Negation（反译法）

Negation（反译法）
Negation（反译法）
Transfer of the Negative（转移否定）
A negative may be transferred from a certain part of the sentence to another in translation. Transfer of the Negative from the Main Clause to the Subordinate That-Clause （把主句的否定转移到that-从句）
A strange feature of the syntax of subordination in colloquial English is the transfer of the negative from a subordinate that-clause, where semantically it belongs, to the main clause (Quirk 1972:789). Thus “I think he will not come” is less often seen than “I don’t think h e will come”. In Chinese, however, we usually say “我想他不会来”in stead of “我不想他会来”, hence the transfer of the negative in translation.
In this case, transferred negation is limited to those verbs of belief or assumption, such as think, believe, suppose, expect, imagine, fancy, reckon.
Examples:
1. We don’t believe that our mother tongue is inferior to any other language in the world.
我们相信，祖国的语⾔并不亚于世界任何其他语⾔。

2. I don’t think Father will fancy living an idle life like that.
我想爸爸不会喜欢过那样清闲的⽣活。

3. I do not think anyone writes so well that he cannot learn much from F owler’s Dictionary of
Modern English Usage. (W. S. Maugham: Lucidity, Simplicity, Euphony)
我觉得任何⼈如果不能从福勒的《现代英语⽤法辞典》中多学点东西的话，他是写不出好⽂章来的。

/ 我认为，任何⼈⽆论⽂章写得多好，也不能不从福勒的《现代英语⽤法辞典》中得到许多教益。

Drills 9.1.1
4. I do not think the Council can or should remain indifferent to these most serious violations
of human rights.
5. It is not our view (opinion) that the substance or the tone of his remarks this morning will
contribute to creating a lasting peace in the Middle East.
6. I don’t feel I can stand it much longer. (Arnold Bennett)
7. I don’t suppose you need to worry.
8. I don’t think so.
Not all verbs in the semantic field of belief, uncertainty, etc, take transferred negation. It is notable, for example, that negation cannot be transferred from verbs like assume, surmise,and presume:
I can’t assume that he came. 我不能假定他来了。

cf. I assume that he couldn’t come. 我猜想他不能来。

The negative sometimes can be transferred from the finite verb to other parts of the sentence: Oddly enough, he didn’t seem to remember his own birthday. (=It seemed that he didn’t remember his own birthday.)
说也奇怪，他似乎不记得⾃⼰的⽣⽇了。

Transfer of the Negative from the Finite Verb to the Adverbial（把谓语动词的否定转移到状语）
When a negative sentence contains an adverbial, care should be taken that the negative word actually modifies the adverbial (i.e. negative focus) in meaning even if it appears to modify the verb in form:
Examples:
1. Rome was not built in a day. (=Rome was built not in a day.)
罗马⾮朝⼣建成。

/ 伟业⾮⼀⽇之功。

2. He does not work at this factory. (cf. He does no work at this factory.)
他不在这家⼯⼚⼯作。

3. I cannot consider the matter as in any way urgent. (=I consider the matter as in no way
urgent.)
我认为此事毫不紧急。

4. We do not live to eat, but eat to live.
我们活着不是为了吃饭，⽽吃饭是为了活着。

/ 我们不是为吃饭⽽活着，⽽是为活着⽽吃饭。

5. Just because she doesn’t compla in you should not suppose that she is satisfied.
你不可只因为他不发怨⾔，就以为她⼼满意⾜了。

Drills 9.1.2
6. He didn’t happen to be there that day. (=He happened not to be there that day.)
7. She did not come to school by bus.
8. I do not come to tease you.
9. We have not fought for so many years to succumb to the lackey of the enemy in the end.
10. She did not leave the letter here on purpose for you to read.
11. People did not shake off colonialist’s yoke in order to put on the hegemonist’s.
12. You cannot politely turn down the invitation to the conference.
13. We w ill not be going there to conduct a negotiation on behalf of our government.
14. Don’t think ill of me because I use her help. (C.Dickens)
15. He did not do this because there were not any proof readers, but because he did not want
any mistakes to slip into the newspapers.
16. I didn’t leave home because I was afraid of my father. (R.Quirk)
cf. I didn’t leave home, because I was afraid of my father.
NOTES
The scope of the negation normally extends from the negative word itself to the end of the clause, or to the beginning of a final adjunct. When an adverbial is final, however, it may or may not lie outside the scope (Quirk 1972:381):
I was n’t ˇlistening all the｀time. (=For the whole time, I wasn’t listening.)
我整段时间都没听。

