英语短语辨析

一、no more than 与not more than

1. no more than 的意思是“仅仅”“只有”“最多不超过”，强调少。如：

This test takes no more than thirty minutes. 这个测验只要30分钟。

The pub was no more than half full. 该酒吧的上座率最多不超过五成。

For thirty years，he had done no more than he （had）needed to. 30年来，他只干了他需要

干的工作。

2. not more than 为more than （多于）的否定式，其意为“不多于”“不超过”。如：

Not more than 10 guests came to her birthday party. 来参加她的生日宴会的客人不超过十人。

比较：She has no more than three hats. 她只有3顶帽子。（太少了）She has not more than three hats. 她至多有3顶帽子。（也许不到3顶帽子）

I have no more than five yuan in my pocket. 我口袋里的钱最多不过5元。（言其少）

I have not more than five yuan in my pocket. 我口袋里的钱不多于5元。（也许不到5元）

二、no more……than 与not more……than

1. no more……than 表示对两者都否定，意为“同……一样不”（＝neither……nor……）。如：

He is no more a writer than a painter. 他既不是画家，也不是作家。（＝He is neither a painter nor

a writer.）

He…s no more able to read Spanish than I am. 他和我都读不懂西班牙语。（＝Neither he nor I am

able to read Spanish.）

I know no more Spanish than I know Greek. 我对西班牙语和希腊语同样都不懂。（＝I know

neither Spanish nor Greek.）

2. not more……than 指两者都具有某种特征，但是程度不同，意为“不如”“不及”（＝not so……

as）。如：

She is not more clever than he is. 她不如他聪明。（＝She is not so clever as he is.）

This book is not more difficult than that one. 这本书不及那本书难。（This book is not so difficult

as that one.）

三、no less than 与not less than

1. no less than 的意思是“多达”“有……之多”，强调多，与no more than 意思相反。如：

He made no less than ￡500. 他赚了多达500英镑的钱。

He paid no less than $10，000 for it. 他为此付了一万多美元。

No less than 50 people offered to buy it. 至少有50个人提出要买它。

No less than 50 passengers got killed in the train accident yesterday. 死于昨天火车车祸的旅客

有50人之多。

My father，no less than I，is a baseball fan. 我的父亲不亚于我，也是个棒球迷。

2. not less than 为less than（少于）的否定式，其意为“不少于”“不下于”“至少”。如：

He has not less than 10，000 dollars. 他至少有一万元。

Not less than 500 people attended the meeting. 参加会议的至少500人。

比较：He has no less than seven daughters. 他有7个女儿之多。

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

四、no more……than 与no less……tha n

1. no more……than 意为“与……一样不”，用于否定两者。如：

She…s no more a great singer than I am. 她不是优秀歌手，我也不是。

A whale is no more a fish than a horse is. 马不是鱼，鲸也不是鱼。

He is no more an artist than you are a mathematician. 就像你不是数学家一样，他也不是艺术家。

2. no less……than 意为“和……一样”，用于肯定两者。如：

Your brother is no less wise than you. 你的兄弟跟你一样聪明。

A dolphin is no less a clever animal than a dog is. 海豚与狗同样都是聪明的动物。Italian is no less a mother tongue for him than English. 如同英语一样，意大利语也是他的母语。

五、more than 的用法

1. （指数量）多于I…ve known him for more than twenty years. 我已认识他20多年了。

2. 不只是，不仅仅是（通常后接名词、动词、从句等）

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

He more than smiled，but laughed. 他不只是微笑，而是放声大笑。

The result was much more than I imagined. 结果远远超出我的想象。

3. 极其，非常（通常后接形容词、副词或分词等）

I was more than pleased with the pay rise. 薪水涨了，我高兴极了。

He was more than upset by the accident. 他对这次事故感到非常难过。

4. 难以，完全不能（其后通常连用情态动词can）

That is more than I can tell. 那事我实在不明白。

The heat there was more than he could stand. 那儿的炎热程度是他所不能忍受的。

六、less than 的用法

1. （指数量）不到，不足It…s less than half an hour's drive from here. 开车到那里不到半个钟头。

In less than an hour he finished the work. 没要上一个小时，他就完成了工作。