■ no 与 not

1) 表语是名词，强调“根本不是”或“并不是”（中文“并不”就是对原先的一个猜测加以否定），用 no 代替 not a 时，a 要去掉。

• Miss Hannah, of course, is no relative of Edith at all.当然，汉娜小姐并不是爱迪丝的亲戚。
• Virginians loved to dance and he was no exception.弗吉尼亚州的人喜欢跳舞，他也不例外。
• This is no easy matter.这并不是一件容易的事。
• His biographers are no apologists.为他写传记的作者们并不是什么吹捧手。
• It's no trouble.没事儿。
• She has a good voice, but she's no Callas.她嗓子很好，但她还不是一个卡拉斯。
• It's no masterpiece, but it's well written.这还算不上一篇杰作，但的确写得不错。
• He was no fool.他可不是傻瓜。
• That was no problem.那不是问题。
• The demise of Europe's constitution is no reason to celebrate. (BusinessWeek, July 13, 2005, p.53)欧洲宪法的寿终正寝，并不是一件喜事。
• This was no small extra burden.这个额外负担不轻。
• Their triumph was no fluke.他们的胜利不是侥幸得来的。

在一些语义上相当于表语的宾补语前，也常用 no 而不用 not a。

• Finding his visitor apparently no threat, he opened the door.他看到来人样子不像来意不善，就打开了门。

美国 20 世纪 60 年代有名的极右翼政客 Barry Goldwater 曾在 1964 年竞选总统时说了两句“闯祸”的话，因而败选：

• Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.捍卫自由时做得极端，不是坏事。我还要提醒你们，追求正义时四平八稳，不是好事。

这里的两个 no，都有事先假设有人认为前者是坏事而后者是好事，再加以反驳，语气上不同于平铺直述的 is not vice 和 is not virtue。

但是如果表语破例用了复数名词代替单数，就要用 not 而不用 no。

• He was not friends with his co-workers.他同自己的同事们也不交朋友。

2) 在比较级形容词或副词之前，表示原先已经如何，现在也没有什么改变或差别（如果用 not 则不交代原先如何，只是进行对比）。

• It's no better.情况一样糟。
• The application should be submitted no later than Aug. 21.申请表最迟要在 8 月 21 号之前递交。
• He was no happier for knowing it.他知道了，也没有觉得更加高兴一些。
• The process left them no better off than before.经历了这个过程，他们的处境还是和从前一样糟。
• The radio is no bigger than a matchbox.收音机只有一个火柴盒那么大。
• In terms of paperwork, domestic adoptions are no less laborious than international.就办文牍手续而言，国内认养并不比国际认养简便。
• Many newspapers have done no better.许多报纸的情况也不见得好多少。
• She felt she was no nearer to her goal than she was when she had first arrived in New York.她感到自己的目的同初到纽约时一样遥不可及。
• The doctor was no closer to being able to help his patient.医生对于他的病人，仍然一样束手无策。
• A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.整条链条有多结实，以最薄弱的一环有多结实为准。
• The study of more than 2,000 patients found that those who underwent the expensive procedure, known as angioplasty, in non-emergency situations were no less likely to suffer a heart attack or die than those who took only aspirin and other medicines to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and prevent clots, along with adopting lifestyle changes. (The Washington Post, March 27, 2007, A01)这种费用昂贵的手术，通称血管成型术，而对两千多名病人的调查发现，在非急诊情况下进行这种手术的人，比起只服用阿斯匹灵和其他药物再加上改变生活习惯以降低血压和胆固醇并预防血栓的人，心脏病发作与死亡的危险并不有所减低。

表示“差别”的形容词，也同比较级形容词一样“欢迎”no。

• In Miami, it is no different.迈阿密的情况也一样。
• The situation is no different from what it used to be.情况同从前没有多大差别。

3) 在比较级形容词或副词前加 no 或 not，意义略有不同。用 no 时表示原先的一方本来已经如何，现在新拿来比较的一方也同样如何。用 not 则只是进行简单的比较，对原先一方究竟如何不作评论或暗示。

• Mary is no more beautiful than Cindy.玛丽和辛迪两人都不漂亮。
• Mary is not more beautiful than Cindy.不知道辛迪漂亮不漂亮，但玛丽不比她漂亮。
• Mary is no less beautiful than Cindy.辛迪漂亮，玛丽的漂亮不下于辛迪。
• Mary is not less beautiful than Cindy.不知道辛迪漂亮不漂亮，但玛丽不比她丑。

4) no more (less) than 与 not more (less) than 的区别也是：前者先肯定了原先的一方“并不多”或“并不少”，而后者则对原先一方的“多”或“少”不加评论，只是做简单的比较。简单地说，no more than 相当于 only; not more than 相当于 at most; no less than 相当于 as much as; not less than 相当于 at least。

• He has no more than 10,000 dollars.他只有一万美元。
• He has not more than 10,000 dollars.他最多也只有一万美元。
• He has no less than 10,000 dollars.他有一万美元之多。
• He has not less than 10,000 dollars.他起码也有一万美元。