I was n’t listening all the ˇtime. (=It is not true that I was listening all the time.)
我并不是整段时间都在听。

The difference of scope, which is here marked by intonation, reflects an important difference of meaning.
Transfer of the Negative to the Verb from Other Parts of the Sentence（把句⼦其他成分的否定转移到动词）Examples:
1. No modulated signal is detected.
没有检到调制的信号。

（not检到了没有调制的信号）
2. When gasoline burns, nothing visible remains.
汽油燃烧时，看不见有什么东西剩下。

3. He gave me not even a moment to collect my thoughts.
他甚⾄不给我⽚刻时间去集中⼀下思想。

4. The whole subject is so obscure, that I have succeeded in throwing hardly any light on it.
(Darwin)
这整个问题是如此深奥难解，我⼏乎未能对它作任何阐明。

5. She loves you so well that she has the heart to thwart you in nothing. (Gilbert)
她这样爱你，决不忍⼼在任何事情上让你不顺⼼。

Drills 9.1.3
6. She gave me no answer.
7. Post no bills.
8. A rolling stone gathers no moss. (proverb)
9. Under no circumstances would we give up our principles.
10. She found that she could count certainty upon nobody. (Hewlett)
11. Of course Lyndon Johnson could do it like no other man. (The Best and the Brightest)
12. I turned aside to visit no objects of interest. (Hugh Conway)
9.2 Conversion of the Affirmative into the Negative（肯定形式译成否定形式）
By “the affirmative” in English we mean that sentences have neither such negative words as
“no”,“not”,“never”,“none”,“neither”,“nobody”,“nothing”,“nowhere”,“nowise”, nor words with such negative prefixes or suffixes as “dis-”,“im-”,“in-”,“ir-”,“non”,“un-”,“-less”.
By “the negative” in Chinese we mean that sentences have such negative characters as “不”，“⾮”，“否”，“⽆”，“没（有）”，“未”，“别”，“勿”，“莫”，“休”，“甭”.
It is sometimes advisable and even necessary to convert affirmatives (often implying negation) in English into negatives in Chinese due to differences in the way of thinking and in the mode of expression.
Examples:
Drills 9.2a
Give Chinese equivalents in the negative form for the following:
1. anxiety
2. predictably
3. failure
4. supreme authority
5. with dignity
6. a barren tract of land
7. be at a loss
8. absent-minded
9. prove worthy of our trust
10. safe and sound
11. exactly 12. be fatally ill
13. a force to be reckoned with
14. soon enough
15. wet paint
16. life sentence (imprisonment)
17. feel worried
18. keep…within bounds
Examples:
1. I hate to get personal, but you’re much older tha n Byron.
我不喜欢过问私事，不过你⽐拜伦要⼤得多。

2. Oh, stop fumbling. I’ll finish the top buttons.
唉，别笨⼿笨脚地乱摸了，上⾯的扣⼦我来扣吧。

3. Take it or leave it.
买不买随你。

4. The name slipped from my memory.
我⼀时想不起这个名字。

5. My mother is 86, but she carries her years easily.
我母亲86岁了，可并不显⽼。

6. This was a view which seems to have escaped the Prime Minister.
⾸相似乎没有看到这⼀点。

7. This makes the task of the Negro a more healthful and reasonable one. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
这使得⿊⼈所⼲的活⽐较不伤⾝体，也⽐较合乎情理。

