妙语点睛

while出现在句首，表示让步转折。

精品译文

尽管美国政府积极要求彻底拆分微软这个软件巨人，但是微软公司极力反对任何影响其市场竞争力的动议。

3　While even the modestly educated sought an elevated tone when they put pen to paper before the 1960s, even the most well regarded writing since then has sought to capture spoken English on the page.

妙语点睛

while出现在句首，表示让步转折。

精品译文

在20世纪60年代之前，当人们伏案写作时，即使受教育不多的人也追求一种高雅的风格，而从那以后，即使是令人景仰的文章作品也在追求一种口语风格。

4　While often praised by foreigners for its emphasis on the basics, Japanese education tends to stress test taking and mechanical learning over creativity and self-expression.

妙语点睛

这里while作为连词表示“尽管”。注意这里的从句是一个省略形式的状语从句，相当于说while it is often praised by...，it指代Japanese education。

精品译文

虽然日本的教育常常因为重视基础知识而受到外国人士的赞扬，但是其教育往往强调应试和机械性的学习，而不是强调创造性及自我表现。

5　While history once revered its affinity to literature and philosophy, the emerging social sciences seemed to afford greater opportunities for asking new questions and providing rewarding approaches to an understanding of the past.

妙语点睛

while出现在句首，表示让步转折。

精品译文

尽管历史学曾经崇尚它与文学和哲学的相似性，但新兴的社会科学似乎为人们开辟了更为广阔的天地，来提出新问题和提供了解过去的有效途径。

4.7.4　as引导的倒装句表示让步

as引导的倒装句可表示让步，这一结构有：



一、形容词提置句首

1　Young as he is, he is knowledgeable. 他虽然年轻，但知识渊博。

2　There are also desert insects which survive as inactive larvae. In addition, difficult as it is to believe, there are desert fish which can survive through years of drought in the form of inactive eggs.

妙语点睛

这句话是“形容词＋as＋主谓”的结构，表示让步。

精品译文

还有一些沙漠昆虫，其幼虫靠着不活动来存活。此外，尽管很难以置信，但确有一种沙漠鱼，能够以不活动的卵的形式来抵御干旱，可以存活好几年。

3　Oldest in our workshop as he is, he works hardest.

妙语点睛

请注意在这结构中最高级前不加the。

精品译文

尽管他是我们车间最年长的一位，他工作起来最努力。

二、副词提置句首

4　Much as I respect him, I can not agree with him. 虽然我非常尊重他，但是我仍旧不同意他的意见。

5　Again as he failed in doing this experiment, he didn't lose his heart.

尽管他的试验再次失败了，但是他并不灰心。

三、分词提置句首

6　Praised as he was, he remained modest. 尽管他受到了表扬，却仍旧很谦虚。

四、名词提置句首

7　Child as he is, he is knowledgeable.

妙语点睛

请注意这句话的名词前不带冠词。

精品译文

他虽然还是个孩子，却知识渊博。

8　Lazy a boy as he is, he is kind to help others.

妙语点睛

请注意这里名词短语的语序：lazy a boy。

精品译文

他虽然很懒惰，却乐于助人。

最后需要提醒读者注意的是，这里的as可以替换为that或though，尽管较少这样使用。不可以用although。

9　Odd though it sounds, cosmic inflation is a scientifically plausible consequence of some respected ideas in elementary particle physics, and many astrophysicists have been convinced for the better part of a decade that it is true.

图解难句



妙语点睛

这是1998年的考研翻译真题。这里作者用了though代替as，来表示让步。

精品译文

宇宙膨胀理论虽然听似奇特，但它是基本粒子物理学中一些公认的理论在科学上看来可信的推论。许多天体物理学家十几年来一直确信这一论说是正确的。

请看下面的考题：

10　(A) Much although I have traveled, I have never seen anyone (B) to equal her in thoroughness, (C) whatever (D) the job.

正确答案　A，应改为：Much as。

妙语点睛

这是1998年的考研真题。本题考查的就是as引导的让步从句。我们看到，这里用although代替as是错误的。

精品译文

尽管我游历甚广，但我还从没有见过一个像她这样不论对什么工作都如此细致认真的人。



思维总结

让步状语从句的内容比较多，读者要掌握引导让步从句的各种连词以及各类句型结构。比如as的倒装句表示让步；while放在句首，表示让步等等。同时，遇到时要能够正确翻译。



思维训练

Exercise 4.7

请选择最佳答案填空。

1．________, he does get annoyed with her sometimes.

