More-than与more-…-than的用法及翻译

more than 与more …than 短语在英语中使用得十分广泛。但其用法和意义并不简单，一不留神就可能用错。因为more than 与more …than 除了具备其基本用法外，还有些特殊用法。理解和翻译时要特别小心，不能一看到more

than就简单地按照字面上的意思将其理解为“比……更……”或“超过”等，而是要根据上下文找出more than 短语的确切含义，只有这样才不至于贻笑大方。

more than 相当于一个形容词或副词短语，在句中作定语或状语，修饰其后的动词、副词、数词或名词等。

一. more than 的用法

1. more than 后跟数词，相当于over，翻译成“……多、超过……”等，强调某物数量上超出某一范围。

More than 1,500 people were killed in the earthquake. 地震中有一千五百多人遇难。

I have collected more than 3 hundred stamps so far. 到目前为止，我已收集了300多张邮票。

I’ve known him for more than 20 years. 我认识他已经二十多年了。

Their college enrolled more than five hundred new students

this year. 他们学院今年招收了五百多名新生。

2. more than 后跟名词或动名词，相当于over, not just, not only，表示“不只是、不仅仅是”等。例如：

She is more than a teacher to us, she is our friend. 他不只是教师，她还是我们的朋友。

Hibernation is more than sleep. 冬眠不仅仅是睡眠。

Wood is used for more than building. 木头不仅仅用于建筑。

Blood is much more than the simple fluid it seems to be. 血液不仅仅是一种外表似乎简单的液体。

My trip to Beijing is more than sightseeing. 我去北京不仅仅是旅游观光。

I like autumn more than summer. 我喜欢秋天胜过夏天。

精选

He is more than a soldier. He is simply a hero. 他岂止是个战士，简直是个英雄。

注：more than one意为“不止一个”，若用作主语，谓语用单数；more +复数名词+than one做主语时，谓语用复数。例如：

More than one teacher has been to Australia in this college. 这所学院的教师中，不止一人去过澳大利亚。

More ships than one were damaged in the storm. 不止一艘轮船在这次暴风雨中受损。

More than one book has been translated into foreign languages. 不止一本书被译成了外语。

More than one student likes to play football after school. 不止一个学生喜欢放学后踢足球。

3. more than后跟动词、形容词、副词、或介词，相当于very, much, not

only, especially，表示“不仅、十分、非常、很、更加、非但”等。例如：

She was dressed more than simply. 她的穿着简朴得近乎寒酸。

You have already more than repaid me. 你回报我的已大大超过我对你的帮助。

You must be more than careful with the precision instruments in doing

experiments. 做实验时对精密仪器你要十分小心。

Her performance was more than good; it’s perfect. 她的表演十分精彩，简直就是完美无缺。

I was more than surprised; I was astonished. 我不是一般的吃惊，而是震惊。

She speaks French more than fluently. 她法语讲得十分流利。

The teacher was more than pleased with what you’ve said. 老师对你的回答非常满意。

I’m more than glad to hear the good news. 听到这个好消息，我非常高兴。

He more than kept his promise. 他严格遵守自己的诺言。

精选

4. more than后跟从句，相当于not only, over等，表示“不仅仅是……、超过……、难以……、，简直不能……”等，从句中常用can或could。例如：

The hurt and pain were more than he could stand. 他无法承受那些伤害和痛苦。

The cold was more than the children could bear. 天气冷得孩子们受不。

How he manages to live is more than I can tell. 他是如何生活的，我猜不透。

It’s more than flesh and blood can bear. 此非血肉之躯所能忍受。

二. more than的否定结构

more than的否定结构是no more than和not more than，但两者意义和用法各不相同。no more than后跟名词或数词，相当于only，表示“仅仅、只有”，含有嫌少的感情色彩；而not more than后跟名词或数词，相当于at most, no

less than，表示“至多、不超过”，不含嫌少的感情色彩。例如：

We’ve learned no more than 9 lessons this term. 本学期我们只学了9课课文。（含有嫌少的感情色彩）

We haven’t learned more than 9 lessons this term. 本学期我们至多学了9课课文。（客观叙述，不含嫌少的感情色彩）

There were not more than 70 students in the classroom then. 当时教室里至多有70个学生。

We haven’t studied more than 3 English books. 我们至多学了3本英语书。

He has no more than 5 pounds. 他只有5英镑。

The theatre was no more than a painted barn. 所谓戏院，不过是一个刷了漆的仓库而已。

三. more … than的用法

1. more … than的基本用法

在more … than结构中，more是much或many的比较级，修饰形容词、副词、介词、动词或名词，相当于greater, in a greater degree，表示“比……更”，其前可以受a lot, much, many, far, by far, a little, a bit, still等修饰，比较的两部分并不要求用完全相同的词类。例如：

