在英語中，當(dāng)對兩個事物進行程度上的比較時，要采用形容詞和副詞的特定表現(xiàn)形式或特定句型，即形容詞和副詞的三個比較等級：同級比較、比較級和最高級。但同級比較和比較級形式不僅僅表現(xiàn)"……與……一樣"和"……比……更"的基本概念。由比較級構(gòu)成的特定句型可以表達更為復(fù)雜的意思，并有其特定的譯法，是學(xué)習(xí)者在高級英語學(xué)習(xí)階段所應(yīng)掌握的。
1．"as．．．a(chǎn)s．．．"句型可以用來比較兩個不同事物或人的兩個不同特征，表示兩個事物的狀況處于同等程度或兩個事物之間具有連帶關(guān)系。譯成漢語時，以"而"連接兩個事物。例如：
He was as experienced as his brother was green．他經(jīng)驗豐富，而他弟弟初出茅廬。
The prisons are as over-crowded as the farmlands are empty．監(jiān)獄里人滿為患，而農(nóng)田卻無人耕種。
She is as kind as her brother is honest．她很友善，而她哥哥很誠實。
2．"as．．．a(chǎn)s．．．"句型還可以用來比較一個事物或一個人的兩個不同的特征，表示兩個特征同時存在，具有both．．．a(chǎn)nd．．．的含義，可譯成："既……又……"。例如：
The landlord was as greedy as cruel．這個地主既貪婪又殘忍。
The problems are as numerous as trivial．問題既多又繁瑣。
It is as your fault as yourwife’s．這既是你的錯誤也是你妻子的錯誤。
3．"as．．．a(chǎn)s．．．canbe"，"as．．．a(chǎn)sany（anything）"，"as．．．a(chǎn)s ever lived"：表示某事達到了無以復(fù)加的程度，可譯成"最"，"極其"。例如：
They are as unreliable as they can be．他們極不可靠。
He is as great a mathematician as any（as ever lived）．他是最偉大的數(shù)學(xué)家。
My sister is as green as green can be．我妹妹毫無經(jīng)驗。
He pretends to be as modest as anything．他裝得極為謙虛。
4．"notsomuch．．．a(chǎn)s．．．"：這個句型用以肯定as后面的內(nèi)容，而在一定程度上否定as前面的內(nèi)容，表示"與其說……還不如說……"，"更多的是……而不是……"。例如：
Experience shows that success is not so much due to ability as to zeal．
經(jīng)驗表明，成功的背后更多的是熱情，而不是能力。
I was attracted not so much by the plot of the story as by the actor’s excellent performance．
吸引我的與其說是劇情，還不如說是演員的出色表演。
5．"As X is to Y，so is A to B．"：這個句型表示A與B之間的關(guān)系就像X與Y之間的關(guān)系，以人們所熟知的兩個事物之間的關(guān)系說明一個不被熟知或被忽視的兩事物之間的關(guān)系，是一種類比，可譯成："A對于B，猶如X對于Y"。例如：
As the house is to the man，so is the nest to the bird．
鳥巢對于鳥的作用，就像房屋對于人的作用。
As lungs are to the animal，so are leaves to the plant．
葉子對于植物的作用猶如肺臟對于動物的作用。
As food is to the body，so is reading to the mind．
讀書對于人的思想的作用，猶如食物對于人體的作用。
6．"m ore A than B"：表示與"not somuch．．．a(chǎn)s"類似的含義，肯定的是A，而在一定程度上否定B。可譯成："與其說是B，還不如說是A"。例如：
He is more brave than wise．他有勇無謀。
The child was more frightened than hurt．
這孩子的傷倒不算什么，只是受驚嚇不些
The reason why solar energy is not in widespread use is more economic than technical．
太陽能沒有廣泛應(yīng)用的原因更多的是資金問題，而不是技術(shù)問題。
Many patients die more of worry than of cancer when they get to know the truth abouttheir illness．
很多病人在他們了解了病情真相后與其說是死于癌癥，還不如說是死于憂慮。
7．"more than ＋名詞／形容詞／分詞……"：表示內(nèi)容超出了后面詞語所表達的范圍，可譯成"不只于，超過，極其"。例如：
If you tell your father what you’ve done， he’ll be more than a little angry．
如果你告訴你父親你都做了些什么，他會非常生氣。
I more than saw it；I touched it too！
我何止看見了，我還摸了摸它！
We were more than happy to hear of your return．
聽說你回來了，我們極其高興。
8．"as likely as not"：該結(jié)構(gòu)并無否定含義，表示"很可能"之意，而且語氣強烈。例如：
He will forget all about it as likely as not．他很可能會把它忘得一干二凈。
He will succeed as likely as not．他很可能會成功。
類似的用法還有：as often as not，more often than not，表示"經(jīng)常"、"往往"之意。再如：
As often as not the buses are late in peak hours．
公交車往往在高峰時間晚點。
More often than not conservative people look backward rather than forward．
保守的人們往往不是向前看，而是往后看。
He comes to work early more often than not．他經(jīng)常很早就來上班。
