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rather than ¹

核心问题 1

rather than 都有哪些意义和用法？

词典解答 1

rather than 主要有三种含义。

A. 单纯地表示否定, rather than = and not。在这种情况下它可以连接任何词性相同的词。例如：

  1. The colour seems green rather than blue. 颜色好像是绿色,不是蓝色。

  2. It ought to be you rather than me that signs the letter. (PEU) 是你而不是我应该在这封信上签字。

  3. They were screaming rather than singing. (CGEL) 他们是在尖叫，而不是在唱歌。

  4. He was engaged in writing rather than reading the newspaper. 他正忙着写东西,而不是在读报纸。

B. 表示两种说法的正确程度。rather... than 后面的部分是不够精确的说法, 是 more... than (与其说……不如说……) 相似的表达方法:

  1. He is an artist rather than a philosopher. 与其说他是个哲学家,不如说他是个艺术家。

  2. When Zimbabwe becomes independent, therefore, this is seen merely as the opening act to the final play on Southern Africa rather than as a separate case. 因此，当津巴布韦宣告独立时，与其说人们把它看成是一个孤立事件，还不如说人们把它看成是南部非洲最后一出戏的第一幕。

C. 表示主观上选优。主句表示喜欢做的事(主句中常含有 would prefer, like 等), rather than 从句则表示不喜欢做的事。在这种情况下, rather than 可以放在主句之前。

  1. I would die with my head high rather than live with knees bent. 我宁愿昂着头去死，也不愿意跪着生。

  2. Rather than get money in such a dishonest way, he would beg in the streets. 他宁愿在街上乞讨，也不愿以这种不正当的手段挣钱。

  3. They were not alike; Aberforth was never bookish and, unlike Albus, preferred to settle arguments by duelling rather than through reasoned discussion. (J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) 他们两兄弟一点也不像，弟弟阿伯福思不像阿不思那样喜欢读书，偏向用决斗解决问题而非理性的讨论。（《哈利·波特与死亡圣徒》）

当主句中有 would, should 时, 可将位于句末的 rather than 从句中的 rather 转移到主句中去:

  1. He would rather beg in the streets than get money in such a dishonest way. 他宁愿在街上乞讨，也不以这种不正当的手段挣钱。

  2. He would rather pay the fine than appeal to a higher court. (CGEL) 他宁愿付罚款，也不向上级法院上告。

  3. I'd rather take the slowest train than go there by air. (CGEL) 我宁愿坐最慢的火车，也不乘飞机去那里。

练习题 1

请做下面的英语试题：

  1. Nuclear science should be developed to benefit the people ____ harm them.

A. more than B. other than C. rather than D. better than(全国四级,93.6-53)

  1. We are taught that a business letter should be written in a formal style ____ in a personal one.

A. rather than B. other than C. better than D. less than(全国研考,95-7)

  1. She said she would work it out herself, ____ ask me for help.

A. and not to B. but not C. and prefer not D. rather than(全国英语专业四级,93-47) rather than 2^{2}

核心问题 2

It was what he meant rather than he said.

句中的 rather than 是什么意思呢？我查了我手头上的所有英汉词典，都没有查到。

词典解答 2

上句中的 rather than 是英语里一种非常常见的格式。但是,有趣的是,我国出版的许多英汉词典大都没有对这一用法进行注译,甚至 1995 年出版的《最新高级英汉词典》也是如此。下面是我国出版的一些英汉词典对 rather than 的注译,它们忽略了上面的用法:

1.《英汉大辞典》:(与其)……毋宁愿;不如……的好。

2.《新英汉词典》:宁可,宁愿,与其……倒不如……

3.《最新高级英汉词典》:宁可,愿意;[与其……]倒不如。

其实, rather than 在不跟情态动词 (would, will) 等连用时, 并无“宁可”“与其……倒不如”的意思, 而仅仅表示否定, 可以译为“(而)不是”。这种用法的 rather than 叫做准并列连词, 在语义上相当于 and not。但是, 必须注意, 它往往连接词性相同的词项:

  1. She telephoned rather than wrote. (CGEL) 她打了电话,而没有写信。

  2. John ought to go rather than Jean. (LDCE) 是约翰应该去,而不是琼(应该去)。

  3. He was an objective rather than a subjective writer. (Fox) 他是客观主义作家,而不是主观主义作家。

  4. He is to be pitied rather than to be disliked. (CGEL) 他应该得到怜悯,而不是被厌恶。

  5. I'm going to forget the whole affair, rather than cause trouble. (CGEL) 我打算把整个事情都忘得一干二净，而不是打算惹麻烦。

  6. That is a children's tale, told to amuse rather than to instruct. (J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) 那是一个孩子的故事,为了娱乐而不是教育。(《哈利·波特与死亡圣徒》)

练习题 2

请做下面的英语试题：

  1. I will do it myself ____ ask him to do it.

A. than B. in stead C. in place of D. rather than (EPT)

  1. Clinical experiments have shown that children generally relate to other children's strengths and abilities, rather than ____. A. to one weak B. a weakness is C. to their weaknesses D. theirs is a weak one(TOEFL)

  2. We are taught that a business letter should be written in a formal style ____ in a personal one.

A. rather than B. other than C. better than D. less than(全国研考,95-7)

来源：英语常见问题解答大词典-7.md · 第 4022—4113 行 · 原文哈希 fa86ae543c…