morethan.doc

小议more than/less than的用法英语中， more than 和 less than 的使用频率相当高，用法也较为复杂。现归纳如下；一、 more than1. more than 可放在数词之前，意为“超过；不止；以上”，用于此意义时可与 over 互换使用。例如：They have known each other for more than 10 years.他们相识有10多年了。2. more than 可放在名词之前，表示“不只是；不仅仅”。例如：He is more than a friend to me.他对我不止是一个朋友。Bamboo is used for more than building. 竹子不只是用于建筑。3. more than 用于形容词或副词前，作“非常；十分”解，与 very 同义。例如：She is more than careful in doing things. 她做事非常细心。I was more than pleased with my pay rise.我对涨工资非常高兴。4. more than 之后接含有 can 的从句时，常表示否定意义。此时，从句中的谓语动词必须是及物动词，并且与句子的主语呈现逻辑上的动宾关系。例如：This secret is more than we can let out. 这个秘密我们是不能泄露的。（主语 secret 是 let out 的逻辑宾语）比较： less than 后面接形容词、数词时，意为“不；很少；不到”，具有否定意义。例如：a） We were busy and less than delighted to have company that day.那天我们很忙，不高兴有客人来。b） The young man is less than twenty years old. 这个年轻人不到 20 岁。二、 more than1. more than 意为“与其不如”：“是而不是”，常可与“ rather than ”或“ not so much as ”互换使用。例如：He is more like a spear than anything else. = He is like a spear rather than anything else. = He is not so much like anything else as like a spear.与其说他（指大象）像别的什么东西，不如说他像一根长矛。She is more lazy than ill.与其说她病了，不如说她懒。2. more than 之后接含有 can 的从句时，同样表示否定意义。例如：Tom has more insolence than I can stand. = Toms insolence is more than I can stand.汤姆的傲慢使我难以忍受。比较： less than 意为“不像；不是”。例如：Linda was less hurt than frightened .与其说琳达受到伤害，还不如说她受惊吓。三、 no more than 或 nothing more than/only两者的意思均为“只有；仅仅；不过（ = only； just ）”，前者多用于书面语，后者常用于口语。例如：It took him no more than one hour to finish this work.他只花了一个小时就完成这项工作。比较：“ no less than”等同于“as much(many) as” 意为“不少于；不下于之多；多达”。例如There were no more than fifty students in the class.教室里有五十名同学之多。四、 no more than 或 not any more than1. 意为“正如一样地不，与同样不是，与一样不”，表示两者都否定，但说话人往往着重否定前面的一个分句，其作用相当于“ neither nor ”。例如：Marry is no more diligent than Tom. = Neither Mary nor Tom is diligent. 玛丽和汤姆两个人都不勤奋。2. 意为“不正如不一样”，常用来加重说话者的语气。例如：We can no more leave the Party than fish can leave water.我们不能离开党，正如鱼儿离不开水一样。比较： no less than 意为“（至少）和一样”。含义上相当于“as well as”。它所强调的对象是“no less”之后的事物，而不是“than” 之后的事物。汉语关联词“不但而且”的重点在后面，这与“no less than”的重点刚好相反，所以在翻译的时候，应该先“than”后面的，再译“no less” 后面的.例如：He is no less active than he used to be.他和以前一样活跃。Andy Lau is no less a player than a singer./ Andy Lau is a player as well as a singer./ Andy Lau is not only a singer but also a player.刘德华不但是个歌手，而且也是个演员。五、 not more thannot more than 常用于数词之前，意为“至多；顶多；不超过”，其意义与 at （the） most 相同。例如：There are not more than thirty students in each class.每个班的学生人数都超过三十人。比较： not less than 意为“不少于，至少，不比差”，同 at （the） least .严格地说， no less than 和 not less than 不同，但二者如今均相当于“ as many as ”。例如：Our school has not less than/ no less than three thousand students.我们学校拥有的学生不下 3 ， 000 人。There were not less than fifty students in the class教室里至少有五十名同学。六、 not more thannot more than 意为“不如；不及于”，语气常着重否定后面的一个分句。常可与“ not so/as as ”互换使用。例如：This story is not more interesting than that one. = This story is not so/ as interesting as that one.这个故事不如那个故事有趣。比较：严格说来 not less than 的意思是“至少不比