文法淺釋系列 (39)

文法淺釋系列 (39)

文法(grammar)與句型(sentence patterns)

二. 形容詞 ( Adjective)- 形容名詞或代名詞

12) There are not less than five theaters in town; there are at least five theaters in town. (城至少有五家戲院)。

less than 不到；不足：In less than a week he returned. 不到一週他回來了。

【比較】：

President Roosevelt, by any measure, a Great leader, was less than candid.

無論以何種尺寸標準來看，都是一位偉大領袖的羅斯福總統，就是不夠坦誠。

另外下列四個句型極易混淆，宜特別注意。

not less than = at least 至少

但，no less than  = as many (much) as 達…之多

not more than = at most  至多

但，no more than = only  僅僅 …

         

13) He is as disappointed as we are.  He is no less disappointed than we are. (他和我們一樣失望)。

**注意下列易混淆的表達法：(than 與前面片語分開)

not more + adj (adv.) than = less… than比…少= not so….as = 不如

Her tone was not more determined than ( it was) certain. 她的語調的肯定大於決心。(本句屬於本身兩種性質之比較)

not less + adj. (adv.) than= at least as….as…= perhaps more…than =至少 ；如…一樣；或許比….更

*no more + adj. (adv.) than = not +adj. (adv.) any more than = 和…一樣不是 (本句型易與not more….than混淆)

 

no less + adj. (adv) than= as + adj. (adv.) as…..和….一樣

14) Jeanette is junior to me by two years. (Jeanette 小我兩歲。)

1. A be junior to (介詞) +B = A is younger than B (A 比B小) = A be B’s junior 

A比 B 年輕= B is A’s senior

junior, senior  作形容詞用時亦可作限制用法：

a. junior / senior + n. ：junior college 專科學校 (五專) ；~ high school 初

(國中)； (middle school可指初、高中) senior high school 高中

senior citizen 年屆65歲 以上老年人

b. 美國學制：senior 大四 或高三 (=the twelfth grader 十二年級生) ；junior大三 或高二 (= the eleventh grader 十一年級生) ；sophomore 大二或高一 (= the tenth grader 十年級生) ；freshman 大一 新生或 (= the ninth grader

九年級生)

                                                            

2. A be senior to (介詞) + B = A is older than B  = A be B’s senior；A 比B 年長

【注意】：senior, junior作名詞用：

He is my senior = I am his junior他年歲比我大。

比較：senior n. 年長者 / seniority n. (抽象名詞) 資深

Should promotion be through merit or through seniority?

升級應跟据成績還是年資。

*seniority seat博愛座位 (公車或捷運上)

比較：

a junior partner年資較輕的股東

George W. Bush, Jr. 小布希

10/21/2013

Justin Lai 編著

英語漫談

AACHW13