训练11 rather than 用法

训练11小议ｒａｔｈｅｒｔｈａｎ的用法

我们先来看两道最新高考题目：

【高考链接1】It is ______ to spend money on preventing illnesses by promoting healthy living rather than spending it trying to make people ______ after they are ill. (2008江苏)

A. good; good

B. well; better

C. better; better

D. better; good

【高考链接2】—Will you join us in the game?

—Thank you, ______（2007江西）

A. but why not?

B. but I’d rather not.

C. and I won’t.

D. and I’ll join.

点击第1题的答案为C。本句为复合句，it是形式主语，真正的主语是动词不定式短语to spend ...。rather than是固定短语，意为“与其说……，不如说……”。其句意为：与其把钱花在让人康复上，倒不如将钱花在通过提升健康的生活来预防疾病上。第2个题目的答案为B。根据后面的转折连词but ，应该是“我宁愿不去”。rather的意思为“宁愿”。

【基本用法】

根据其特点我们从两个方面来看一下rather than 的用法：

1. rather than经常用在“平行结构”里,即连接两个对等成分，表示客观事实，意为“是……而不是……；与其……不如……”。它连接的并列成分可以是名词、代词、形容词、介词（短语）、动名词、分句、不定式、动词等。现分述如下：

①连接两个名词（动名词）或代词，例如：

You rather than I are going to Beijing for Olympic Games.是你而不是我要去北京看奥运会。

As a sports man, I always prefer starting early, rather than leaving everything to the last minute.作为一个运动员，我总是愿意早开始而不愿意把所有事情都留到最后。

②连接两个不定式，例如：

Rather than get money in such a dishonest way, the old man would beg in the streets.这个老人宁愿在街上乞讨,也不愿以这种不正当的手段挣钱。

Finally, I decided to write rather than (to) telephone.最后，我决定写信而不打电话。

③连接两个介词（短语）或两个分句，例如：

We will have the meeting in the classroom rather than in the great hall.我们是在教室里开会，不是在大厅里。

We should help him rather than he should help us.是我们应该帮助他而不是他应该帮助我们。

④连接两个形容词，例如：

The sweater she bought was beautiful rather than cheap.与其说她买的这件羊毛衫便宜不如说它漂亮。

I’d call her hair chestnut rather than brown. 我宁愿说她的头发是栗色,而不是棕色。

2. rather than与would连用时，构成“would rather ... than ...”句式，意思是“宁愿……而不愿……”，表示主观愿望，即在两者之中选择其一。应该特别注意此短语的否定构成及其后接的动词形式。如：He would rather have the small one than the large one.他宁愿要一个小的,而不要大的。

I’d rather take the slo west train than go there by air.我宁愿坐最慢的火车,也不乘飞机去那里。

【辨析】

① rather than 用来表示“是……而不是……”，通常连接两个并列成分：He is an artist rather than a philosopher.他是位艺术家而不是位哲学家。

② sb./sth. is more A than B表示“与其说sb./sth.是B，不如说是A”，例如：

He is more an artist than a philosopher.与其说他是位哲学家，不如说他是位艺术家。

注意sb./sth. is not more A than B表示“与其说sb./sth.是A，不如说是B”，如：

He is not more an artist than a philosopher.与其说他是位艺术家，不如说他是位哲学家。

③ other than除了……还……，相当于besides,表示除了后者之外的同类事物，例如：

There’s nobody here other than me.

除了我这里没别人。

You can’t get there other than by swimming.

你只能靠游泳游到那边去。

【拓展】

rather 的用法

① adv. 意思有：相当，宁可，宁愿，颇，有点儿。既可以修饰形容词，也可以修饰副词，例如：

There’s something rather strange about the way he talks to you.他跟你说话的样子真有点怪。

To Jamaican , Beijing Olympic Games are rather a happy result. =That is a rather happy result.对牙买加人来说，北京奥运会是一个相当愉快的结果。

②意为“更确切地”，此用法的rather常用在or rather这一短语中,表示想要纠正已经说过的话,或欲使已说过的话更确切。如：

He worked till late last night, or rather, early in the morning.他一直工作到深夜,或者更确切地说,到今天凌晨。

The building is like a palace, or rather a temple.这幢建筑物像一座宫殿,或者更确切地说像一座寺庙。

③ would/had rather 后接从句时,从句中的谓语动词用虚拟语气。例如：

I would/had rather you posted the letter right away. 我倒希望你把这封信立即发出去。

I would/had rather that she had not stayed at home when the earthquake took place. 当地震发生时她要是不留在家里就好了。

【巩固精练】

Ⅰ. 根据上面的讲解，翻译下列句子：

1. 与其说他是一个海员，不如说他是一个探险者。

2. 他唯恐蔬菜烂掉，把它们以半价卖掉了。

3. 在地震中这位母亲宁愿死也不愿失去孩子们。

4. 我现在不愿把那个秘密告诉你。

Ⅱ. 单项选择：

1. On the other hand, I think it is Mike, ______you, ______to blame for the matter.

A. more than; are

B. less than; who are

C. rather than; that is

D. rather than; is

2. To watch the live broadcast of Men Basketball between China and U.S.，I went to bed very late last night, ______, early the next morning.

A. or rather

B. at least

C. at most

D. in a word

3. To enjoy the scenery, Irene would rather spend long hours on the train ______travel by air.

A. as

B. to

C. than

D. while

4. The two brothers spend the money on their families rather than ______ it to themselves.

A. to contribute

B. contributed

C. contributing

D. having contributed

5. —You seemed to have been impressed by Liu Huan’s song.

—Well, not exactly so. It was his way of singing______ his voice that really impressed me.

A. rather than

B. as well as

C. but also

D. together with

6. As we all know, it is the prevention of disease ______ its successful treatment that has led the rapid increase of the world’s population.

A. rather than

B. including

C. but also

D. less than

7. I’m a fraid that I, ______ my workmates, should bear responsibility for the accident.

A. other than

B. or rather

C. rather than

D. more than

8. In my opinion, whatever life should be, I prefer devoting all my energies to my studies ______ more professional knowledge.

A. to get

B. to getting

C. rather than get

D. rather than to get

9. I’ d rather ______a room of my own, however small it is, than______a room with someone else.