六、比较结构
(一)同级比较
形式为:...as+(形容词或副词)原级+(名词)+as...
例句: Critics also argue that commercial genetic testing is only as good as the reference collections to which a sample is compared. (选自2009年Text 2)
分析: 该句是复合句,that commercial genetic testing...作argue的宾语,to which a sample is compared是一个修饰the reference collections的定语从句。
译文: 批评家们还指出,商业基因检测的好坏取决于用于样本对比的参考样本的好坏。
例句: Scientists generally agree that the Earths climate will warm up over the next 50 to 100 years as much as it has warmed in the 2,000 years since the Ice Age.
分析: 该句是复合句,that the Earths...Ice Age 作 agree的宾语从句。
译文: 科学家们普遍认为,地球气候未来50年到100年的时间里会变暖,变暖的程度与自冰河世纪以来的2 000年的时间里变暖的程度一样。
(二)优劣比较
1.优等比较。
形式为:...比较级+than...
例句: Its a message even more bitter than a clove cigarette, yet, somehow, a breath of fresh air. (选自2006年Text 4)
分析: 该句是简单句,even more bitter than...修饰a message。
译文: 读这一消息的滋味甚至比抽丁香烟还要苦,但却不知怎么地带来了一股清新的气息。
例句: These recordings are cheap, available everywhere, and very often much higher in artistic quality than todays live performances; moreover, they can be “consumed” at a time and place of the listeners choosing. (选自2011年Text 1)
分析:该句是由分号连接的并列句。前一个分句中含有形容词的比较级;后一个分句中副词moreover表示递进关系。
译文:这些录制音乐价格低廉,到处可以买到,而且其艺术品质往往比当今的现场演奏要高出许多。它们可以在听众所选择的任何时间和地点被“享用”。
2.劣等比较。
形式为:...not so (as)+原级+as...=less+原级+ than
例句: According to several studies concluding that parents are less happy than childless couples, single parents are the least happy of all. (选自2011年Text 4)
分析: 该句是简单句,其中,分词短语concluding that parents are less happy than childless couples作后置定语,修饰studies,从句that parents are less happy than childless couples又充当concluding的宾语。
译文: 结论为 “为人父母者不如无子女者幸福”的多项研究表明,单亲父母最不幸福。
例句: Their lives are no less empty than those of their subordinates.
分析: 该句是简单句,其中those代表lives。
译文: 他们的生活同其下属一样空虚。
(三)最高级表示
1. 优等比较。
形式为: the+最高级+单数名词或one +of (in短语)/that从句(仅限于形容词)。
例句: It soon becomes clear that the interior designers most important basic concern is the function of the particular space.
分析: 该句是复合句,其中it为形式主语,真正的主语为that the interior designers most important...。
译文: 室内设计者最基本的关注点就是某一特定空间的功能,这一点很快就清楚了。
例句: I believe that the most important forces behind the massive M&A wave are the same that underlie the globalization process: falling transportation and communication costs, lower trade and investment barriers and enlarged markets that require enlarged operations capable of meeting customers demands. (选自2001年Text 4)
分析: 该句是复合句,主干部分为I believe that..., that require enlarged...demands是修饰falling transportation...and enlarged markets的定语从句,形容词短语capable of meeting customers demands修饰operations,其中be the same that...意为“……与……是相同的”。
译文: 我认为引起这场大规模合并浪潮的最重要的力量与导致全球化的力量是相同的: 运输与通信费用下降,贸易与投资障碍减少,市场扩大。这一切都需要扩大业务往来以满足消费者的需求。
2. 劣等比较。
形式为: the+least+原级+(单数名词或one)+of(in短语)/that从句(仅限于形容词)。
例句: In class, she is the least talented girl in mastering foreign language that I have ever taught.
分析: 该句是复合句,that I have ever taught是修饰girl的定语从句。
译文: 她是我在班里教过的在外语学习方面最缺乏天分的女孩。
3. 比较级表示最高级含义。
形式为: 比较级+ than any other+单数名词。
例句: The campus of this university is much more beautiful than any other campus.
译文: 这所大学的校园是最漂亮的。
4. 最高级形容词前加定冠词the,但作表语不和他人或物作比较时,可省去the。
例句: I have been busiest these days for writing papers.