8. I’ll chase you down and bring you under, you’ll see!
我要迫得你⽆路可⾛，把你制服住，你瞧着吧！
9. So cheer up, Captain; and buy a flower off a poor girl. (Bernard Shaw: Pygmalion)
别发愁了，长官，买咱穷⼥孩的⼀枝花吧。

10. That time when we caught Molly I doubled up with laughter. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
我们抓住莫莉那⼀回，我笑得直不起腰来。

11. “I suppose I must,” said Miss Sharp calmly, and much to the wonder of Miss Jemima.
(Vanity Fair)
“我想这是免不了的，”夏普⼩姐说得不慌不忙，吉⽶玛⼩姐觉得很惊奇。

Drills 9.2b
12. Make yourself at home.
13. She was persistent when executed.
14. She saw him coming but she ignored him.
15. He has grown into quite another creature from what he was.
16. Mind your own business.
17. Our work is still a long way from perfection.
18. His words and actions are in conflict.
Conversion of the Negative into the Affirmative（否定形式译成肯定形式）
Conversion of English Words with Negative Prefixes or Suffixes into Affirmative Forms（把含有前后缀否定的词译成肯定形式）
This conversion sometimes sounds better than the combination of the negative word and the affirmative root word. e.g. “混乱”for “disorder”, “疏忽” or “粗⼼⼤意” for “carelessness”, “⽂盲” for “illiterate”, “忘我”for “selfless”, etc.
Examples:
1. Yesterday the President gave an unprepared speech before a big audience.
昨天总统在⼤庭⼴众⾯前即席致辞。

2. Aren’t they fine, these three men are going off into nowhere like that?
这三⼈真⾏，前途茫茫，就这样去了。

Drills 9.3.1
3. We watched the diminishing pile of money with breathless interest.
4. She went into the unsafe building.
5. Today they become even more merciless.
Conversion of Negative Sentences into Affirmatives（否定句译成肯定句）Examples:
1. My overcoat would not wear out.
我的⼤⾐⼗分耐穿。

2. Mr. Shelby, you cannot be serious. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
雪尔贝先⽣，你这话准是说着玩的吧！/ 你这话不可能是当真的吧？
3. If that isn’t what I want!
我所要的就是这个呀！
4. You w ouldn’t recognize the rivers; they were feeding reservoirs that had not been there
before.
河流灌⼊了新修的⽔库，你都认不出来了。

5. Whatever money doesn’t go for food is spent for visits to the health clinic.
(W.Mooneyham: What Do You Say to a Hungry World?)
除了伙⾷开⽀，剩下的钱都⽤来跑诊所了。

6. Nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility. (Austen)
谦卑的外表是最易使⼈上当的。

7. “Ah, my lord,” she said, “you don’t know all I have to suffer and bear in silence!”(Vanity
Fair)
“唉，勋爵，”她说，“你哪⾥知道我暗地⾥要受多少苦啊！”
Translation of English Questions and Answers（英语问答句译法）
Translation of Answers to Negative Questions（回答否定问句的译法）The same answer to a negative question is expressed differently in the two languages. Care should be taken not to make a wrong interpretation. Examples & Drills 9.4.1
1.Are you not prepared to do this work?
你不打算做这项⼯作吗？
Yes, I am. 不，我打算做。

