我们常常对more than, less than ,han,less…than, not more than, no more than, no less than这四种结构的用法混淆或使用上出现差错。现将其用法进行归纳整理以便于大家区别使用。
1. more than
① (指数量)多于:
I’ve known him for more than twenty years. 我已认识他20多年了。
②不只是,不仅仅是(通常后接名词、动词、从句等):
He is more than a father to her. 他待她胜过父亲。
He more than smiled, but laughed. 他不只是微笑,而是放声大笑。
The result was much more than I imagined. 结果远远超过我的想像。
③极其,非常(通常后接形容词、副词或分词等):
She was more than kind to us. 她对我们很友好。
He was more than upset by the accident. 这个意外事故使他非常心烦意乱。
④难以,完全不能(其后通常连用情态动词 can):
That is more than I can tell (=I can’t tell that). 那事我实在不明白。More than +名词表示“多于……”、“非但……尤其是”如:
Modern science is more than a large amount of information.
Jason is more than a lecturer; he is a writer, too.
More than +数词含“以上”或“不止”之意,如:
I have known David for more than 20 years.
Let‘s carry out the test with mo re than the sample copy.
More than +形容词表示“很”或“非常”的意思,如:
In doing scientific experiments, one must be more than careful with the instruments.
I assure you I am more than glad to help you.
肯定“more”后面的而否定“than”后面的,表示是“与其说……不如……”,如:
The difference between pure linguistics and applied linguistics is more apparent than real.
This book seems to be more a manual than a text.
More than或+含“can”的分句时表示“否定意”,如:
That's more than I can do.
Don't bite off more than you can chew.
另外,“more than”也在惯用语中,如: More offen than not (经常),people tend to pay attention to what they can take rather than what they can give.
1)用于数词(或相当于数词的词之前),作"多于、大于"解。如:
More than one man was killed. 被杀害的不止一人。
2)作"非常,极其"解。如:
He is more than pleased. 他非常高兴。
They were more than willing to help. 他们非常愿意帮忙。
3)作"超出……的"解。如:
I more than saw it, I felt it too. 我不仅仅是看见了它,我都感觉到它了!
This is more than I can tell. 那我就不知道了。
2. less than
① (指数量)不到,不足:
It’s less than a mile to the station. 去车站不到一英里。
In less than an hour he finished the work. 没要上一个小时他就做完了工作。
②比…(小)少:
Two is less than Three. 二比三小。
She eats less than she should. 她吃得比她应该吃的少。
③一点也不:
less is more代言人
He was less than helpful when we arrived. 我们到达时他一点也不帮忙。
< …than 与less…than
(1) han 的主要用法:
①比…多,比…更:
He has more books than me. 他的书比我多。
He is more careful than the others. 他比其他人更仔细。
②与其…不如:
He is more lucky than clever. 与其说他聪明,不如说他幸运。
He is more (a) scholar than (a) teacher. 与其说他是位教师,不如说是位学者。
【注】该句型主要用于同一个人或物在两个不同性质或特征等方面的比较,其中的比较级必须用加 more的形式,不能用加词尾 -er 的形式。
He is more a scholar than a teacher. 与其说他是位教师毋宁说他是位学者。
He is more brave than wise. 他有勇无谋。
在使用此结构时,要注意其与"X rather than Y","not so much Y as X","less Y than X"等结构用法的区别。如:
He lay rather than sat in his armchair. 与其说他是坐在扶手椅里不如说是躺在里边。Oceans don't so much divide the world as unite it. 与其说海洋分隔了世界,不如说海洋连接世界。
(2) han 的主要用法是:
①不像(如):
He is less honest than his brother. 他不如他哥哥诚实。
②比…少,不如…多:
We drink less coffee than tea. 我们喝咖啡不如喝茶多。
I got less money than the others did. 我比别人得到的钱少。
③与其…不如…:
I regard him less as my teacher than as my friend. 与其说我把他当作老师,不如说我是把他当作朋友。
