What he felt was more akin to pity than love.

他感受到的更像怜悯，而不是爱。

《牛津词典》

Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life — the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and the unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.

有三种朴实却异常强烈的激情左右着我的人生：渴望爱情、寻求知识和对受苦人的怜悯。

youdao

The old universal truths, lacking which any story is ephemeral and doomed: love and honor and pity and pride, and compassion and sacrifice.

没有这古老的普遍真理，任何小说都只能昙花一观，不会成功；这些真理就是爱、荣誉、怜悯、自尊、同情与牺牲等感惰。若是他做不到这样，他的气力终归白费。

youdao

The attractive pair blithely sings, "How quickly pity leads to love, " about their own fortuitous first meeting, which contrasts greatly with the lengthy fight Fosca undertakes to convert Giorgio's pity and dislike into love.

WSJ: Review: Intense revival of Sondheim's 'Passion'

There may have been pity behind her saying yes, but there was love, too: in my experience, you can't expect love to be unaffected by pity, nor would you want it to be.

NPR: Chapter 1

Only those in love would know what a town without pity can do.

NPR: Rock 'n' Roll Singer Gene Pitney