would more than negate any cost savings... 意思理解

westminster

请问这个句子（The cost of conversion back to oil would more than negate any cost savings in fuel) 具体是什么意思呢？谢谢！ 如果哪位可以分享 would more than + v. 表达的意思，更好。谢谢！

prep700800:

In order to save money, some of Company X’s manufacturing plants converted from oil fuel to natural gas last year, when the cost of oil was more than the cost of natural gas. Because of a sudden, unexpected shortage, however, natural gas now costs more than oil, the price of which has fallen steeply over the past year. The cost of conversion back to oil would more than negate any cost savings in fuel. So Company X’s fuel costs this year will be significantly higher than they were last year.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument above depends?

A. Company X does not have money to set aside fo the increased costs of fuel.

B. The increase in the cost of fuel cannot be offset by reductions in other operating expenses.

C. The price of natural gas will never again fall below that of oil.

D. The cost of fuel needed by those of Company X’s plants that converted to natural gas is not less than the cost of fuel needed by those plants using oil.

E. The price of oil will not experience a sudden and steep increase.

(答案：D）

蛋蛋有点伤

westminster 发表于 2018-9-18 17:37
谢谢！

楼主关于这道题为什么选d，我想请教一下您，d的意思是那些用天然气的厂房花费的燃料费不比那些用oil的厂房花费少，那么为什么可以作为这个fuel cost变多的的assum呢，感觉d选项是无关呀

westminster

cheer115 发表于 2018-9-18 16:49
more than: to a great degree;
negate: make ineffective by counterbalancing the effect of

谢谢！

cheer115

more than: to a great degree;
negate: make ineffective by counterbalancing the effect of

The cost of conversion back to oil would more than negate any cost savings in fuel.

逐字翻译：改回用石油的改造费用会使得在燃料（也就是石油）上省下的钱被抵消。
也就是：cost of conversion back to oil >= cost saving in fuel

相当于“看石油便宜想换回用石油？！没门！”