（1）The average shooting star... is a small fragment of matter usually smaller than a pea and often no larger than a grain of sand. [北大《英语》(三), p. 1]
[原译]普通流星……通常只是比豌豆还小，而且往往并不比一粒砂子更大的物质碎片[《学习辅导》(三)，p.1，北大出版社]
(2) In proportion to the earth's size, the layer of air that surrounds our globe is no thicker than the skin on an apple. [复旦大学《英语》(三), p. 32]
[原译]和地球的大小相比,围绕着地球的大气层厚度并不比一只苹果皮更厚。(教参)。
请说明 no larger than 和 no thicker than 的准确含义。
正如 no(never) more than 不同于 not more than 一样, no larger (thicker) than 也不同于 not larger(thicker) than。前者并不是表示“不比……更大(厚)”, 而是表示“跟……一样小(薄)”, 意在言其小(薄)也。由此可见, 在“no + 形容词(或副词) 比较级 + than”的结构里, 其意义和口气在于强调该形容词(或副词)的反面性质。如:
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Now many neckties are no wider than a piece of string. 现在许多领带窄得像条绳子。
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He had travelled no further than seven miles across the Channel when his engine failed. 他在英吉利海峡上空刚刚飞行了七英里，他的发动机就发生了故障。
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Experts say that the shock suffered by a sleepwalker suddenly awakened is no greater than that suffered in waking up to the noise of an alarm clock. 专家们说,梦游患者被人突然叫醒时所受到的惊扰,是跟人们被闹钟唤醒时所受到的惊扰一样小的。
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Men will risk their lives in search for them, yet once they have them within their grasp, the taste is no better than chewed tallow. 但世人一见功名，便舍命去求它。及至到手之后，味同嚼蜡。（《儒林外史》）
因此，句(i)中的no larger than a grain of sand应译为“小得像砂粒”；句(2)中的no thicker than the skin on an apple应译为“像苹果皮那么薄”。《现代英语用法词典》（三）(p.2844)将这种结构译为“并不比……些”，似乎没有揭示出它的真实含义。