妙语点睛　这是1996年的考研真题。这里as good as是一个完整的结构，不能省去as。原句相当于说I find records are often as good as an actual performance, if they are not better than it。由此可见，if not better than是一个省略句。

精品译文　你喜欢听唱片吗？我发现唱片的音响效果与现场演出的效果一样好，甚至可能更好。

二、结构2：as+形容词+a (n)+可数名词单数+as

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

5　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，整个句子是一个倒装句，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。

6　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。

7　His function is analogous to that of a judge, who must accept the obligation of revealing in as obvious a manner as possible the course of reasoning which led him to his decision.

妙语点睛　这是2006年的考研翻译真题。这个句子的难点在于revealing...his decision这一部分，难点有二：一是in as obvious a manner as possible这一有些怪异的结构；二是revealing的宾语the course of reasoning which led him to his decision后置了。这里的介词短语in as obvious a manner as possible是由in an obvious manner和as...as possible两个结构叠加而成的。原本的in an obvious manner修饰动词revealing，作方式状语，可译成“以很明了的方式”。然后，按照我们上面所述的as...as的用法特点，在in an obvious manner这个介词短语上加上了as...as possible这一结构来修饰obvious，此时不定冠词要放在obvious后面，于是便有了in as obvious a manner as possible，译成“以尽可能明了的方式”。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　他的职责与法官相似，必须承担这样的责任：用尽可能明了的方式来展示自己作出的决定的推理过程。

8　While there are almost as many definitions of history as there are historians, modern practice most closely conforms to one that sees history as the attempt to recreate and explain the significant events of the past.

妙语点睛　这是1999年的考研翻译真题。虽然我们在标题中提到的结构是“as+形容词+a (n)+可数名词单数+as”，但这里的形容词若是数量形容词，如many，则其中的名词当然要用复数了，本句就是一例（as many definitions...as）。

精品译文　几乎每个历史学家对史学都有自己的界定，但现代史学家的实践最趋向于认为历史学是试图重现过去的重大史实并对其作出解释。

三、在否定句中第一个as可用so代替

9　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。

10　Television is one of the means by which these feelings are created and conveyed--and perhaps never before has it served so much to connect different peoples and nations as in the recent events in Europe.

妙语点睛　这是2005年的考研翻译真题。这里有了否定词never，所以后面可用so。

精品译文　电视是引发和传递这些感受的手段之一——在欧洲近来发生的事件中，它把不同的民族和国家连到一起，其作用之大，前所未有。

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：

11　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”。关于这个用法，请参看3.10.2小节。

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。

12　The atmosphere is as much a part of the earth as 　　　 its soils and the water of its lakes, rivers and oceans.

A. are

B. do

C. is

D. has

正确答案　A。

妙语点睛　这里的主语是its soils and the water of its lakes, rivers and oceans这个复数形式的名词短语，所以谓语动词要用are。

精品译文　地球周围的大气层，就如同地球上的泥土及湖泊、河流、海洋中的水一样，都是地球的组成部分。

13　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一样。

3.10.2　as句型一：as much as结构

as much as结构看似简单，其实不然。我们先来看一个读者的提问：

The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works". 请问as...as中间放的除了形容词外就是副词，那么本句中的as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works"如何解释？”

要回答这个问题，首先得弄清楚这里的as much...as结构。很多读者看到as much as时，很可能是将其翻译为“和……一样多”，其实不然。英语里的as much as往往是表示两个事物之间程度的比较，表示“在同等程度上”，在翻译时要灵活处理。请看例句：

1　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as much...as表示的是“在同等程度上”，翻译时可以处理成“和……一样”。另外，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。

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。

2　The atmosphere is as much a part of the earth as are its soils and the water of its lakes, rivers and oceans.

妙语点睛　这里的as much...as表示的是“在同等程度上”，翻译时可以处理成“如同……一样”。另外，同上一句一样，这里的as are its soils and the water of its lakes, rivers and oceans是一个倒装结构，主语是its soils and the water of its lakes, rivers and oceans这个复数形式的名词短语，所以谓语动词用are。

精品译文　地球周围的大气层，就如同地球上的泥土及湖泊、河流、海洋中的水一样，都是地球的组成部分。

现在我们再来看那位读者所问的句子：

3　The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works".

妙语点睛　首先，这个句子和上面句子的结构非常类似，都有as much a part...as这样的结构。这里的as much...as同样是表示程度的。

精品译文　失败了的实验，与那些最终成功了的实验一样，都是整个实验过程的组成部分（二者同样重要）。

我们再来看有关as much as这个结构的考研真题：

4　Television is one of the means by which these feelings are created and conveyed -- and perhaps never before has it served so much to connect different peoples and nations as in the recent events in Europe.