译文: 写论文的这些天是我最忙的时间。
(四)同类比较
同类事物才能放在一起作比较,不同类的不能放在一起进行比较,例如:
Are your jobs more important than Jack?
(说法错误。你的工作不能和Jack比较;应该是和Jack的工作相比较,因此该句正确的说法为: Are your jobs more important than Jacks?)
The climate of Shanxi Province is much better than Henan Province.
(说法错误。山西的气候不能和河南省比较;应该是和河南省的气候相比较,因此该句正确的说法为: The climate of Shanxi Province is much better than that of Henan Province. )
例句: Meanwhile, many settlers had slighter religious commitments than Danes, as one clergyman learned in confronting folk along the coast who mocked that they had not come to the New World for religion. (选自2009年Text 4)
分析: 该句是复合句,其中主干是many settlers had slighter religious commitments than Danes。 Danes 后省略了religious commitment,as one clergyman learned...是一个方式状语从句, who mocked...是一个修饰folk的定语从句,they had not come to the New World for religion是that引导的宾语从句,作mock的宾语。
译文: 同时,许多移居者对宗教的虔诚不如丹的表现,正如一位神职人员从在海边遇到的一些人那里听到的一样,那些人嘲弄地说道他们来新大陆并不是为了宗教。
(五)排除本身的比较级要借助other或else
She is taller than any girls in class.
(本句表达错误,本句中应该在girl前加other,这就排除了和她本身的比较,另外girl不能用复数,因为she只能比其他某个女孩高,不可能比所有女孩加起来还高,应改为: She is taller than any other girl in class.)
(六)比较级前可用副词或短语来修饰表示程度
在同级比较as...as结构前可用almost,nearly,just (about),quite等修饰词。
在优等比较,即“比较级+ than”结构前可用(so) very much,(quite)a lot,a great deal,a bit,somewhat,still,far,by far等修饰词。
例句: Often they chose—and still are choosing—somewhat colder climate such as Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska in order to escape smog, crime and other plagues of urbanization in the Golden Stars. (选自1998年Text 4)
分析: 该句是简单句,in order to escape...作状语表示目的,of urbanization修饰plagues。
译文: 他们常常选择——现在依然这么选择——居住在那些气候较冷的地区,如俄勒冈州、爱达荷州和阿拉斯加州,为的是逃避这个“黄金州”(加利福尼亚州)的烟雾、犯罪以及都市化带来的其他问题。
例句: I also know that people in Japan and Sweden, countries that spend far less on medical care, have achieved longer, healthier lives than we have. (选自2003年Text 4)
分析: 该句是复合句,其中定语从句that spend far less on medical care修饰countries,than we have是比较状语从句。
译文: 我也深知在日本和瑞典这样医疗开销很少的国家,人们获得了比我们更长的寿命和更健康的生活。
(七) more than和more...than
1. more than= over,表示“超过,何止, 极其”,可以修饰名词、形容词、副词、动词或从句,放在动词前常译为“不仅仅,远,大”。
例句: More than two hundred years ago the United States broke away from the British Empire and became an independent country.
分析: 该句是简单句。
译文: 200多年前,美国摆脱了大英帝国,成为一个独立的国家。
例句: The more than 50, 000 nuclear weapons in the hands of various nations today are more than ample for destroying every city in the world several times over. (1998年第18题)
分析: 该句是简单句,短语be ample for sth. /doing sth.意为“足以……”,介词短语in the hands of various nations today作定语修饰weapons。
译文: 今天,各国手中掌握的5万多件核武器足以将世界上的每一座城市毁灭数次。
2. more...than可译为“与其说……不如说……”,即more A than B,译为“与其说是B不如说是A”,强调“more”后的A,反义表达是less A than B,译为“与其说A不如说B”,强调“than”后的B。
例句: What he said is more a story than a joke made for fun.
