核心问题
下面是《学生英语疑难解析词典》(辽海出版社，p.482)关于 no less than 和 not less than 的分析：“他居然中了一千元的奖券。
(1) He won no less than 1 000 yuan in the lottery. (正)
(2) He won not less than 1 000 yuan in the lottery. (正)"
请问上面两个英文句子都符合中文原文的意思吗？
词典解答
首先要明确,原文“一千元奖券”中的“一千元”是个精确的数字,而不是个概略数字。英文的 no less than 恰好是表达精确数字的,并附带有“言其多”(居然)的口气。因此,句(1)是符合中文原意的。而英文的 not less than 不能表达精确的数字,只能表达概略数字(“不少于 1 000”可以理解为“1 000 以上”,况且没有“言其多”的口气,因而没有把“居然”的含义表达出来(参见 no fewer than, no more than)。故句(2)是不符合原意的。请对比:
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No less than a thousand people came. (=It was surprising that there were so many.) 来的人竟然有一千人之多。
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There were not less than (= at least) a thousand people there. 那里至少有一千人。
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The salary for that job will be not less than £ 1 000. 那个工作年的年薪不会少于一千英镑。