disease.

維他命D還有預防心疾病的功效。

詞義辨析:protect from和protect against都是“保護…以防…”“防御…”的意思,其區別是：

1.當防御的對象是“危害”或較小的事情,如冷氣等時,要用protect from; 當防御的對象是“襲擊”或較大的事情,如天災時,要用protect against。

2.protect against強調防止against的賓語做某事; protect from則強調保護protect的賓語不受…。例如:

protect A from B's attack

保護A不受B的攻擊

protect A against B's attack

防止B攻擊A

He doesn't try to crack the nut straight away,這只猴子并不急著敲碎堅果

straight away:立即； 馬上

The speaker came to the point straight away.

講演者直述要點。

She guessed the answer straight away.

她馬上就猜中了答案。