A．Although much he likes her

B．Much although he likes her

C．As he likes her much

D．Much as he likes her

2．________lay eggs, but some give birth to live young.

A．Although most insects

B. Most insects

C．Despite most insects

D．Most insects that

3．Airsickness is produced by a disturbance of the inner car,________psychogenic factors, such as fear, also play a part.

A．in spite of

B．neither

C．nor

D．although

4．_________his physical handicap, he________a successful businessman.

A．Despite/has become

B．Although/has become

C．In spite/became

D．Despite of/becomes

5．________all our kindness to help her, Sarah refused to listen to us.

A．At

B．For

C．In

D．On

6．________, the policeman still has good command.

A．Sophisticated as search techniques were

B．Sophisticated were search techniques

C．Search techniques were sophisticated

D．Sophisticated as search techniques they were

7．________, I still enjoy driving even after my accident.

A．It may seem strange though

B．Strange though it may seem

C．Though strange it may seem

D．Strange it may seem though

8．________I admire him as a poet, I do not like him as a man.

A．Much so

B．So much

C．Much as

D．As much

9．The engineers are going through with their project,________the expenses have risen.

A．even though

B．just because

C．now that

D．as though

10．________what she achieved in literature, she remained modest.

A．Despite

B．Although

C．If

D．Whereas

11．________annoyed by her words, he tried not to lose his temper.

A．Despite

B．For all

C．Though

D．Whereas

辨别改错：

12．Although Mr. Smith studied (A) art in Paris, (B) but hiswritings attracted (C) much more interest (D) than his paintings.

13．(A) Despite fats and oils are (B) nutritionally important (C) as energy sources, medical research (D) indicates that saturated fats may contribute to hardening of the arteries.





4.8　比较状语从句

比较状语从句的结构或句型较多，下面一一详细讲解。本节内容安排如下：

4.8.1　连词as的基本用法

4.8.2　连词than的基本用法

4.8.3　表示倍数比较的三种句型

4.8.4　the more..., the more句型

4.8.1　连词as的基本用法

as引导比较状语从句，其基本结构是as...as，这里前一个as是副词，而后一个as才是比较状语从句的连词。具体用法如下：

一、结构1：as＋形容词或副词＋as

1　The work is not as difficult as you think. 这项工作不像你想象的那么难。

2　Eyes are as eloquent as lips (are). 眼睛像嘴唇一样富于表现力。

3　An adult human must take eight steps to go as far as a giraffe does in one stride. 长颈鹿跨一步的距离相当于一个成年人走八步。

二、结构2：as＋形容词＋a(n)＋可数名词单数＋as

这里前一个as作为副词来修饰一个形容词，而这个形容词同时又修饰一个名词。使用时要特别注意这里形容词置于不定冠词之前这一特点。请看例句：

4　Rarely has a technological development had as great an impact on so many aspects of social, economic, and cultural development as the growth of electronics.

妙语点睛

若没有as修饰great，这句话原本的结构是a great impact，但现在将其放置在as...as结构中，则冠词和形容词的语序要互换，因此成了as great an impact as。另外要注意的是，整个句子是一倒装句，正常语序为：A technological development has rarely had as great an impact on...as the growth of electronics.

精品译文

很少有哪项科技的发展能像电子技术的发展这样，对我们的社会、经济以及文化等诸多方面产生如此重要的影响。

5　Americans tend to think from small to large. Let us take as simple an example as the addressing of envelopes.

妙语点睛

若没有as修饰simple，这句话原本的结构是a simple example，但现在将其放置在as...as结构中，则冠词和形容词的语序要互换，因此成了as simple an example as，译成“像这样的一个简单例子”。另注：虽然这里as...as结构并不是引导一个比较状语从句，举这个例子主要是为了说明“as＋形容词＋a(n)＋可数名词单数＋as”这一结构。

