more than/less than的用法与翻译，本文主要内容关键词为：，此文献不代表本站观点，内容供学术参考，文章仅供参考阅读下载。
一、More than的用法与翻译
1.more than
“more than”之后可接名词、动名词、动词、数词、形容词、副词等，有“不止、超过、胜过、多于、以上、很”等意思。如：
He is more than a friend to me.他对我不止是一个朋友。
We like football more than swimming.我们喜爱足球胜过游泳。
I more than saw it,I felt too!我不仅仅看见了它，我都感觉到它了。
The gain more than compensated for the loss.所得多于所失。
They have known each other for more than 10 years。他们相识已有10多年了。
I was more than pleased with my pay rise.I was over the moon.我对涨工资非常高兴。我简直乐上了天！
She dresses more than simply.她衣着何止简朴而已。
“more than”的用法不难掌握，但如果将“more than”分开变为“more...than...”，或是在其前面加上“not”或“no”，用法及意思就较为复杂，要准确地翻译出来也比较难。与之相对的词组是“less than”，其相应的形式也很复杂，只有真正掌握其结构及意思，才能准确地翻译出其真正的含义。
2.more...than...
当比较同一事物的两种特性或同一个人的两种不同性质时，其比较结构有三种：名词（或代词）＋动词be（或seem,look,appear）＋more＋形容词（无论是单音节词还是多音节词）＋than＋形容词：名词（或代词）＋动词be＋more of a＋名词＋than＋名词；名词（或代词）＋动词be＋more＋名词＋than十名词。而且，这里的“more”的意思等于“rather”。可翻译为“与其说……不如说……”，但应该先翻译“than”后面的，再翻译“more”后面的，是按逆序翻译。不过，也可按正常语序译为“是……而不是……”。如：
She is more lazy than ill.与其说她病了，不如说她懒。
He is more wise than clever.他与其说是精明不如说是贤明。
John is more dating than quick-witted.与其说约翰脑子灵活，不如说他胆大。
His coat was more dark than grey.与其说他上衣是灰的，还不如说是黑的。
I am more timid than cautious.与其说我谨慎，不如说我胆小。
He is more of a statesman than a scholar.与其说他是个学者，还不如说他是个政治家。
He is more a statesman than a scholar.他与其说是个学者，还不如说他是个政治家。
It is more a poem than a picture.与其说它是幅画，不如说它是首诗。
She is more graceful than beautiful.说她是美，毋宁说她有优雅的气质。
That little girl is more shy than timid.那个小姑娘是害羞而不是胆怯。
He was more lucky than clever.他是运气好，而不是聪明。
He is more good than bad.他不是坏，而是好。
3.not more than
“not more than”等于“at most”，意思是“不超过、至多”。如：
I have not more than five Yuan in my pocket.我口袋里至多五块钱。／我口袋里的钱不超过五块。
There were not more than 5 factories in our city before liberation.解放前，我们市的工厂不超过5家。
There are not more than thirty students in each class.每个班的学生人数都不超过三十人。
4.not more...than...
“no tmore...than...”的意思是“不比……更，不如”。如：
He is not more clever than his brother.他没有他哥哥那样聪明。
This book is not more interesting than that one.这本书不比那本更有趣。／这本书没有那本有趣。
5.no more than
“no more than”的意思是“仅仅，只有”，等于“nothing more than/only”。如：
Tom has no more than two friends in Guangzhou.汤姆在广州只有两个朋友。
I have no more than five dollars in my pocket.我的口袋里只有五块钱。
I have taken no more than five courses this semester，我这个学期只选了五门课。
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。
6.no more...than...
“no more...than...”等于“neither...nor...”.意思为“与……同样不是，正如……一样也不，与……一样不”。翻译时，如果句子是与主语相互比较，则可译成两个分句，先译“than”后面的，再译“no more”后面的，亦可按顺序翻译。但如果句子是比较非主语部分，则必须先译“than”后面的，再译“no more”后面的。如：
I can no more play football than you.你不会踢足球，我也不会。／我和你一样不会踢足球。
This book is no more interesting than that one.
那本书无趣，这本书也无趣。／这本书与那本一样无趣。
A whale is no more a fish than a horse is.
鲸不是鱼，如同马不是鱼一样。／鲸和马一样都不是鱼。／马不是鱼，鲸同样也不是鱼。
He is no more a graduate student than she.
他和她一样都不是研究生。／她不是研究生，他也不是。
He is no more a writer than a painter.
他既不是个作家，也不是个画家。／他既不是画家，也不是作家。
虽然上句改译后的意思没有多大的改变，但改译后的形式更贴近原文的表达，更抓住了原文的轻重主次。
二、less than的用法与翻译
1.less than
“less than”后面可接形容词、数词等，意为“不到，小于，少于”，具有否定意义。如：
He seemed less than overjoyed.他似乎并不太高兴。
Jack is less than twenty years old.杰克还不到二十岁。
The lightest weighs less than 50 kilograms.最轻的不到50千克。
2.less...than...
“less...than...”结构的意思与“more...than...”的结构刚好相反。亦可使用“与其说……不如说……”的句型翻译，但不必先译后面再译前面，而是按顺序翻译。如：
John is less daring than quick-witted.与其说约翰胆大，不如说他脑子灵活。
George was less intelligent than aggressive.与其说乔治聪颖过人，不如说他言行放肆。
This is much less a political problem than an economic problem.
与其说这是个政治问题，还不如说是经济问题。
Linda was less hurt than frightened.与其说琳达受到伤害，还不如说她受惊吓。
Experience shows that success is due less to ability than to hard work.
经验告诉我们，成功与其说是由于才能，不如说是由于努力工作。
3.not less than
“Not less than”等同于“at least”，意思是“不比……差，至少，不少于”。如：
There were not less than students in the class.教室里至少有五十名同学。
Mr.Smith has not less than twenty thousand books.史密斯先生至少有20,000本书。
4.not less...than...
“not less...than.”与前面的“not less than”的意思基本一致，或“比……有过之而无不及”。如：
Farmers are not less important than factory workers.农民可能比工厂工人更为重要。
5.no less than
“no less than”等同于“as much(many)as”，意思是“正如，一样多，不亚于，有……之多”。如：
There were no less than fifty students in the class.教室里有五十名同学之多。
Mr.Smith has no less than twenty thousand books.史密斯先生恰好有20,000本书。
6.no less...than...
词组“no less...than...”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，应该先译“than”后面的，再译“no less”后面的。如：
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。
标签：LESS论文;