more-than-与-less-than-及其相关词组

2024年2月7日发(作者：)

more than 与 less than 及其相关词组一、more than

1. more than 可放在数词之前，表示“超过；不止；以上”，用于此义时可与 over 互换使用。如：

Altogether more than 70 percent of the surface of our planet is covered by

water. 整个说来，我们这个星球的表面有百分之七十以上为水所覆盖。

2. more than 可放在名词之前，表示“不只是；不仅仅”。

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

Bamboo is used for more than building. 竹子不只是用于建筑。

3. more than 可用于形容词或副词前，表示“非常；十分”，与 very 同义。

She is more than careful. 她非常细心。

In class, he listens more than attentively.在课堂上，他听讲十分认真。

4. more than 之后接带有 can 的从句时，常表示否定意义，意思为“难以”“不能”。此时，从句中的谓语必须是及物动词，并且与句子的主语发生逻辑上的动宾关系。例如：

，

This secret is more than we can let out. 这个秘密我们是不能泄露的。（this

secret是let out的逻辑宾语）

That is more than I can tell (=I can’t tell that). 那事我实在不明白。（that是tell的逻辑宾语）

二、less than

与more than意思相反，主要用法有：

1. 用于两者比较，意为“比……少”。如：

I earn less than he does. 我比他钱挣得少。

She eats less than a bird. 她的食量比小鸟还少。

The young man is less than twenty years old. 这个年轻人不到20岁。

2. 指数量上“少于”“不足”。如：

It costs less than $5. 这值不了5美元。

,

I’ll see you in less than three weeks. 要不了3周我就能再见到你了。

3. 表示轻微的否定，意为“不是很”“并不是太”，一般接形容词、副词。如：

The job was less than perfect. 这工作不十分理想。

The boys were less than happy about having a party. 开晚会男孩子并不很高兴。

We were busy and less than delighted to have company that day. 那天我们很忙，不高兴有客人来。

三、more…than

1. 用于和多音节形容词或副词构成比较级，表示“比……多”“比……更”。如：

It was more expensive than I thought. 这比我预料的昂贵多了。

Tim violin is more difficult than the piano. 拉小提琴比弹钢琴更为困难。

John drove much more carefully than Tim did. 约翰开车比吉姆小心得多。

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注：more有时本身就是比较级，后接可数或不可数名词。如：

His car cost much more money than mine. 他的小汽车所花的钱比我的多得多。

There are many more people than we expected. 比我们想象的人要多得多。

I made more mistakes than you. 我犯的错误比你多。

Last year there were more births than deaths. 去年的出生人数多于死亡人数。

注：若more受much或many的修饰（用于加深比较程度），则应分别与不可数和可数名词连用。如：

His car cost much more money than mine. 他的小汽车所花的钱比我的多得多。

There are many more people than we expected. 比我们想象的人要多得多。

2. 表示“与其……不如……”；“是……而不是……”，常可与 rather

than 或 not so much…as 互换使用。

He is more lucky than clever. 与其说他聪明，不如说他幸运。

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

@

He is more poltroon than cautious. 与其说他谨慎不如说他是怯懦。

注：该句型主要用于同一个人或物在两个不同性质或特征等方面的比较(比较级必须 more，不能用形容词加词尾 -er 的形式)。

3. more…than 之后接含有 can 的从句同样表示否定意义。

Tom has more insolence than I can stand. =Tom’s insolence is more than I

can stand. 汤姆的傲慢使我难以忍受。

四、less…than

1. 表示“不像……，不如……”。如：

He is less honest than his brother. 他不如他哥哥聪明。

This film is less interesting than that one. 这部电影不如那部电影有趣。

2. 表示“比……少”“不如……多”。如：

We drink less coffee than tea. 我们喝咖啡不如喝茶多。

】

We have less rainfall here than in Shanghai. 我们这儿的降雨量比上海少。

3. 表示“与其……不如……”。如：

I regard him less as my teacher than as my friend. 与其说我把他当作老师，不如说我是把他当作朋友。

五、no more than 或 not any more than

两者意思均为“只有；仅仅；不过”（= only/ just）。

Abram Lincoln’s whole school education added up to no more than one year. 亚伯拉罕·林肯所受的全部学校教育总共不过一年。

I have no more than five yuan in my pocket. 我口袋里的钱只不过五元。

This test takes no more than thirty minutes. 这个测验需时不超过30分钟。

注：有时比较级不是more，而是其他形式的比较级。一般说来，no+比较级+than=as +与比较级意义相反的形容词的原形+as。如：

Her French was no better than mine. 她的法语跟我一样差。

、

Their house is no bigger than ours. 他们的房子跟我们的一样小。

She looks no older than her daughter. 她看起来跟她女儿一样年轻。

六、 no less than

1. 表示“多达”“有……之多”，用于强调数量之多。如：

No less than a thousand people came. 来的人竟然有上千人之多。

He won no less than $5000 in the lottery. 他居然中了5000美元的奖券。

In that battle, we wiped out no less than twenty thousand enemies. 在那一次战役中，我们消灭敌人不下两万人。