分析: 该句是复合句,主语是what引导的主语从句,is是谓语,made for fun作后置定语修饰joke。
译文: 与其说他讲述了一个逗人开心的笑话还不如说那是一个相当离谱的故事。
(八) no more than 与 no more...than
1. no more than= nothing more than= only表示“仅仅,只不过”之意。
例句: The individual TV viewer invariably senses that he or she is no more than an anonymous, statistically insignificant part of a huge and diverse audience. (2001年第7题)
分析: 该句是复合句,that he or she is no more than...在句中作sense的宾语。
译文: 电视观众作为个体来说总是觉得,他/她只是众多不同观众中无名无姓的、不值一提的一分子罢了。
2. no more...than...表示“不是……也不是……”或“与……同样不”之意。
(l)no more+名词+than+名词。
例句: Im afraid youve got the wrong person. I am no more a scientist than a mathematician.
译文: 我想恐怕你们搞错了,我既不是什么科学家,也不是什么数学家。
试比较: She is not more a doctor than a technician. (less a doctor than a technician)
译文: 与其说她是医生,还不如说她是技师。
(2)no+形容词或副词比较级+than。
例句: The heart is no more intelligent than the stomach, for they are both controlled by the brain. (1994年第4题)
分析: 该句是复合句,由主句和for引导的原因状语从句组成。
译文: 心脏和胃一样都无智力可言,因为它们都受大脑的控制。
例句: Mr.McWhorters academic specialty is language history and change, and he sees the gradual disappearance of“whom”, for example, to be natural and no more regrettable than the loss of the caseendings of old English. (选自2005年Text 4)
分析: 该句是并列句,to be natural和no more regrettable than the loss of...是see的宾语补足语。
译文: 麦荷特先生研究的学术领域是语言的历史和演化,他将诸如whom这类词汇的逐步消失看做是正常的,认为它们与古英语尾格消失一样不值得惋惜。
(九)not so...as 和 not so much...as
1. not so...as是一般比较级结构,表示劣等比较。
例句: While it is easy to ignore in our contact with them the effect of our acts upon their disposition, it is not so easy as in dealing with adults. (2009年第48题)
分析: 该句是复合句,主干部分是it is not so easy as in dealing with adults。该从句中的it是形式主语,真正的主语是不定式结构to ignore in our contact with them the effect of our acts upon their disposition,介词短语in our contact with them在句中作状语。
译文: 在和他们的交往中,我们很容易忽视自己的行为对他们的性格产生的影响,但在与成年人的交往过程中,这种情况就不那么容易发生。
2. not so much...as表示“与其说是……不如说是……”之意。
例句: The chief reason for the population growth isnt so much a rise in birth rates as a fall in death rates as a result of improvement in medical care.(1997年第6题)
分析: 该句是简单句,介词短语as a result of improvement in medical care作状语表示原因。
译文: 人口增长的主要原因与其说是出生率的上升,还不如说是由于医疗保健的改善而引起的死亡率的下降。
例句: It wasnt so much that I disliked her as that I just wasnt interested in the whole business. (2000年第9题)
分析: 该句是复合句,包含由not so much that...as that...引导的让步状语从句,that I disliked her与that I just wasnt interested in...为并列结构。
译文: 与其说我不喜欢她,不如说我只是对整个事件不感兴趣。
(十)不用than的比较级
1. the+比较级...,the+比较级...,表示“越……,越……”之意。
例句: The better informed they are about the way the state works, the better their reporting will be. (选自2007年Part C)
分析: 该句是并列句。
译文: 他们越是了解国家的运行方式,就越能作出好的报道。
例句: In fact, the more new things we try—the more we step outside our comfort zone—the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives. (选自2009年Text 1)
分析: 句中第一个破折号对前面内容作进一步解释,而第二个破折号后的内容表示前面那样实践的结果。
译文: 事实上,我们尝试的新事物越多就越能走出自己的舒适区,从而无论在职场上还是在个人生活中都具有更大的内在创造力。
2.(ever)+比较级+and+比较级,表示“日益”之意。
例句: The weather is turning ever colder and colder, and people have to make a fire in their homes in advance.
分析: 该句是并列句。
译文: 天气变得越来越冷,人们纷纷提前在家里生起了火。
3.prefer+动名词+to+动名词=prefer to+动词原形+rather than+动词原形。
例句: The old man himself prefers to write the letter rather than dictate others.