精选

Sound travels much more slowly than light. 声音比光的传播慢得多。

You get more tired when you lift a heavy load than a light one. 挑东西多比挑东西少累人。

Iron is more useful than gold. 铁比金子更有用。

The emperor cares more for new clothes than for anything else. 皇帝喜欢新衣服胜过其它任何东西。

She is more of a poet than he is. 她比他更有诗人气质。

2. more … than的特殊用法

2.1 more … than后跟形容词、副词、动词、名词等，一般情况下，要求more后部分和than后部分词类相同，但偶尔也有例外。表示“与其说……不如说、是……不是、是……更是、有……无……”等。例如：

He is more dead than alive. 与其说他还活在人世，不如说他是行尸走肉。

She is more shy than unsocial. 她是害羞而不是不爱交际。

George is more intelligent than aggressive. 与其说乔治言语放肆，不如说他聪颖过人。

John is more daring than quick-witted. 与其说约翰脑子灵活，不如说他胆大妄为。

She is more a singer than an actress. 与其说她是个演员，不如说是个歌唱家。

The boy is more diligent than clever. 与其说这男孩聪明，不如说他勤奋。

Dogs bark more for custom than fierceness. 狗叫主要是因为习惯，而不是生性凶狂。

The book seems to be more a dictionary than a grammar. 这本书看起来与其说是一本语法书，不如说是一本词典。

It was more a cross-examination than an interview. 与其说这是一次面试，不如说是审讯。

The child was more frightened than hurt. 这孩子没受什么伤，只是受到了惊吓。

精选

It’s even more a poem than a picture. 与其说它是一幅画，不如说是一首诗。

He is more slow than careful. 与其说他办事认真，不如说他反应迟钝。

I was dumb more with fright than cold. 我全身麻木不是冻的，而是因为恐惧。

A mob is influenced more on impulse than by reason. 乌合之众的行为不受理智的控制而是冲动的后果。

注：①有时more … than后的可数名词用作抽象名词，不加任何冠词。例如：

He is more knave than fool. 与其说他愚蠢无能，不如说他厚颜无耻。（=He

is more of a knave than a fool.）

She is more mother than wife. 她是一位妻子，但更是一位母亲。（她算得上是良母，但不是贤妻。）

He was more friend than servant to me. 与其说他是我的仆人，不如说他是我的朋友。

②more + 形容词/副词 + than，表示“与其说……，不如说……”，其中形容词或副词即使是单音节词或双音节词，也不能用其比较级。例如：

Tom was more good than bad. 与其说汤姆坏，不如说他好。

Tom was better than worse. （此句不成立）

2.2 more … than后跟从句，than在从句中作主语或宾语，表示“难以……”或“比……多”。例如：

I want more books than I can ever get. 我需要的书多得我无法购买。

Peter spent more money than was intended to be spent. 彼得花的钱比原计划的多。

That afternoon they drank more coffee than had been our custom. 那天下午他们喝的咖啡比通常的要多。

四. more … than的否定结构

精选

1. more … than的否定结构一是no more … than或not any more …

than（用于口语），no more和than后面的部分均表示否定。相当于not …just

as … not，其后可跟名词、动词、形容词、介词、副词等，表示“与……一样不、和……都不……”等。例如：

He is not a poet any more than I am a scholar. 他不是诗人，正如我不是学者一样。

John is no more diligent than Tom. 约翰和汤姆一样学习不勤奋。

I could no more do that than you. 我和你一样都做不了这件事。

This maths problem is no more difficult than that one. 这道数学题与那道题一样容易。

Your picture is no more beautiful than his. 你的画和他的一样不怎么样。

He is no more a teacher than a worker. 他既不是教师，也不是工人。

2. more … than的否定结构二是not more … than，相当于not so much …

as，表示两事物间的比较，译为“……不如……、……不及 ……”。例如：

He is not more a teacher than a worker. 与其说他是个教师，倒不如说他是个工人。（比较：He is no more a teacher than a worker. 他既不是教师也不是工人。He is more a teacher than a worker. 与其说他是个工人，倒不如说他是个教师。）

This film is not more moving than that one. 这部电影不如那部感人。

精选