



英文的more than one除基本意思“较多”外,还有许多别的意思和用法,很难翻译,请举例说明。
【解答】 所谓more than从文法上来说,是more than one的意思,它后面到底应该接单数动词还是复数动词,颇有讨论的余地。在《袖珍牛津辞典》上,特别注明要接单数动词,而文法权威Jespersen也说more than one writer,意思上很明显的是复数(the idea is clearly plural);不过动词常易为其靠近的名词所吸引而说成单数,如:
More than one woman has been known to like her.(喜欢她的据说不止一个女人。)
美国文法家Curme就说,在这种情形,动词用单数是很普通的,不过用复数也可以,因为more可认为是一个plural indefinite pronoun(复数不定代名词)。他举例说:
More than one has(or have)found it so.(觉得这样的不止一个人。)
作“多”解的more,要给我们一个plural的观念是当然的;所以接在其后而用的代名词常为they、their,而不用单数的字样。不过如把more than看成一个phrase,而用作副词时,便有not merely的意思,而其动词便要与one一致而成为单数了。
《英文习语大全》上说,more than与形容词连用时,作“非但……尤有甚焉;更加,大大的”(not only . . .,but more than this)解,如“It is more than probable that he will fail.(十有八九他将失败。)”。至于与动词连用时,就作“深为”“岂特”(to do more than to)解,如“He more than hesitated to promise that.(他对答应那件事岂特踟蹰而已。)”,有简直是拒绝之意。
把more than用于形容词、动词或名词的前面,原是文法上一种破格的用法,尤其是用在动词前值得留意,以免译错。现就这些特殊的用法,举例如下:
You have already more than repaid me. ——Stevenson(你已经报答我绰绰有余了。)
He more than satisfied me.(他不只是使我感到满足而已。)
He is more than pleased with the result.(他对那结果深为满意。)
Roose’s cheeks were more than touched by the sun. ——Gissing(露丝的面颊深受太阳的伤害。)
He has more than 10,000 dollars—more than enough.(他有万元以上——钱多得绰有余裕。)
He more than smiled,he laughed outright. ——Rowe(他岂特是微笑,简直是大笑了。)
He has more than repaid my kindness.(他岂只是报答了我的帮助而已。)
She was dressed more than simply.(她穿得岂只是朴素而已〔简直近乎破烂了〕。)
I prayed to heaven in my heart that my boy,my more than son,might live. ——Haggard(我私自心里祷告,求上苍让我的孩子,我那心肝的儿子,活下去吧。)
Oh,great Sciolto!Oh,my more than father.(啊,伟大的西奥图!啊,我那单说是父亲还嫌不足的亲爱的人。)
这个more than又可置于to和infinitive之间,如to more than hint their knowledge in surmise(超过暗示他们臆测的知识)。在现代文中more than用得非常普遍,无非是要加强它所修饰的字。