/ No, I’m no t. 是的，我不打算做。

2. Didn’t I tell you this yesterday?
Yes, you did. / No, you didn’t.
3. Don’t you mind my coming here?
Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
4. Haven’t you got the new lesson sheets yet?
Yes, I do. / No, not yet.
5. You are not going down town tomorrow?
Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
Translation of Negative Questions（否定问句的译法）
Sometimes the negative question itself may be translated into a Chinese affirmative.
Examples & Drills 9.4.2a
1. Look, some buses are coming this way, don’t you see them?
瞧，有⼏辆公共汽车往这边开来了，你看见吗？（cf. 你没看见吗？）
2. It’s g etting dark, don’t you think it’s going to rain right now?
3. Can’t you see that China is growing more prosperous everyday?
Having turned the negative question into a Chinese affirmative, we need not translate the answer “yes” into “不是” or “no” into “是的”. Just translate the answer in the same way.
Some questions in English look like disjunctive questions, but actually they are not. The statement and question have two different subjects covering different persons or things. In translation, the negation is generally not expressed.
Examples & Drills 9.4.2b
1. I like Xiamen very much, don’t you?
我很喜欢厦门，你呢？（cf. 你不喜欢吗？）
2. They are going to leave the university very soon, aren’t you going too?
3. He went to Canada yesterday, didn’t his girl friend go too?
Compare the above with the following:
Examples & Drills 9.4.2c
1. I don’t like summer, do you?
我不喜欢夏天，你呢？
2. He won’t go home, but will she?
3. John didn’t phone you, did Mary?
Translation of Answers to Disjunctive Questions（回答反意问句的译法）
(1) Answers to disjunctive questions with negative statements going before, either “yes” or “no”, are expressed in the opposite way.
Examples:
1. It’s not going to rain, is it?
不会下⾬，是不是？
No. 是的,不会。

/ Yes. it’s going to rain.不，会下⾬的。

2. Helen: I don’t suppose you remember an accident here, do you, Mary?
Mary: No.
Helen: No, I thought not.
海伦：我想你不会记得这⾥发⽣的⼀次事故，记得吗，玛丽？
玛丽：不记得。

海伦：是呀，我想你是不记得的。

Similar cases in silent answers:
3. “You’re not going to school today?” Mother shouted down the stairs to her little one. The
child looked up and shook his head.
“今天你就不上学啦？”母亲从楼上喊下来，问她的⼩宝贝。

孩⼦抬起头来点了⼀下。

Drills 9.4.3a
4. You don’t know it, do you?
No. / Yes, I know a little bit.
5. He doesn’t speak English, does he?
No. / Yes, he does.
6. “I don’t call that fair now, do yo u?”
“No,”said Dr.Livesey, “I don’t.”
7. Hilda: I am not in the least frightened of Caroline.
Hugo: Oh, yes, you are. The very idea of her fills your soul with dread.
8. Mama pursed her lips. “We do not,” she reminded us gently, “want to have to go to the
bank.” We all shook our heads. (K.Fobes: Mama and Her Bank Account)
(2) Answers to disjunctive questions with affirmative statements going before, either “yes” or “no”, are expressed in the same way as English.
Examples & Drills 9.4.3b
1. It’s a fine day, isn’t it?
天⽓很好，是不是？
Yes, it is. 是的，很好。

/ No,it isn’t.不，天⽓不好。

2. You speak French, don’t you?
Yes, I speak a little. / No, I don’t.
NOTES
In Chinese questions or exclamations, meanings are sometimes different from their forms:
Exclamations:
Translation of Rhetorical Questions（修辞性问句的译法）
Examples & Drills 9.4.4
1. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we
disposed to be of the number of those, who having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? (Patrick Henry: Speech in the Virginia Convention of Delegates)
为争取⾃由⽽从事伟⼤⽽艰巨的⽃争的明智⼈⼠，难道应该这样做吗？对于⽬前⾃救运动密切相关的事业视⽽不见、充⽿不闻的⼈，难道我们⽢⼼情愿与之为伍吗？
2. Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?
(Patrick Henry: Liberty or Death)
3. I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, dimensions, senses, affections,
passions? (Shakespeare: Merchant of Venice)
4. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? (Patrick Henry:
Liberty or Death)
Translation of Indirect Negative Questions（间接否定问句的译法）Negation can be found even in indirect questions, which in our mode of expression should be in a tone of uncertainty, such as “是否可以……”, “能不能……”. A literal translation will confuse the reader.
Examples:
1. I wonder if he cannot help me out of the difficulty.
我不知道他是否能帮我摆脱这个困境。

2. I don’t know if he cannot come today.
我不知道他今天能不能来。

3. I am writing to ask your help in seeing if the provisions of the agreement cannot be
implemented in the next few weeks.
兹函请惠予注意协议条款是否可在今后⼏周内实施。

