核心问题
This book is no more expensive than that one. (ALD)
[原译]这本书并不比那本贵。（《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》，商务印书馆，p.994）
从译文看, no more expensive than 与 not more expensive than 是毫无区别的。是这样吗?
词典解答
从结构看, no more expensive than 与 no better (larger, wider) than 是相同的, 因此, 其含义在于强调 expensive 的反面性质——“便宜”。译文未把这层含义翻译出来。究其原因是译者忽略了 not more expensive than 与 no more expensive than 之间的语义差别, 见 no better than, no larger than。请对比:
(a) John is not more diligent than his brother. 约翰没有他兄弟用功。
(b) John is no more diligent than his brother. 约翰跟他兄弟一样不用功。