妙语点睛　这是2005年的考研翻译真题。首先，这里因为有否定词never，所以我们可以用so来代替as，于是本句出现了so much...as的结构。这里比较的对象是时间，一个是before（以前），一个是in the recent events in Europe（在欧洲近来发生的事件中）。本句要说明电视在这两个不同时间所起作用的程度不同。具体来说，强调的是电视在欧洲近来发生的事件中所体现出的connect different peoples and nations（连接不同民族和国家）这方面的作用是以往任何时候都没有的。为此，可以将其转译为“作用之大，前所未有”。

精品译文　电视是引发和传递这些感受的手段之一——在欧洲近来发生的事件中，它把不同的民族和国家连到一起，其作用之大，前所未有。

5　Scientists generally agree that the earth's climate will warm up over the next 50 to 100 years 　　　 it has warmed in the 20, 000 years since the Ice Age.

A. as long as

B. as much as

C. as soon as

D. as well as

正确答案　B。

妙语点睛　这是1994年的考研真题。这里的as much as同样是表示程度，说明地球气候变暖的程度在两个不同长度的时期内是一样的。

精品译文　科学家们一致认为，地球的气候在未来的50至100年内变暖的幅度和它自大冰期以来的两万年间的变化幅度一样。

6　The ideal listener stays both inside and outside the music at the moment it is played and enjoys it almost as much as the composer at the moment he composes.

妙语点睛　这是2000年的考研改错题中的一个句子。the ideal listener...enjoys it as much as the composer does at the moment he composes，这里用does代替enjoys，表示对音乐的“欣赏”。这里的as much as同样表示“同等程度上”。

精品译文　一个真正懂音乐的听众应该是在听音乐时，既置身于音乐其中，又可游离于音乐之外，他对音乐的欣赏程度，几乎等同于作曲家本人在创作该曲子时的欣赏程度。

3.10.3　as句型二：not so much...as结构

在英语考试中，not...so much as这一句型常常出现。若是不熟悉这个结构，考生就很难理解和翻译。这个句型的用法特点如下：

1. 从结构上来看，not...so much as可以有两种结构：not A so much as B或者not so much A as B；

2. 从意思上来看，该句型的基本含义为：“与其说A倒不如说B”，或者“是B，而不是A”。但在实际的翻译中非常灵活；

3. A和B是两个被比较的平行结构，如：同为介词短语、动词不定式、名词短语或其他平行结构。

只要把握住上述三个用法特点，就不难理解这个句型了。请看下列例句：

1　Science moves forward, they say, not so much through the insights of great men of genius as because of more ordinary things like improved techniques and tools.

妙语点睛　这是1994年的考研翻译真题。本题考查的是not so much A as B这一比较句型。这里的平行结构是两个介词短语：through the insights of great men of genius和because of more ordinary things like improved techniques and tools，两者在这里作状语，修饰谓语moves forward。

精品译文　他们说，科学的发展与其说源于天才伟人的真知灼见，不如说源于改进了的技术和工具等更为普通的东西。

2　It wasn't so much that I disliked her 　　　 that I just wasn't interested in the whole business.

A. rather

B. so

C. than

D. as

正确答案　D。

妙语点睛　这是2000年的考研真题。本题考查的是not so much A as B这一比较句型。这里的平行结构是两个that引导的从句：that I disliked her和that I just wasn't interested in the whole business，两者在这里作表语。

精品译文　并不是因为我不喜欢她，而是因为我对整个事情根本就不感兴趣。

3　It was not so much the many blows (A) he received for (B) the lack of fighting spirit that led (C) to his losing (D) the game.

正确答案　B，应该改为as。

妙语点睛　这是1992年的考研真题。这道题有一定的迷惑性，因为在英文中的确有for the lack of这一固定搭配，意为“由于缺乏”。但本题考查的实际是not so much A as B这一比较句型。这里的平行结构是两个名词短语：the many blows he received和the lack of fighting spirit，两者在这里作表语。该句的基本框架结构是：It was...that led to his losing the game，即是一个强调句型，被强调的部分是表示一个原因，说明是什么原因导致他比赛失利。

精品译文　导致他比赛失利的真正原因，不是由于他遭受到的打击，而是因为他缺乏斗志。

4　The conveniences that Americans desire reflect not so much a leisurely lifestyle as a busy lifestyle in which even minutes of time are too valuable to be wasted.

妙语点睛　这是1995年的考研真题。本句含有not so much A as B这一比较句型。这里的平行结构是两个名词短语：a leisurely lifestyle和a busy lifestyle，两者在这里作reflect的宾语。

精品译文　美国人所渴望的种种便利设施，与其说是反映了一种休闲的生活方式，倒不如说是反映了一种忙碌的生活方式，正是因为忙碌，所以每分钟都很宝贵而不容浪费。

5　For the women of my generation who were urged to keep juggling through the '80s, downshifting in the mid-'90s is not so much a search for the mythical good life--growing your own organic vegetables, and risking turning into one--as a personal recognition of your limitations.

