小议more than和less than的用法

王变桃

More than和less than的用法很复杂，但在英语中经常使用。下面我把它们的用法归纳如下;

一、more than 与less than

1.a.more than放在数词之前，意为“超过，不止，以上”，用于此意义时，可以与over互换使用。例如：

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

b.more than放在名词之前，表示“不只是，不仅仅”。例如：

He is more than a father to her.他待她胜过父亲。

She is more than a friend to me.她对我不只是一个朋友。

c.more than 放在形容词或副词前，意为“非常，十分”，相当于“very”或“much”。例如：

He is more than selfish.他非常自私。

I was more than pleased with my pay rise.我对涨工资非常高兴。

d.more than 后面接含有can的从句时，表示否定意义，从句的谓语动词必须是及物动词，并与主句的主语逻辑上是动宾关系。例如;

The beauty of Hangzhou is more than words can describe.杭州景色之美是语言不能描述的。（主语The beauty of Hangzhou 是describe 的逻辑宾语）

2.less than放在形容词、数词之前，表示“不，很少，不到，不太，一点也不”，具有否定意义。例如：

The boys were less more happy about having a party.开晚会男孩子们并不很高兴。

The girl is less than eighteen years old.这个女孩不到 18岁。

二、more...than 与less ...than

1.a.more ...than 表示“与其……不如……”“是……而不是……”可以和“rather than ”或“ not so much...as”互换使用。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.与其说这是一本语法书，倒不如说是一本词典。

She is more clever than lucky.与其说她聪明，不如说她幸运。

b.more ...than后面接含有 can 的从句时，同样表示否定意义。例如：

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

杰克的傲慢使我难以忍受。

2.less ...than意为“不像（如）……不是……与其……不如……”表示此义时可与“more...than”结构替换（但要注意次序变化）。例如：

He is less honest than his brother.他不如他哥哥诚实。

He is less a teacher than an expert./He is more an expert than a teacher.與其说他是老师，不如说他是专家。

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

1.a.no more than或 nothing more than/only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了这项工作。

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

b.“no less than”相当于“as much（many）as”意为“不少于，不下于……之多，多达……”例如：

The audience was no less than five thousand.听众有五千人之多。

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

1.a.no more...than 或not ...any more than 表示“正如……一样也不……与……同样不是，和……一样不”，表示两者都否定，但说话人往往着重否定前面一个分句，其左右相当于“neither...nor”。例如：

He is no more diligent than me.= Neither he nor I am diligent.他和我两个人都不勤奋。

b.表示“不……正如……不……一样”，常用来加重说话者的语气，“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飞行一样。

2.no less...than意为“（至少）和……一样”，相当于“as well as”，它强调的对象是“no less”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”的重点正好相反，所以翻译的时候，应该先译“than”后面的，再译“no less”后面的。例如：

She is no less beautiful than Mary.她和玛丽一样美丽。

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，而且是个演员。

五、not more than与 not less than

1.not more than放在数词之前，意为“至多，顶多，不超过”，其意义与 at （the） most 相同。例如：

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

2.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，但二者如今均相當于“as many as”。例如：

Our school has not 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。

比较;He has no less than seven daughter.他有7个女儿之多。

He has not less than seven daughter.他至少有7个女儿。

六、not more ...than与not less...than

1.not more...than意为“不如……不及于……”语气常着重否定后面一个分句，可与“not so/as...as”互换使用。例如：

You are not more careful than he is.=You are not so/as careful as he is.你不如他仔细。

2.not less...than意为“至少不比……差”，意味或许还要强一些，但现在基本和no less than混用。例如：

This song is not less popular than that one.这首歌受欢迎的程度不比那首歌差。

The old copy of the dictionary is not less expensive than the new one.旧版的词典比新版的更贵。