精品译文

美国人的思维喜欢由小到大。我们举一个写信封地址的简单例子吧。

三、在否定句中第一个as可用so代替

6　This room is not so large as the one we saw yesterday. 这间房子没有我们昨天看到的那间大。

7　No other modern nation devotes so small a portion of its wealth to public health as the United States does.

妙语点睛

注意否定词（no）在句首，故此句为否定句

精品译文

没有一个现代国家像美国这样，只把自己的财富很少一部分投入到公共卫生事业中去。

四、为了保持句子平衡，从句还可以用倒装结构

此时的结构是“as...as＋助动词＋主语”，请看例句：

8　Small as it is, the ant is as much a creature as are all other animals on the earth.

妙语点睛

这里的as are all other animals on the earth是一个倒装结构，主语是all other animals on the earth。另外，这里的as much...as表示的是“在同等程度上”，翻译时可以处理成“和……一样”。

精品译文

尽管蚂蚁很小，但是它同地球上的任何其他动物一样，也是一种动物。

9　The computer revolution may well change society as fundamentally as did the Industrial Revolution.

妙语点睛

这里的as did the Industrial Revolution是一个倒装结构。

精品译文

计算机革命对于我们人类社会的改变之深刻，就如同当年的工业革命。

4.8.2　连词than的基本用法

一、可比性问题

可比性问题，即指应是两个同类事物才能比较，如he和I。不是两个同类事物是无法比较的。

1　He is taller than I (am). 他比我高。

2　The weather of the South is wetter than the North.*

妙语点睛

这是典型的句子错误，因为the weather of the South和the North是两个截然不同的事物，无法进行比较，只能是“南方的天气”和“北方的天气”这两个同类事物才能比较。故原句应改为：The weather of the South is wetter than that of the North.（为避免重复，用that代替the weather。）

3　Young readers, more often than (A) not, find the novels (B) of Dickens (C) far more exciting than (D) Thackeray.

正确答案　D，应改为：Thackeray's。

妙语点睛

这是1992年的考研真题。这里比较的对象是两个作家的小说，所以要用Thackeray's，相当于说Thackeray's novels。

精品译文

年轻的读者多半觉得狄更斯的小说要比萨克雷的小说有趣得多。

二、比较形式问题

即指在有than的比较句子里，主句中必须有比较级形式出现。

4　There are few electronic applications_________to raise fears regarding future employment opportunities than robots.

A．likely

B．more likely

C．most likely

D．much likely

正确答案　B。

妙语点睛

这是1998年的四级考试题。本题考查的是比较级的形式。这里只有more与后面的than构成结构上的搭配，故B正确。

精品译文

很少有任何一项电子技术的应用能够像机器人这样，引起了人们对未来就业机会的恐慌。

5　(A) On the whole, ambitious students are (B) much likely to succeed in their studies than (C) are those with (D) little ambition.

正确答案　B，应改为：more likely。

妙语点睛

这是1996年的考研真题。这个句子里有than，那么其前面就应该有比较级形式与其构成结构上的呼应，所以把much likely改为more likely。

精品译文

总的来说，一个有远大抱负的学生比起那些胸无大志的学生，更可能取得学业上的成功。

三、为了保持句子平衡，从句还可以用全部或部分倒装

此时的结构是：than＋助动词＋主语。请看例句：

6　On the whole, ambitious students are more likely to succeed in their studies than are those with little ambition.

妙语点睛

这是上面讨论过的考研改错句子。我们看到这里than are those with little ambition即是一个倒装结构，这里的主语是those with little ambition。

请再看更多的例句：

7　Foreign-born Asians and Hispanics "have higher rates of intermarriage than do U. S. -born whites and blacks".

在海外出生的亚洲人和西班牙人的通婚率“比出生在美国的白人和黑人的通婚率要高”。

8　In addition, far more Japanese workers expressed dissatisfaction with their jobs than did their counterparts in the 10 other countries surveyed. 另外，据调查，不满意自己工作的日本员工比另外10个国家的员工人数要多得多。

9　The surface conditions on the planet Mars are more like the Earth's than are those of any other planet in the solar system. 与太阳系中的其他行星相比，火星表面的情况同地球表面的情况最为相似。

10　Ichthyosaurs had a higher chance of being preserved than did terrestrial creatures because, as marine animals, they tended to live in environments less subject to erosion. 与其他陆生生物相比，鱼龙的遗体更易保存，因为它是水生生物，其生活环境使它不易腐烂。

4.8.3　表示倍数比较的三种句型结构

在英文中，除了用than和as来对两个事物进行比较外，还可以用times和twice等词来说明两事物之间的倍数关系。在英文中，表示两事物倍数关系的比较，可用以下三种句型（以三倍即three times为例）：

1．“倍数＋比较级”结构：A is three times bigger（或其他形容词的比较级）than B

2．“倍数＋as...as”结构：A is three times as big（或其他形容词的原级）as B

3．“倍数＋名词”结构：A is three times the size（或其他形容词对应的名词形式）of B

请看下列各例句：

1　When the United States entered just such a glowing period after the end of the Second World War, it had a market eight times larger than any competitor, giving its industries unparalleled economies of scale.

