小議more than和less than的用法

王變桃

More than和less than的用法很復(fù)雜，但在英語(yǔ)中經(jīng)常使用。下面我把它們的用法歸納如下;

一、more than 與less than

1.a.more than放在數(shù)詞之前，意為“超過(guò)，不止，以上”，用于此意義時(shí)，可以與over互換使用。例如：

My grandfather and my grandmother are more than seventy.我祖父母七十多歲了。

b.more than放在名詞之前，表示“不只是，不僅僅”。例如：

He is more than a father to her.他待她勝過(guò)父親。

She is more than a friend to me.她對(duì)我不只是一個(gè)朋友。

c.more than 放在形容詞或副詞前，意為“非常，十分”，相當(dāng)于“very”或“much”。例如：

He is more than selfish.他非常自私。

I was more than pleased with my pay rise.我對(duì)漲工資非常高興。

d.more than 后面接含有can的從句時(shí)，表示否定意義，從句的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞必須是及物動(dòng)詞，并與主句的主語(yǔ)邏輯上是動(dòng)賓關(guān)系。例如;

The beauty of Hangzhou is more than words can describe.杭州景色之美是語(yǔ)言不能描述的。（主語(yǔ)The beauty of Hangzhou 是describe 的邏輯賓語(yǔ)）

2.less than放在形容詞、數(shù)詞之前，表示“不，很少，不到，不太，一點(diǎn)也不”，具有否定意義。例如：

The boys were less more happy about having a party.開(kāi)晚會(huì)男孩子們并不很高興。

The girl is less than eighteen years old.這個(gè)女孩不到 18歲。

二、more...than 與less ...than

1.a.more ...than 表示“與其……不如……”“是……而不是……”可以和“rather than ”或“ not so much...as”互換使用。例如：

The book is more like a dictionary than a grammar.=The book is like a dictionary rather than a grammar.=The book is not so much like a grammar.as a dictionary.與其說(shuō)這是一本語(yǔ)法書，倒不如說(shuō)是一本詞典。

She is more clever than lucky.與其說(shuō)她聰明，不如說(shuō)她幸運(yùn)。

b.more ...than后面接含有 can 的從句時(shí)，同樣表示否定意義。例如：

Jack has more insolence than I can stand.=Jack 's insolence is more than I can stand.

杰克的傲慢使我難以忍受。

2.less ...than意為“不像（如）……不是……與其……不如……”表示此義時(shí)可與“more...than”結(jié)構(gòu)替換（但要注意次序變化）。例如：

He is less honest than his brother.他不如他哥哥誠(chéng)實(shí)。

He is less a teacher than an expert./He is more an expert than a teacher.與其說(shuō)他是老師，不如說(shuō)他是專家。

三、 no more than或 nothing more than/only與no less than

1.a.no more than或 nothing more than/only的意思均為“只有，僅僅，不過(guò)（=only，just）”，前者多用于書面語(yǔ)，后者常用于口語(yǔ)。例如：

It took him no more than one hour to finish this work.他只花了一個(gè)小時(shí)就完成了這項(xiàng)工作。

He is nothing more than a teacher.=He is only a teacher.他只是一位老師。

b.“no less than”相當(dāng)于“as much（many）as”意為“不少于，不下于……之多，多達(dá)……”例如：

The audience was no less than five thousand.聽(tīng)眾有五千人之多。

四、no more...than 或not ...any more than 與 no less ...than

1.a.no more...than 或not ...any more than 表示“正如……一樣也不……與……同樣不是，和……一樣不”，表示兩者都否定，但說(shuō)話人往往著重否定前面一個(gè)分句，其左右相當(dāng)于“neither...nor”。例如：

He is no more diligent than me.= Neither he nor I am diligent.他和我兩個(gè)人都不勤奮。

b.表示“不……正如……不……一樣”，常用來(lái)加重說(shuō)話者的語(yǔ)氣，“not...just as...not”。例如：

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飛行一樣。

2.no less...than意為“（至少）和……一樣”，相當(dāng)于“as well as”，它強(qiáng)調(diào)的對(duì)象是“no less”之后的事物。漢語(yǔ)關(guān)聯(lián)詞“不但……而且……”的重點(diǎn)在后面，這與“no less...than”的重點(diǎn)正好相反，所以翻譯的時(shí)候，應(yīng)該先譯“than”后面的，再譯“no less”后面的。例如：

She is no less beautiful than Mary.她和瑪麗一樣美麗。

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.劉德華不但是個(gè)歌手，而且是個(gè)演員。

五、not more than與 not less than

1.not more than放在數(shù)詞之前，意為“至多，頂多，不超過(guò)”，其意義與 at （the） most 相同。例如：

She has not more than three hats .她至多有3頂帽子。

2.not less than意為“不少于，至少，不比……差”，同 at （the） least 。嚴(yán)格地說(shuō)， no less than 和 not less than不同，但二者如今均相當(dāng)于“as many as”。例如：

Our school has not less than/three thousand students.我們學(xué)校擁有的學(xué)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學(xué)。

比較;He has no less than seven daughter.他有7個(gè)女兒之多。

He has not less than seven daughter.他至少有7個(gè)女兒。

六、not more ...than與not less...than

1.not more...than意為“不如……不及于……”語(yǔ)氣常著重否定后面一個(gè)分句，可與“not so/as...as”互換使用。例如：

You are not more careful than he is.=You are not so/as careful as he is.你不如他仔細(xì)。

2.not less...than意為“至少不比……差”，意味或許還要強(qiáng)一些，但現(xiàn)在基本和no less than混用。例如：

This song is not less popular than that one.這首歌受歡迎的程度不比那首歌差。

The old copy of the dictionary is not less expensive than the new one.舊版的詞典比新版的更貴。