核心问题
（a）They didn't praise him slightly.
(b) They didn't praise him in the slightest.
句(a)与句(b)意思是否相同?
词典解答
句(a)中状语slightly位于否定范围之内，而且是否定中心。直译：“他们不是轻轻地表扬了他。”意译：“他们对他大加赞扬。”(They praised him a lot.)而句(b)中的状语in the slightest位于否定范围之外(即它本身不被否定)。可译为：“他们一点儿也没有赞扬他。”(They didn't praise him a bit.)（参见a bit/a little, negation）