Drills 9.4.5
4. Let me know if this work is not excellent.
5. There was no knowing whether he might not put in an appearance.
6. I asked him if I could not do anything for him.
7. Try and think whether you have no friends to help you.
8. I wonder if we cannot get any more.
9. Please look it over to see if I haven’t made any silly mistakes.
10. I am going back over every foot of the way we came to see if I cannot find it.
Translation of Various Kinds of Negations（英语各种否定译法）
In English there are various kinds of words, phrases, idioms, and sentences implying negation. How to deal with them requires careful consideration.
Partial Negation（部分否定）
When we refer to persons or things, three degrees of affirmation apply: full affirmative（全部肯定）, partial affirmative（部分肯定）and full negative（全部否定）. Examples of words in these three cases are given below:
In a simple sentence, the cases that the negative word “not” follows or precedes the words in these three categories show interesting differences:
(1) Partial affirmative + not keeps the meaning partially affirmative:
Some students are not here. ≈Some students are here.
(2) Not + full negative makes the meaning partially affirmative:
1. Not many people have nowhere to live. = Most people have somewhere to live.
(R.Quirk 1972:379)
不是很多⼈没有地⽅住。

2. Not all imperatives have no subjects. = Some imperatives have subjects.
不是所有的祈使句都没有主语。

(3) “Not for nothing” makes the meaning partially negative or partially affirmative:
1. All these investigations are not done for nothing.
这些调查并⾮都是⽩做的。

2. She would not have done so for nothing.
没有⼀些意图，她是不会这样做的。

3. Oh, you must have done something to the child. She would not have cried like that for
nothing.
啊！你⼀定惹翻了这孩⼦，不然她是不会哭成这个样⼦的。

4. I’ll take it then. Not for nothing. I’ll give you something in return. (A. Cronin)
那么我拿了。

不是没有代价的，我将回敬你⼀些东西。

(4) Full affirmative + not / not + full affirmative makes the meaning partially affirmative or partially negative. Careless beginners are liable to make mistakes here.
* all ... not ... = not all = some
* everybody ... not ... = not everybody = somebody / some one / some people
* everything ... not ... = not everything = something / some things
* every… not… = not every = some
* both ... not ... = not both = one or the other
* always… not… = not always = sometimes
* everywhere ... not ... = not everywhere = somewhere / some places
* al together … not… = not altogether = somewhat
In the case of (4), negation is applied only to a part of the persons or things mentioned in the subject. The word order of partial negation in English is quite different from that in Chinese, though a new tendency of placing the negative word before the subject prevails.
Examples:
1. All that glisters is not gold. (Shakespeare)
All is not gold that glitters. (Stevenson)
闪光的东西未必都是黄⾦。

/ 灿烂者⾮皆黄⾦。

2. A man of learning is not always a man of wisdom.
有学问的⼈并⾮都是有智慧的⼈。

3. All men are not born to reign. (Byron)
⼈⼈并⾮⽣⽽成君主。

/ ⼈⼈⾮皆⽣⽽为王也。

4. All was not ping pong during the Chinese Table Tennis Team’s four-day visit to New York.
(China· USA· Table Tennis)
中国乒乓球队在纽约的四天访问期间，并不是都在进⾏乒乓球赛。

5. The good and the beautiful do not always go together. (Shakespeare)
善和美未必总是兼备。

/ 善未必美，美未必善也。

6. All the great truths are obvious truths. But all obvious truths are not great truths. (Huxley)
伟⼤的真理都是显⽽易见的道理，但不是所有显⽽易见的道理都是伟⼤的真理。

Drills 9.5.1a
7. All of the atoms of an element do not have exactly the same mass.
8. All graduates from the College of Foreign Languages will not be appointed to do
translation work.
9. All that flatter you are not faithful friends.
10. Not all of its resolutions are carried out.
11. Not all matter is visible. Air is not visible, but it is matter.
12. All forms of matter do not have the same properties.
13. All criminals are not murderers.
* The pattern “… not…all (every, both, always)” also implies partial negation.
Examples & Drills 9.5.1b
1. I do not know all of them. 我并不全认识他们。

