在英语中，当对两个事物进行程度上的比较时，要采用形容词和副词的特定表现形式或特定句型，即形容词和副词的三个比较等级：同级比较、比较级和最高级。但同级比较和比较级形式不仅仅表现"……与……一样"和"……比……更"的基本概念。由比较级构成的特定句型可以表达更为复杂的意思，并有其特定的译法，是学习者在高级英语学习阶段所应掌握的。
1．"as．．．as．．．"句型可以用来比较两个不同事物或人的两个不同特征，表示两个事物的状况处于同等程度或两个事物之间具有连带关系。译成汉语时，以"而"连接两个事物。例如：
He was as experienced as his brother was green．他经验丰富，而他弟弟初出茅庐。
The prisons are as over-crowded as the farmlands are empty．监狱里人满为患，而农田却无人耕种。
She is as kind as her brother is honest．她很友善，而她哥哥很诚实。
2．"as．．．as．．．"句型还可以用来比较一个事物或一个人的两个不同的特征，表示两个特征同时存在，具有both．．．and．．．的含义，可译成："既……又……"。例如：
The landlord was as greedy as cruel．这个地主既贪婪又残忍。
The problems are as numerous as trivial．问题既多又繁琐。
It is as your fault as yourwife's．这既是你的错误也是你妻子的错误。
3．"as．．．as．．．canbe"，"as．．．asany（anything）"，"as．．．as ever lived"：表示某事达到了无以复加的程度，可译成"最"，"极其"。例如：
They are as unreliable as they can be．他们极不可靠。
He is as great a mathematician as any（as ever lived）．他是最伟大的数学家。
My sister is as green as green can be．我妹妹毫无经验。
He pretends to be as modest as anything．他装得极为谦虚。
4．"notsomuch．．．as．．．"：这个句型用以肯定as后面的内容，而在一定程度上否定as前面的内容，表示"与其说……还不如说……"，"更多的是……而不是…
…"。例如：
Experience shows that success is not so much due to ability as to zeal．经验表明，成功的背后更多的是热情，而不是能力。
I was attracted not so much by the plot of the story as by the actor's excellent performance．吸引我的与其说是剧情，还不如说是演员的出色表演。
5．"As X is to Y，so is A to B．"：这个句型表示A与B之间的关系就像X与Y之间的关系，以人们所熟知的两个事物之间的关系说明一个不被熟知或被忽视的两事物之间的关系，是一种类比，可译成："A对于B，犹如X对于Y"。例如：
As the house is to the man，so is the nest to the bird．鸟巢对于鸟的作用，就像房屋对于人的作用。
As lungs are to the animal，so are leaves to the plant．叶子对于植物的作用犹如肺脏对于动物的作用。
As food is to the body，so is reading to the mind．读书对于人的思想的作用，犹如食物对于人体的作用。
6．"m ore A than B"：表示与"not somuch．．．as"类似的含义，肯定的是A，而在一定程度上否定B。可译成："与其说是B，还不如说是A"。例如：
He is more brave than wise．他有勇无谋。
The child was more frightened than hurt．这孩子的伤倒不算什么，只是受惊吓不些
The reason why solar energy is not in widespread use is more economic than technical．太阳能没有广泛应用的原因更多的是资金问题，而不是技术问题。
Many patients die more of worry than of cancer when they get to know the truth abouttheir illness．很多病人在他们了解了病情真相后与其说是死于癌症，还不如说是死于忧虑。
7．"more than ＋名词／形容词／分词……"：表示内容超出了后面词语所表达的范围，可译成"不只于，超过，极其"。例如：
If you tell your father what you've done， he'll be more than a little angry．如果你告诉你父亲你都做了些什么，他会非常生气。
I more than saw it；I touched it too！我何止看见了，我还摸了摸它！
We were more than happy to hear of your return．听说你回来了，我们极其高兴。
8．"as likely as not"：该结构并无否定含义，表示"很可能"之意，而且语气强烈。例如：
He will forget all about it as likely as not．他很可能会把它忘得一干二净。
He will succeed as likely as not．他很可能会成功。
类似的用法还有：as often as not，more often than not，表示"经常"、"往往"之意。再如：
As often as not the buses are late in peak hours．公交车往往在高峰时间晚点。
More often than not conservative people look backward rather than forward．保守的人们往往不是向前看，而是往后看。
He comes to work early more often than not．他经常很早就来上班。
【过关演练】正确理解并翻译下列句子。
1．He was as handsome as his wife was beautiful．
2．As oil is to machines，so is food to man．
3．It wasn't so much his appearance I like as his personality．
4．He is as wrong as wrong can be．
5．He is a scholar more in name than in reality．
6．She is more than pretty．
答案：
1．他英俊而他妻子也美丽。
2．食物对于人正如燃油对于机器。
3．我更多的是喜欢他的人品，而不是他的外表。
4．他大错特错了。
5．他是一个有名无实的学者。
6．她何止漂亮。
|
