not more / -er than 与 no more / -er than 结构 比较: John is not better than Tom. John is no better than Tom. 前一句表示“约翰不比汤姆好”,属于普通的比较结构;后一例用了no 情况就不同了。no better than 相当于as bad as,含义是两人一样坏。这里,“no + 形容词或副词比较级 + than”所表示的可以说是该形容词或副词的反意。 例如: no richer than = as poor as 和……一样穷 no bigger than = as small as 和……一样小 no later than = as early as 和……一样早 同样地: I have not taken more than six courses this semester. I have taken no more than six courses this semester. 前一句的含义是本学期选的课不多于六门;后一句的含义是只选了六门。强调“少”。 上述结构与表示前后都否定的no more...than (= not...any more than)又有所不同: 例:A whale is no more a fish than a horse is.(鲸和马同样不是鱼。) 另外,在某些结构中,单独使用more than 也能表示否定概念: 例1:That is more than I can tell. 我简直不能说。 例2:My trip to Beijing is more than sightseeing. 我去北京不仅仅是旅游观光而已。 no more...than... (= not...any more than) 和……—样都不……(表示前后都否定) 例1:The heart is no more intelligent than the stomach, for they are both controlled by the brain. 心脏和胃一样都无智力可言,因为它们都是由大脑控制的。 例2:There is no reason they should limit how much vitamin you take, any more than they can limit how much water you drink. 译文:他们没有理由限制你服用多少维他命,就像他们不能限制你喝多少水一样。 例3:More and more Afro-Americans see him as a tricky enemy who has no more love for them than he has for the Congolese. 译文:越来越多的美国黑人认识到他是个诡计多端的敌人。他仇视美国黑人,正像他仇视刚果人民一样。(直译:…,他不爱美国黑人,正像他不爱刚果人一样。) 注释:not...any more than是no more...than的一种强调形式。 1) Jack is no more intelligent than John. (=Jack is not intelligent any more than John.) 杰克与约翰一样都不聪明。 2) A man can no more fly than a bird can speak. (=A man cannot fly any more than a bird can speak.) 人不会飞翔,就像鸟不会说话一样。 3) As a nation, the French are no more eager to 1earn about their wartime failings than are the Japanese. (=As a nation,the French are not eager to learn about their wartime failings any more than are the Japanese.) 作为一个国家,法国正如日本一样不积极地从他们的战争失败中吸取教训。 上述例句表明,no more...than并不表示比较,而是表示比喻,含有比喻意义的比较级用于否定时,than后面的从句不用否定式,但译成汉语时要用否定式。而与上述句型意义相反的是:no less...than,意为:“和……同样是……”。例如: Human is no less an animal than a monkey is. 人和猴都是动物。 而no less than 的意思为:“简直是,实在是” 有多达和...一样, 有…之多, 多达,和...一样, 不亚于 1) It is no less than blackmail to ask such a high price. 如此索要高价,简直是敲诈。 2) It is no less than a scandal. 这实在是一件丑闻。
[此贴子已经被作者于2006-12-21 14:28:46编辑过] |