妙语点睛

这里是“倍数＋比较级”结构。

精品译文

美国在二战后进入辉煌的历史时期时，它拥有比任何竞争对手大八倍的市场，这使其工业经济规模无可匹敌。

2　There are about 105 males born for every 100 females, but this ratio drops to near balance at the age of maturity and among 70-year-olds there are twice as many women as men.

妙语点睛

这里是“倍数＋as...as”结构。

精品译文

每出生100名女婴，就会有105名男婴出生，但这个比例在他们成年时下降为基本平衡，在70岁的老人中女性是男性的两倍。

3　There are only half as many fisheries as there were 15 years ago.

妙语点睛

这里是“倍数＋as...as”结构。

精品译文

现如今的渔场数量仅是15年前的一半。

4　According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, prescription drug costs have risen since 1997 at twice the rate of overall health-care spending.

妙语点睛

这里是“倍数＋名词”结构。

精品译文

加拿大医疗信息协会的资料表明，自1997年以来，处方药的费用的增长速度是整个医疗费用增长速度的两倍。

5　Smoking is so harmful to personal health that it kills_______people each year than automobile accidents.

A．seven more times

B．seven times more

C．over seven times

D．seven times

正确答案　B。

妙语点睛

这是1999年的考研真题。此题考查的就是倍数比较关系的表达。根据上面说到的“倍数＋比较级”结构，这里的倍数seven times应该放在比较级的前面，故seven times more正确。其他的表达，如seven more times, over seven times均不符合上面的句型。

精品译文

吸烟对个人健康是如此有危害，以至于每年造成的死亡人数是交通事故导致的死亡人数的七倍多。

6　Americans eat________as they actually need every day.

A．twice as much protein

B．twice protein as much twice

C．twice protein as much

D．protein as twice much

正确答案　A。

妙语点睛

这是1998年的四级考题。此题考查的是倍数比较关系的表达。根据上面说到的“倍数＋as...as”结构，这里的倍数twice应该放在as...as前面，故twice as much protein正确，其他的表达均不符合上面说的这个句型。

精品译文

美国人每天摄入的蛋白质的量是他们实际所需要的两倍。

4.8.4　the more..., the more句型结构

“the more..., the more”结构的基本意思是“越……，越……”。但很多英语初学者在使用这个句型时常常会犯错，究其原因，就是没有把握该句型的核心要点。正确使用这个句型的关键在于，要知道这里的比较级部分都须在各自的分句中充当一定的成分，换句话说，相当于是将分句中的某个成分变为比较级之后提到了句首。请读者先来翻译这样一个中文句子：

1　你用词越准确，人们就能越容易理解你的意思。

这里的“准确”可以用exact来表达。那么这句话该如何翻译呢？请读者不妨提笔练习一下。

下面笔者来提供几个版本的译文，看看与大家刚才翻译的是否相同。

1) The more exact you use your words, the easier people will understand you.

2) The more exactly you use your words, the more easily people will understand you.

3) The more exact your words are, the easier it is for people to understand you.

4) The more exact words you use, the more easily people will understand you.

妙语点睛

上面的译文并不全对。要分析上面句子的对错，要牢牢抓住该句型的核心要点——比较级部分都须在各自的分句中充当一定的成分。

在句1）中，两个分句的比较级部分分别是the more exact和the easier，再往后看各自引导的分句you use your words和people will understand you就会发现，这里使用的形容词比较级the more exact和the easier是不能修饰句子的谓语use或understand的（因为形容词不能修饰动词），即比较级部分无法充当后面分句的任何成分，因此句1）的译文不对。



在句2）中，鉴于句1）的错误原因，把比较级部分都改为副词的比较级the more exactly和the more easily，此时就能修饰句子的谓语use或understand（因为副词修饰动词），即比较级部分充当了后面分句的某一成分，这里是作方式状语，因此句2）的译文非常正确。