2. 表示“简直”“与……没差别”。如：

It is no less than robbery to ask for so much. 要求多么多，简直跟抢劫没两样。

Sports wears, no less than suits, are very much saleable. 运动服和西服套一样，非常畅销。

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3. 表示“原来就是”“正是”。如：

He was no less than the mayor. 他原来就是市长。

Good heavens! It’s no less a person than the president! 天哪！原来真的是总统啊！

七、no more … than 或 not … any more than

1. 表示“和……一样都不……”，意味着否定两者，其作用相当于 neither … nor。如：

Mary is no more diligent than Tom. = Neither Mary nor Tom is diligent. 玛丽和汤姆俩人都不勤奋。

She’s no more a great singer than I am. 我不是优秀歌手，她也不是。

Tom is no more rich than Jack is. 杰克不是有钱人，汤姆也不是。

I know no more Spanish than I know Greek. 我对西班牙语和希腊语同样都不懂。

He is no more an artist than you are a mathematician. 就像你不是数学家一样，他也不是艺术家。

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He is no more a writer than a painter. 他不是画家，也不是作家。(= He is

neither a painter nor a writer.)

He’s no more able to read Spanish than I am. 他和我都读不懂西班牙语。(=Neither he nor I am not read Spanish.)

2. 表示“不……正如……不……一样”，常用来加重说话者的语气。如：

We can no more leave the Party than fish can leave water. 我们不能离开党，正如鱼儿离不开水一样。

八、no less ... than

意为“与……一样”“不比……差”，主要用于强调同等性，肯定两者。如：

He is no less active than he used to be. 他和以前一样活跃。

She is no less wise than you. 她跟你一样聪明(她并不比你笨)。

He is no less determined than you. 他的决心不亚于你。

A dolphin is no less a clever animal than a dog is. 海豚与狗同样都是聪明的动物。

：

九、not more than

属于more than的否定式，常用于数词之前，意为“至多；顶多；不超过”，其意义与 at (the) most 相同。

There on some hay on the ground lay a peasant boy of not more than

seventeen. 地上的干草上躺着一个农家孩子，最多不过17岁。

He has not more than three children. 他最多 3 个孩子。(有或许还不到 3 个之意)

比较：比较级前加not，表示前者不如后者，与not as…as相当；比较级前加no是对两者的否定，意为“和……一样不……”，与neither…nor…或“as+相反意义的形容词或副词+as”相当。

He is not taller than me. 他不如我高。

He is no taller than me. 他同我一样不高。(即一样矮)

His English is not better than mine. 他的英语不如我的英语好。

His English is no better than mine. 他的英语同我的英语一样不好。(即一样差)

；

You are not more careful than he is. 你不如他仔细。

You are no more careful than he is. 你和他一样不仔细。(即一样粗心)

十、not less than

表示“不少于”、“至少”，意义同 at least。

Our school has not less than three thousand students. 我们学校的学生不下三千人。

注：no less than语气比not less than要夸张，表示所涉及的数量比预料的要多。比较：

He paid no less than $10,000 for it. 他为此付了10000多美元。

He paid not less than $10,000 for it. 他为此付的钱不下10000美元。

He has no less than seven daughters. 他有七个女儿之多。

He has not less than seven daughters. 他至少有七个女儿。

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十一、not more … than

表示“不如……”，语气常着重于后面的一个分句，指比较的两者虽都具有某种特征，但程度不同，常可与 not so / as … as 互换使用。

This story is not more interesting than that one. = This story is not so /

as interesting as that one. 这个故事不如那个故事有趣。（说明“that one”更有趣）

She is not more clever than he is. 她不如他聪明。(= She is not so clever as

he is.)

This book is not more difficult than that one. 这本书不比那本书更难。(This

book is not so difficult as that one.)

十二、not less … than

A not less … than B的意思是“A至少不比B差”，即从程度上A不差于B的意

思，并且略带有“或许还要强一些”的意思。如：

This singer doesn't sing less beautifully as that one. 这位歌手唱得好，不亚于那个歌手。（至少一样好听，也许更好）

He isn't less quick at figures than I. 他对数字反应快，不亚于我。（至少与我一样快，也许比我更快）

/

总结：not more … than = 不如……

no more … than = 和……一样不(否定两者)

not less … than = 至少不比……差

no less … than = 和……一样(肯定两者)

比较以下各句的意思：

You are more careful than he is. 你比他仔细。

You are not more careful than he is. 你不如他仔细。

You are no more careful than he is. 你和他一样不仔细。

You are less careful than he is. 你不如他仔细（你比他粗心）。

You are not less careful than he is. 你至少和他一样仔细。

}

You are no less careful than he is. 你和他一样仔细。

十三、 more or less

1. 表示“或多或少”“在一定程度上”“大体上”“差不多”。如：

The job’s more or less finished. 这项工作差不多完成了。

I’ve more or less finished reading the book. 我差不多已经把这本书看完了。

2. 表示“大约”“左右”。如：

The repairs will cost $50, more or less. 修理费大约要50美元。

It took more or less a whole day to paint the ceiling. 粉刷天花板用了将近一整天的时间

3. 表示“一点也不”，用于否定句。如：

I don’t like it, more or less. 我一点也不喜欢。

I didn’t understand it, more or less. 我一点也不懂。

十四、less / least +原级

“less＋原级”表示降级的比较级；“least＋原级”表示降级的最高级。如：

Would you mind speaking less quickly 你可否讲得慢一点

The movie was less funny than the book. 电影没有书那么滑稽有趣。

This is the least useful of the four books. 这是四本书中最没用的一本。

It is said that those who eat the most are the least healthy. 据说吃得最多的人身体最差。