"A is to B what X is to Y"

試看：

Food is to men as oil is to machines.食物之于人,猶如油之于機(jī)器?

= Food is to men what oil is to machines.

= As oil is to machines, so is food to men.

= What oil is to machines, that is food to men.

= What oil is to machines, food is to men.

= As oil stands for machines, so food stands for men.

= Food stands for men as oil stands for machines.

= Food is to men the same thing as oil is to machines.

= Food is to men the relation that oil is to machines.

= Food is among men what oil is among machines.