“名詞+or+名詞”結(jié)構(gòu)中or后的名詞是同位語，應(yīng)譯為“即……；或者稱……”

　　例1：Moreover, technology includes techniques, or ways to do things, as well as the machines that may or may not be necessary to apply them.

　　譯文：再者，除機器外技術(shù)還包括技藝，即制作方法，而動用這些技藝并不一定都需要機器。

　　“only + to do”意為“……，結(jié)果卻……”，即表示與句子謂語動作的目的相反的結(jié)果。

　　例1: They don't have to pay for expensive seats at the theatre, the cinema or the opera, onlyto discover, perhaps, that the show is disappointing.

　　譯文：他們不必花錢去戲院、電影院或歌劇院買價格很貴的票，(如果去了，)結(jié)果卻可能發(fā)現(xiàn)，所演的節(jié)目令人失望。

　　例2: They hurried there only to find the meeting canceled.

　　譯文：他們匆匆忙忙趕到那兒，結(jié)果卻發(fā)現(xiàn)會議被取消了。

　　not more / -er than 與 no more / -er than 結(jié)構(gòu)

　　比較：

　　John is not better than Tom.

　　John is no better than Tom.

　　前一句表示“約翰不比湯姆好”，屬于普通的比較結(jié)構(gòu)；后一例用了no 情況就不同了。no better than 相當于as bad as，含義是兩人一樣壞。這里，“no + 形容詞或副詞比較級 + than”所表示的可以說是該形容詞或副詞的反意。

　　例如： no richer than = as poor as 和……一樣窮

　　no bigger than = as small as 和……一樣小

　　no later than = as early as 和……一樣早

　　同樣地：

　　I have not taken more than six courses this semester.

　　I have taken no more than six courses this semester.

　　前一句的含義是本學(xué)期選的課不多于六門；后一句的含義是只選了六門。強調(diào)“少”。

　　上述結(jié)構(gòu)與表示前后都否定的no more...than (= not...any more than)又有所不同：

　　例：A whale is no more a fish than a horse is.(鯨和馬同樣不是魚。)

　　另外，在某些結(jié)構(gòu)中，單獨使用more than 也能表示否定概念：

　　例1：That is more than I can tell. 我簡直不能說。

　　例2：My trip to Beijing is more than sightseeing. 我去北京不僅僅是旅游觀光而已。

　　no more...than... (= not...any more than) 和……—樣都不……(表示前后都否定)

　　例1：The heart is no more intelligent than the stomach, for they are both controlled by the brain. 心臟和胃一樣都無智力可言，因為它們都是由大腦控制的。

　　例2：There is no reason they should limit how much vitamin you take, any more than they can limit how much water you drink.

　　譯文：他們沒有理由限制你服用多少維他命，就像他們不能限制你喝多少水一樣。

　　例3：More and more Afro-Americans see him as a tricky enemy who has no more love for them than he has for the Congolese.

　　譯文：越來越多的美國黑人認識到他是個詭計多端的敵人。他仇視美國黑人，正像他仇視剛果人民一樣。(直譯：…，他不愛美國黑人，正像他不愛剛果人一樣。)

　　注釋：not...any more than是no more...than的一種強調(diào)形式。

　　例如：

　　1) Jack is no more intelligent than John. (=Jack is not intelligent any more than John.)

　　杰克與約翰一樣都不聰明。

　　2) A man can no more fly than a bird can speak. (=A man cannot fly any more than a bird can speak.) 人不會飛翔，就像鳥不會說話一樣。

　　3) As a nation, the French are no more eager to 1earn about their wartime failings than are the Japanese. (=As a nation，the French are not eager to learn about their wartime failings any more than are the Japanese.)

　　作為一個國家，法國正如日本一樣不積極地從他們的戰(zhàn)爭失敗中吸取教訓(xùn)。

　　上述例句表明，no more...than并不表示比較，而是表示比喻，含有比喻意義的比較級用于否定時，than后面的從句不用否定式，但譯成漢語時要用否定式。而與上述句型意義相反的是：no less...than，意為：“和……同樣是……”。例如：

　　Human is no less an animal than a monkey is. 人和猴都是動物。

　　而no less than 的意思為：“簡直是，實在是”，例如：

　　1) It is no less than blackmail to ask such a high price. 如此索要高價，簡直是敲詐。

　　2) It is no less than a scandal. 這實在是一件丑聞。