rather than作连词的用法

rather than的用法

rather than用作连词，其后的成分表示否定概念，意为“与其……不如，宁可……也不，不是……而是”，后面可以接名词、名词短语、代词、形容词、副词、动词、不定式、动名词等。

名词：

e.g. ①He is a writer rather than a teacher. 与其说他是教师，不如说他是作家。

②She studied English literature rather than French literature.

她研究英国文学，而非法国文学。

代词：

e.g. ①We are to blame rather than they. 该受责备的是我们，不是他们。

②I, rather than you, should take the responsibility. 该负责的是我，而不是你。

形容词

e.g. ①The colour seems green rather than blue. 这颜色似乎是蓝的，而不是绿的。

②He is generous rather than stingy. 他很慷慨，并不吝啬。

副词

e.g. ①The ship sank quickly rather than slowly. 船沉得很快，而非很慢。

②She usually gets up early rather than late. 她经常早起，而不是晚起。

动词

e.g. ①He ran rather than walked. 他跑着，不是走着。（注意时态一致）

②She wrote rather than telephoned. 她写了信，不是打了电话。（注意时态一致）

③He resigned rather than took part in such a dishonest transaction.

他宁愿辞职，也不愿参加这种欺诈交易。

④She found that the new measure decreased her workload rather than increased her

workload. 她发现新的措施减轻了她的工作负担，而不是增加了她的工作负担。不定式（不带to）

e.g. ①Rather than cause trouble, he went away. 他宁可走开而不愿惹麻烦。

②Rather than allow the apples to go bad, he sold them at half price.

与其让这些苹果烂掉，他半价处理了。

③Rather than have the radio repaired, she’d like to buy a new one.

与其修理那部收音机，她倒想去买一部新的。

不定式（不带to）

e.g. ①He wanted to swim rather than play volleyball. 他想去游泳，不想去打排球。

②It caused people to think and act rather than just stand by.

它使得人们进行思考并且行动，而不是仅仅袖手旁观。

介词短语

e.g. ①They relied mainly on themselves rather than on outside help.

他们主要依靠自己，而不是依靠外界的帮助。

②He went to the park in the evening rather than in the morning.

他不是在早上而是在晚上到公园里去。

分词

e.g. ①It is snowing rather than raining outside. 外面在下雪，不是在下雨。

②She is laughing rather than crying. 她在笑，不是在哭。

③He has been standing firm rather than surrendering. 他一直很坚定，不愿投降。动名词

e.g. He prefers going to bed early rather than burning the midnight oil.

他喜欢早睡，不喜欢熬夜。

句子

e.g. ①It is what he meant rather than what he said. 这是他的意思，而话倒没这么讲。

②He asked me how I found the hole rather than how I escaped.

他问我是怎样发现这个洞的，而不是问我怎样逃出来的。

Note: 1) rather than 后接不带to 的不定式时，通常表示主观上不愿干什么；而后接限定的动词形式（过去式等）时，则表示客观情况的否定。

e.g. ①He left rather than live with her.

他离开了，不愿同她住在一起。（主观愿望）

②He left rather than lived with her.

他离开了，而不是同她住在一起。（客观事实）

2) 有时候，rather than后接不带to的不定式或动名词均可。

e.g. You could go your own way, rather than follow / following their footsteps.