分析: 该句是简单句。
译文: 老人宁愿自己亲自写信也不愿口授他人。
4.以ior结尾的形容词接to构成比较级,而不接than,但有些词可以用接than的比较级来替代,如: junior to(=younger than),senior to(=older than),inferior to(=worse than), superior to(=better than),prior(=before)以及preferable(比……更可取的)。
例句: Beethoven is my favorite musician and I consider him as superior to other musicians in the world.
分析: 该句是并列句。
译文: 贝多芬是我最喜欢的音乐家,我认为他比世界上其他音乐家都要优秀。
七、倍数表示法
(一)表倍数的词+as+形容词/副词原级+as...
例句: The oxygen atom is nearly 16 times as heavy as the hydrogen.
分析: 该句是简单句。
译文: 氧原子的重量几乎是氢原子的16倍。
例句: Engaged in the parttime job, he earned three times as much as his roommate.
分析: 该句是简单句,其中分词engaged in...在句中作状语表示原因。
译文: 由于从事了兼职工作,他所挣得的是他舍友所挣得的三倍。
(二)表倍数的词+ that/(the+名词)+of...
例句: The cotton output in Hami area is 3 times that of the grape.
译文: 哈密地区的棉花产量是葡萄产量的三倍。
(三)表倍数的词+比较级+than
例句: Smoking is so harmful to personal health that it kills seven times more people each year than automobile accidents. (1999年第2题)
分析: 该句是复合句,that it kills...是一个结果状语从句。
译文: 吸烟对个人健康危害严重,每年吸烟造成的死亡人数比机动车事故的死亡人数多七倍。
例句: When the United States entered just such a glowing period after the end of the Second World War, it had a market eight times larger than any competitor, giving its industries unparalleled economies of scale. (选自2000年Text 1)
分析: 该句是复合句,after the end of the Second World War在句中作状语,形容词短语eight times larger than any competitor修饰market,分词giving its industries...在句中作结果状语说明it had a market...any competitor的结果。
译文: 第二次世界大战结束后,美国恰好进入这样一段辉煌时期,当时,它拥有的市场是任何竞争对手的八倍,这使美国工业达到了一个无与伦比的经济规模。
(四)用倍数动词double,triple, quadruple分别表示增加了一、二、三倍
例句: The handling capacity of the Qingdao Harbor has tripled in two years.
译文: 青岛港的吞吐量两年间翻了两番。
(五)表示增减意义的动词
1. 用表示增减意义的动词(如increase,rise,grow,go up,decrease,fall,drop,lower, reduce)+to+...times表示“增加到……倍或减少到……倍”。
例句: As a result, Californias growth rate dropped during the 1970s, to 18.5 percent—little more than two thirds the 1960s growth figure and considerably below that of other Western states. (选自1998年Text 4)
分析: 该句是简单句,破折号后的内容,即形容词短语little more than two thirds...and...对前面内容作进一步补充说明。
译文: 结果,20世纪70年代加利福尼亚州的人口增长率降到了18.5。这个数字比60年代增长率的2/3略高,但明显低于西部其他各州。
2. 用表示增加或减少的动词+by+...times表示“增加了或减少了……倍”。
例句: And since 1991, productivity has increased by about 2 a year, which is more than twice the 1978—1987 average. (选自1998年Text 2)
分析: 该句是复合句,定语从句which is more than twice...修饰about 2 a year。
译文: 1991年以来,生产率每年大约增长2,这一比率是1978年到1987年平均增长指数的两倍。
3. 表增减意义的动词+数字或表增减意义的动词+by a factor of+数字(增加时,译作“增加了n-1倍”,减少时译作“减少了(n-1)n倍”)。
例句: The grain output in our country has increased four times.
译文: 我国粮食产量增加了3倍。
例句: The coal output has been lowered by a factor of 5.
译文: 煤的产量减少了4/5。
(六)表示增加意义的形容词/副词
1. again +as+形容词/副词原级+as表示“是/为……的两倍”之意。
例句: The car factory is again as large as the electronic infrastructure factory.
译文: 汽车厂是电子基础设施厂的两倍大。
2.half again+as+形容词/副词原级+as表示“增加了一半”之意。
例句: This Liberation Bridge is half again as long as the Victoria.
译文: 解放大桥是维多利亚大桥的1.5倍。 |