I do not know every one of them. 我并不全认识他们每⼀个⼈。

I do not know both of them. 他们两⼈，我只认识⼀个。

cf. I don’t know any of them. 我都不认识他们。

I know none of them. 他们⼀个我也不认识。

I do not know either of them. 他们两⼈，我都不认识。

2. You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but
you can’t fool all the people all the time. (A. Lincoln)
你有时可以欺骗所有的⼈，也可以⽼是欺骗某些⼈，但你未必能⽼是欺骗所有的⼈。

3. He doesn’t like both.
cf. He likes neither.
He doesn’t like either of them.
4. She didn’t criticize everybody.
cf. She criticized nobody.
NOTES
(1) The patterns “all the + noun + not” and “not all the + noun” may imply full negation:
1. All the money in the world won’t make you happy then. (Thackeray)
到那时候，即使拥有世界上所有的钱财，也都不能使你幸福了。

2. All my fiery words could not bring one tinge of color to those ivory cheeks or one gleam
of emotion to those abstracted eyes.
我虽然说了种种激烈的话，却没能使那象⽛⾊的双颊现出⼀丝红⾊，或者在那发呆的眼睛⾥引起丝毫的表情。

3. Not all the things we can pleasure could give me any relish. (Daniel Defoe)
即使我们所有的所谓乐事，也不能给我以半点乐趣。

4. When the time comes, not all the angels in heaven shall save him. (Brontё)
时候⼀到，即使天上所有的天使也拯救不了他。

5. Not all the water in the rough rude sea can wash the balm from an anointed King.
(Shakespeare)
即使倾注了波涛汹涌的海⽔，也洗不净涂在国王头上的⾹油。

Intonation may be crucial in marking the extension of the scope of negation backwards to include the subject: an atypical phenomenon found in subjects which contain one of the “universal” items all or every (Quirk 1972:383):
1. All cats don’t like｀water. (= All cats dislike water. = No cat likes water.)
猫都不喜欢⽔。

2.｀All cats don’t like ′water. (= Not all cats like water.)
猫并不都喜欢⽔。

3. Every dog here doesn’t｀bite. (= No dog here bites.)
这⾥的狗都不咬⼈。

4.｀Every dog here doesn’t′bite. (= Not every dog here bites.)
这⾥的狗并不都咬⼈。

Example 1 or 3 has the normal negative scope, while 2 or 4 has contrastive (fall + rise) information focus on the subject, signaling its inclusion within the scope. The construction 1 or 3 is, in fact, unusual: more common is the paraphrase with a negative subject: “No cat likes water” or “No dog here bites”.
Some cases of transferred negation with different intonations also show different scopes of negation:
He wasn’t at ′work all｀day. (= For the whole day, he wasn’t at work.)
他整天都不在⼯作。

He wasn’t at work allˇday. (= It is not true that he was at work for the whole day.)
他并不整天都在⼯作。

(2) Partial negation also finds itself in the pattern of “not…and…” in which “not” is ap plied to the second of the two connected by “and”:
He did not speak clearly and correctly. 他讲得清楚，但不正确。

（葛传规1960:50）
cf. He did not speak clearly or correctly. 他讲得不清楚，也不正确。

9.5.2 Full Negation（全部否定）
A full negation (or absolute negation) is usually formed in three ways:
* Full negative + affirmative predicate:
Nobody succeeds. / He was never kind.
* Full affirmative + words with negative prefixes or suffixes, or words implying negation:
He was always unkind. / Everybody fails.
* not… any…(negative predicate + indefinite pronoun or adverb):
He cannot remember anything. / I do not know any of them.
Examples:
1. All his words are incredible.
他的话都靠不住。

2. Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. (Mark Twain)
⼈⼈谈论天⽓，但个个对天⽓都⽆所作为。

