《随堂学·练·考丛书·高一英语》(龙门书局,p.248)在对 as much as/as many as + 数词条中所问的句子提出了如下的解释:
“as much as‘多达’指不可数名词, many 指可数名词。
Take as much as you like. 你要多少就拿多少。
You may try as many times as you like. 你喜欢试多少次就试多少次。”
我总觉得该书所作的解释有点儿“文不对题”。请释疑。
《高中英语教科书》中的原句与上书所举的例句分属于不同的句型。前者是 as much as + 数量词,而后者是 as much(...) as + 从句(第二个 as 是关系代词)。前一用法已在上条中讨论过了。下面只谈一谈后一用法。在 as much(...) as + 从句结构中,从句常含有助动词 can, could 等:
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He picked up as much information as he could. 他收集了尽可能多的信息。
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Learn as much as you can about what to expect in the jungle. 对于预料在丛林中会发生的事要尽量多了解一些。
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I don't have as much time as( = I have less time than) I would like for visiting my friends. 我没有我所希望的那么多时间来访问我的朋友。
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I've said as much as I'm prepared to say( = I'm not willing to say anything more) ... 我把我准备说的话都说了出来……
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He recited as much of the poem as he could remember. 他把那首诗中记得住的都背诵出来了。
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Eat as much as you can. 尽量吃吧。
在第二种用法中,去掉 as much(...)as 之后,句子就不完整了,而在第一种用法中,去掉 as much as 之后,句子结构仍然完整,而且基本含义不变,只是失掉了“言其多”的口气。有时,亦可用 as high as 来表达“言其多”的含义:
The cost of one day in an average hospital in the United States can run as high as $250.
在美国,一家普通医院一天的住院费可高达二百五十美元。
as much as 和 as high as 的反义词是 as little as:
A reliable quartz watch can cost as little as ten dollars. (CGEL) 一块品质可靠的石英表才卖10美元。