【注】表示此义时可与more…than结构替换(但要注意词序的变化):
He is less a teacher than an expert. / He is more an expert than a teacher. 与其说他是老师,不如说他是专家
The child was less hurt than frightened. 这孩子伤倒不算什么,只是受惊不小。no more than同样不;仅仅,只有
It's no more than a misunderstanding. 这只是个误会
not more than不比……更,不如;至多
I'll stay here not more than three days. 我将待在这里最多不超过三天。
no/not any more……than两者一样都不……,和……一样不……
A whale is not a fish any more than a horse is.鲸之非鱼,无异于马之非鱼。
not more ... than = 不如
You are not more careful than he is. 你不如他仔细。
no more ... than = 和......一样不(否定两者)
You are no more careful than he is. 你和他一样不仔细。
not more than用法:
1)[后接名词](=at most)作"不超过、至多"解。
There are not more than five books in the case. 箱子里至多有五本书。
He has learned not more than 100 words. 他学会的词不超过100个。
2)[后接从句]往往为"han"形式,作"还比不上"解。本句型侧重点往往在后一个分句,译成汉语时,仍按原来的语序。
I am not more mad than you. 我哪里像你那么疯。
This book is not more interesting than that one. 这本书不如那本书有趣。
no more than=not any more than的使用比较复杂,其情况如下:
1)[后接名词](=only)作"不过,仅仅"解。
He is no more than a puppet. 他不过是个傀儡。
2)[后接从句]这种结构在不同的语言环境里有三种不同的用法及含义。
A. 作"没有比……更……"解,其形式"no...han"。
There is no social problem it is more incumbent upon us to understand than this of the role of custom. (Patterns of Culture, by Ruth Benedict)没有比"风俗的作用"这种社会问题更迫切需要我们了解。
B. 用于there be和to have这类动词之后,作"一样……多"解。
He has no more money than you have. 他的钱和你一样多。
C. 作"同……一样不"解,相当于""。本句型侧重点往往在前一个分句,译成汉语时通常要把分句的次序颠倒,才能表达出重点来。
The whale is no more a fish than the dog is.
=The whale is not a fish just as the dog is not a fish. 如同狗一样,鲸也不是鱼。You can no more swim than I can fly.
=You can not swim just as I can not fly. 你不能游泳正如我不能飞行一样。
学习中尤其要注意han和han的区别:
han含有消极,否定的意味,译为"A与B都不……,不……也不"等。
han含有积极,肯定的意味,表示程度上的差异。比较:
He is no more diligent than you. 你不勤奋,他也不勤奋。(两人都不勤奋)
He is not more diligent than you. 他没有你那么勤奋。(意指两个人都勤奋,但你更勤奋)
She is no more a teacher than a worker. 她既不是工人,也不是教师。
She is not more a teacher than a worker. 说她是个教师,倒不如说她是个工人。
no more than的意思是“只不过”,not more than的意思是“不多于”。试比较:
There are no more than ten tickles left. 剩下不到十张票。 (有“票少”的含义) The experiment was done by not more than 5 persons. 做这个试验的人不到五个。(没有“多”或“少”的含义,只是客观地说明数目)
This room is no bigger than that. 这个房间并不比那个大。 (有“两个房间都不大”的含义)
This room is not bigger than that one.这个房间不比那个大。 (没有“两个房间都不大或都不小”的含义)
[注]注意not …. Any more than或han在下面句子中的用法。
They cannot do the impossible any more than we can.他们和我们同样不能做不可能的事情。
He is no more diligent than I am.他和我同样不勤奋
no less than
< less than不亚于,竟达……之多
The audience was no less than five thousand. 听众有五千人之多。
That hotel probably costs no less than 20 dollars a night. 那间旅馆的住宿费大约要20元一晚呢。
< less .. than不少于,不亚于
He is no less a person than a minister他的身分不亚于部长。
< less than不比……差,至少
I'll stay here not less than three days. 我将待在这里至少三天。
< han至少和…一样
She is not less beautiful than Mary她至少和玛丽一样美丽。
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