Drills 9.5.2a
3. All his hopes came to nothing.
4. All this is unnecessary.
cf. All this is not necessary.
5. She was always unhappy.
cf. She was not always happy.
6. Everybody here is dishonest.
cf. Nobody here is honest.
7. This plant is nowhere to be found.
cf. This plant is not to be found everywhere.
The following are some ways to deal with a few frequently-used negatives: no, not, none, never, neither (nor). * NO / NOT
“No” is much stronger and therefore more emphatic than “not”.
Examples:
1. It is not a joke.
这不是开玩笑。

It is no joke.
这是正经事。

2. He is not a fool.
他不是傻⽠。

He is no fool.
他很精明。

3. There are no more than 50 workers in this large factory.
这家⼤⼯⼚竟只有50个⼯⼈。

There are no less than 500 workers in this small factory.
这家⼩⼯⼚的⼯⼈竟多达500⼈。

4. I have not taken more than five courses this semester.
本学期我修的课没有超过五门。

（⾄多五门，也许不到）
I have taken no more than five courses this semester.
本学期我只修五门课。

（= only,含“少”的意味）
5. I have not taken less than five courses this semester.
本学期我⾄少修了五门课。

（也许不⽌）
I have taken no less than five courses this semester.
本学期我竟修了五门课。

（= as many as, 含“多”的意味）
Drills 9.5.2b
6. He is not a scholar.
He is no scholar.
7. He is not a genius.
He is no genius.
8. I am not an angel.
I am no angel.
9. He is not better than you.
He is no better than you.
10. John is not wiser than Mary.
John is no wiser than Mary.
11. He is not more a writer than a painter.
He is no more a writer than a painter.
12. She is not less beautiful than her sister.
She is no less beautiful than her sister.
13. A whale is no more a fish than a horse is.
A whale is no less a mammal than a horse is.
14. A panda is no more a bear than a dog is.
A panda is no less a valuable animal than a dog is.
15. They expect nothing more than a peaceful life.
They expect nothing less than a peaceful life.
16. His work is nothing more than a drop of water in the sea.
But yet me thinks, my Fathers’ execution was nothing less than bloody Tyranny.
(Shakespeare)
17. He has no more than 30 dollars in his pocket.
He has not more than 30 dollars in his pocket.
18. He has no less than 30 dollars in his pocket.
He has not less than 30 dollars in his pocket.
19. Peter is no richer than Mary.
Peter is not richer than Mary.
20. It is no less than blackmail to ask such a high price.
21. A big elephant is not more an animal than a little cat is.
22. He was no more than skin and bones. (R. L. Stevenson)
23. He is no more a god than we are.
24. He is no more than a puppet.
25. There is no more dependence to be placed on his words than there is on the wind.
26. Sunlight is no less necessary than fresh air to a healthy body.
27. As regards our foreign policy, it is no less our interest than our duty to maintain the most
friendly relations with other countries.
28. He was no less a person than the President. (=He was a person no other than the President.) NOTES Some formulas: Full negative + Comparative
not better than …不⽐……好
no better than … = as bad as …⼀样坏
not wiser than …不⽐……聪明
no wiser than … = as stupid as …⼀样笨
not richer than …不⽐……富
no richer than … = as poor as … ⼀样穷
not later th an …不⽐……迟
no later than … = as early as …⼀样早
not more than …不⽐……多
no more than … = as few (little) as …= only⼀样少
not less than …不⽐……少
no less than … = as much as …⼀样多
not fewer than …不⽐……少
no fewer than … = as many as …⼀样多
* NONE
As a full negative, “none”is likewise stronger than “not”:
None will say so. 没有⼈会这样说。

One will not say so. ⼈不会这样说。

“None” can be used as an adverb in the patterns of none the(= in no way, not at all) + comparative and none too (= not very). Examples:
1. He explained this sentence to me, but I’m none the wiser.
他给我解释这⼀句，但我仍然⼀点也不懂。

2. I’m none too sure about him.
我对他这个⼈拿不准。

Drills 9.5.2c
3. The help came none too soon.
4. If nobody tells him, he will be none the wiser.
5. My car is none the worse for the accident.
6. The salary they pay me is none too high.
* NEVER
Another full negative, “never” is used in a strong prohibition.
Examples:
1. Never leave till tomorrow that which you can do today. (Franklin)
决不要把今天能做的事留到明天去做。

