not……比较级:表示极度的肯定用法
听到老外说:
I can't agree with you more,翻译成“我不再同意你”,当然被笑话,
实际意思是“我非常同意你”,要表达“我不再同意你”应该说:
I can't agree with you any more.
,not ……any more 才是“不再”;
再比如听到老外说:
I haven't slept better,理解成“我从来没有睡过好觉”可不行;
实际意思是“我睡得好极了”。
not……比较级,就是最……不过,一般表示极度的肯定:
又如,在读到下面的句子时,许多朋友都很费解:
It has never been easier to insult people inadvertently .A young lady offers her seat in a
crowded bus to an elderly frail gentleman, and he gives her a dirty look because she has
insulted his manhood. 人们非常容易无意之中冒犯别人。在拥挤的公交车上一位年轻的女士主动给一个挤上车的老绅士让座,但是,他给了他一个不友好的眼神回敬她,因为她已经冒犯了他的作为绅士的尊严。
这里的:
It has never been easier to insult people inadvertently .
人们非常容易无意之中冒犯别人。
在听力试题中,相当一部分学生对“否定词+比较级”这一构把握的不是很好,也们在在把生意力集中在否定词上,结果对含有结构的句子的理解与正确含义完全相反 。
特别要注意以下几点:
1. can’t/ couldn't 的形式
I cant agree with you more 我再同意你不过了,(或:我完全句意你的意见)
The weather couldn't be worse 天气再糕不过
He couldn't have done better 他做得再好不过了
2.用于该结构中的否定词除了 not 之外,还有 no, never, nothing等,例:
This could give her no greater pleasure.
她再高兴不过了
She’s never better.她现在最好不过了。(她比以往任何时候都好。)
3.当该结构中的比棱级为less时,结构意为“一点也不”。试比较
1) He couldn't care more 他丰常介意。(或:他最关心不过了,)
He couldn't care less. 他毫不介意。(或:他最漠不关心了。)
2) He had never felt more like talking to anyone 从未如此想和人谈话。
He had never felt less like talking to anyone 他从未如此不想和人谈话
但是:nothing less than表示:与……完全一样;就是,简直是,毫无疑问是:
You're nothing less than a murderer!
你简直就是凶手!
He is nothing less than a thief. 他简直是个小偷。
The project is nothing less than mapping every gene sequence in the human body.
这个项目就是要绘制人体所有基因序列的图谱。
What he had in mind amounted to nothing less than a total reversalof the traditional role of the executive
他头脑中所想的简直就是对管理人员传统角色的彻底颠覆。
nothing more than
表示:(不过)就是
The newly discovered notes are nothing more than Lang's personaljournal.
新发现的笔记只不过是朗的个人日志。
This so-called committee is nothing more than a figure-head.
他们这所谓的委员会只是一块空招牌。
Lucille's home was very grandly called a chateau, though in truth it was nothing more than a large moated farm.
露西尔的家美其名曰城堡,事实上不过是一座壕沟环绕的大农场。
4.当 no 表示“ not at al"之意时,可以作为副词放在比较级词语前面。这时,“no+比较级”的意思并非“最……不过”
1) Are you really fifty? You look no older than thirty-five 你真的五十岁了?你最多不超过三十五岁。
2) Some people can eat what they like and get no fatter. 有些人想吃什么就吃什么,一点也不发胖。