浅谈 rather than 的用法

浅谈rather than 的用法

rather than 意为“而不是”、“而没有”，侧重客观上的差别，还可以表示“与其……，倒不如（或宁可）……”，侧重句子主语或说话人主观上的选择。句中rather than 前后一般应为名词、代词、动名词、形容词、谓语动词、动词不定式、介词短语，甚至分句等。下面分别举例说明。

一、接名词

1. He is an artist rather than a politician.

他是位艺术家，而不是政治家。（与其说他是政治家，倒不如说他是艺术家。）

2. We ought to invest in new machinery rather than building.

我们该在新机器上而不是在建筑上投资。

3. What attracted him is her personality rather than her beauty.

吸引他的是她的人格魅力,而不是她的美貌。

二、接代词

1. It ought to be me rather than you that sign the letter.

在信上签名的该是我，而不是你。

2. The person who should be praised is you rather than me.

该受到表扬的人是你，而不是我。

三、接动名词

1. I always prefer getting up early rather than going to school without breakfast.

我总是愿意早起床，而不愿不吃早饭就去上学。

2. He enjoys reading rather than watching TV.

他喜欢读书而不喜欢看电视。

3. He was engaged in writing rather than reading the newspaper.

他在忙着写东西，而不是在看报纸。

四、接形容词

1. I call her hair chestnut rather than brown.

我宁愿说她的头发是栗色的，而不愿说她的头发是棕色的。

2. Taking exercise every day makes him look younger rather than older.

每天锻炼身体使他显得年轻而不是年老。

3. The colour seems green rather than blue.

这颜色好像是绿的，而不是蓝的。

五、接谓语动词

1. She telephoned rather than wrote.

她打了电话，而没有写信。

2. She cried rather than smiled.

她哭了，而不是笑了。

3. He would die rather than give up smoking.

他宁死也不愿戒烟。

六、接动词不定式

1. I decided to write rather than （to ）telephone.

我决定写信而不打电话。

2. She likes to keep things rather than （to ）throw them away.

她喜欢把东西保存起来而不是随手将其扔掉。

3. Rather than go there, I'd prefer to stay here on my own.

我宁愿一个人呆在这儿，而不愿去那儿。

七、接介词短语

1. I'd prefer to go in summer rather than in winter.

我宁愿夏天去，而不愿冬天去。

2. We'll have tea in the garden rather than in the house.

我们要在花园里喝茶而不想在屋里喝茶。

3. She is reading in the library rather than in the classroom.

她正在图书馆里看书而不是在教室里。

八、接分句

1. John went to the seaside yesterday rather than he went where he often goes.

约翰昨天到海滨去了，没到他常去的地方。

2. You should help me rather than I should help you.

你应当帮我，而不是我应当帮你。

3. We should know what he meant rather than what he said.

我们应该知道他的真实想法而不是他说了什么。

注意：

1. rather than 很像并列连词。其前后都应是相互对应的词语，但接不定式时，常可省去不定式符号to 。

2. rather than 也可分开使用，和would 或had 构成“ would/ had rather … than ”结构，than 前后也是相互对等的结构。试比较：

1) She would rather have the small one than the large one.

她宁愿要小的，也不愿要大的。

2) Tom would rather be liked than feared.

汤姆宁愿受人爱戴，而不愿让人惧怕。

3) Wouldn't you rather be liked than feared?

你不是宁愿受人爱戴，而不愿让人惧怕吗？

但当would rather 被用作谓语动词后接宾语从句时，从句中的谓语动词应为虚拟形式。例如：

I'd rather you came tomorrow than today.

我宁愿明天来，而不是今天来。

3. :rather than连接两个主语时,谓语动词的数与前面主语的数相一致。如:

Jean, rather than her brothers, is to meet her parents.