/ 今⽇事今⽇毕。

2. Never buy a pig in a poke.
切勿买下没有过⽬的东西。

/ 切勿盲⽬答应。

Drills 9.5.2d
3. Never judge by appearances.
4. Never bark up the wrong tree.
5. Never offer to teach fish to swim.
6. Never do things by halves.
7. Never hang a man twice for the same offence.
* NEITHER (NOR)
These two full negatives may be used correlatively or separately. Two points should be noted:
“Neither …nor” is the negative form of “b oth ... and”, and not that of “e ither… or”;
“Neither” as a pronoun or a determiner is used for two persons or things. However, it is usually followed by a singular verb in formal writing.
Neither is good. 两者皆不好。

Both are good. 两者皆好。

Neither book / Neither of the books is good. (= they are both bad) 两本书都不好。

Both books are good. 两本书都好。

Neither of the sisters is here. 姐妹俩都不在这⾥。

Both sisters are not here. 并不是姐妹俩都在这⾥。

(⼀个在这⾥，⼀个不在这⾥)
Finally comes the third type of full negation: Negative predicate + indefinite pronoun or adverb (not... any).
Examples & Drills 9.5.2e
1. I do not know any of them.
cf. I know none of them. (literary)
我对他们⼀个也不认识。

2. I did not receive any letter yesterday.
cf. I received no letters yesterday.
3. I don’t like either of the novels.
cf. I like neither of the novels.
4. Anyhow I shall not go today.
CAUTION
Chinese students are liable to translate the following into Chinglish (汉式英语):
任何⼈都⼲不了这件事。

Anybody cannot do it. (wrong, Chinglish)
Nobody can do it. (right, English)
The reason why the former is wrong lies in this rule: “The non-assertive form associated with negation cannot precede not in the sentence” (Qui rk 1972:378). That is to say, in a negative sentence, any,anybody, anyone, and anything cannot be used
as subjects. More examples: Anything didn’t come of it. (wrong, Chinglish)
Nothing came of it. (right, English)
Any of us weren’t ready. (wrong, Chinglish)
None of us were ready. (right, English)
However, indefinite pronouns such as any or anyone, if post-modified, can precede not in the sentence:
Anyone who does that isn’t honest. (right)
⼲那种事的⼈都不诚实。

9.5.3 Double Negation（双重否定）
Double negation has two distinct forms: one indicating euphemism (委婉) and the other emphasis (强调). In the former we weaken the statement, making it milder, while in the latter we reinforce it, making it stronger and more vigorous. In other words, we aim at softening effect in the one and strengthening effect in the other.
(1) Double negation with weakening effect
A double negative in English with one of its members expressed by a negative prefix or suffix or a word implying negation (e.g. deny, blind) has the effect of euphemism. When two negatives refer to the same idea or word, they do not exactly cancel each other out in a way that is identical with a simple affirmative: “the longer expression is always weaker” (Jespersen 1924:332). We have similar expressions in Chinese which have the same connotation as that in English:
不能不表⽰遗憾/ 不⽆遗憾We cannot but re gret …
难免错误There might be some errors.
未尝不可It might be all right. / It is not impossible.
并不否认do not deny…
Examples:
1. He is not incapable. (= He is to some extent capable.)
他并⾮⽆能。

cf. He is capable. 他很能⼲。

2. We were not unprepared for the war.
我们对战争并⾮没有准备。

3. It not seldom happens that what seems to be impossible is made possible.
似乎不可能的事变得可能，并⾮少见。

4. Rhoda was not blind to the Nazi cruelty. (The Winds of War)
罗达不是没有看到纳粹的残暴。

Drills 9.5.3a
5. I am not ignorant of this. (= I am to some extent aware of it.)
6. We do not deny that our work leaves much to be desired.
7. She did not show any displeasing manner to him.
8. It is not improbable that the people will rise in arms against the ruling class.
9. I could not disobey him. Only one thing remained for me: to suffer and obey. (A. Cronin)。