妙语点睛　本句含有not so much A as B这一比较句型。这里的平行结构是两个名词短语：a search for the mythical good life--growing your own organic vegetables, and risking turning into one和a personal recognition of your limitations，两者在这里作表语。

精品译文　对于我们这一代在20世纪80年代被敦促要搏击生活的女性来说，在90年代中期过着节奏放慢的生活，与其说是对神秘的美好生活的追求——自己种有机蔬菜、冒险进入一个仙境——倒不如说我们都认识到了自己的局限性。

下面是更多的精品例句：

6　The great use of a school education is not so much to teach you things as to teach you the art of learning.

妙语点睛　这里被比较的是两个动词不定式短语：to teach you things和to teach you the art of learning。

精品译文　学校教育的伟大作用不在于教会你多少东西，而在于教会你学习的技巧。

7　The trumpet player was certainly loud, but I was not bothered by his loudness so much as by his lack of talent.

妙语点睛　这里被比较的是两个介词短语：by his loudness和by his lack of talent。

精品译文　这个吹喇叭的人，吹的声音够大，但是让我很烦的不是他的大声，而是他根本就是缺乏演奏天赋。

8　The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.

精品译文　人生的意义不在于你目前身在何处，而在于你心向何方。

9　We both agreed that our marriage had taken a marked decline in the romance department. And it wasn't a lack of sex that concerned us so much as the lack of conversation. Conversation, in fact, has always been our aphrodisiac.

精品译文　我们俩都承认，我们的婚姻在浪漫这方面已大打折扣了，这倒不是因为缺少性生活，而在于缺少交流。事实上，保持交谈曾一直是我们感情的催化剂。

10　He does not respect learning and prefers "sport". The problem set for society is not the virtue of the type so much as its adequacy for its function.

精品译文　他不重视学习，只喜欢“消遣”。社会要回答的问题并不是这类人物有无美德，而是他是否胜任其职务。

3.10.4　as句型三：(just) as..., so结构

这一句型表示类比。具体用法如下：



基本意思是“正如……，所以”；

第二句可用倒装结构。



我们来看例句：

1　Just as virtue is its own reward, so is vice its own punishment.

妙语点睛　这句话里含有just as...so结构，并且采用了倒装结构so is vice，正常语序应该是so vice is its own...。

精品译文　善有善报，恶有恶报。

这句话的意思类似于汉语中的“善有善报，恶有恶报”。该句来自葛拉西安《智慧书》中的一篇短文：

Lead a good life. Two things bring life speedily to an end: folly and immorality. Some lose their life because they have not the intelligence to keep it, others because they have not the will. Just as virtue is its own reward, so is vice its own punishment. A virtuous life never dies. The firmness of the soul is communicated to the body, and a good life is not only long but also full.

精品译文　珍惜生命吧。让生命加速终结的原因有二：愚蠢和无德。有人因为无智而毙；有人因为放纵而亡。善有善报，恶有恶报。有德行的生命不会消亡。灵魂的坚韧使其躯体亦坚强，因而这样美好的人生会长久而富足。

2　Just as dark clouds cannot long hide the sun, so no lies can cover up the fact.

精品译文　乌云遮不住太阳，谎言掩盖不了事实。

3　Just as food nourishes the body, so do books enrich the mind.

精品译文　食物滋养身体，书本丰富心灵。

这里的just也可以省去，比如下面例句：

4　As you sow, so will you reap/so you will reap.

精品译文　种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。

5　As it is the mark of great minds to say many things in a few words, so it is the mark of little minds to use many words to say nothing.

精品译文　大智者寥寥数语即能达意，寡智者口若悬河仍言之无物。

6　As land is improved by sowing it with various seeds, so is the mind by exercising it with different studies.

精品译文　土壤因播种不同的种子而改良，智力用各科的学习来提高。

3.10.5　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).

精品译文　他比我高。

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

妙语点睛　这是典型的错误，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 not (A), find the novels of (B) Dickens far more (C) exciting than Thackeray (D).

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小说要比萨克雷的小说有趣得多。

二、比较形式问题

比较形式问题，即指在有than的比较句里，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. (1998. 6 CET-4)

A. likely

B. more likely

C. most likely

D. much likely

正确答案　B。

妙语点睛　这是1998的年四级考试题。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　On the whole (A), ambitious students are much likely (B) to succeed in their studies than are those (C) with little (D) ambition.

正确答案：B，应改为：more likely。

妙语点睛　这是1996年的考研真题。我们看到这个句子里有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。

6　In the long run (A), however, this hurry (B) to shed full-time staff may be (C) more harmful to industry as (D) it is to the workforce.

正确答案　D，应改为：than。

妙语点睛　这是2000年的考研真题。此题与上一题相反，这里是有比较级形式的more，但其后面没有than来引导句子，所以，我们把as改为连词than。

精品译文　不过，从长远的角度来看，这样匆忙地辞退全职员工，对公司的打击比对员工本身的打击要大。