■ other than

1) 一般词典都有 other than 前面有否定词的用法，意义是“除了…之外再无其他”，而且后面接着的总是名词成分。

• She never discussed it with anyone other than John.她除了跟约翰之外，跟谁都没有商量过这件事。
• Many of these countries have no natural resources other than their people. (Newsweek, Jan. 9, 2006, p.37)这些国家，有许多除了有人之外，并没有什么天然资源。
• They did it for no other reason than sheer frustration.他们这样做，除了出于纯粹的挫折感之外，没有任何别的原因。
• The signal could mean nothing other than a halt to the advance.那个信号只能是表示要停止前进。

2) 但是 other than 后面其实可以接上非名词成分的状语或定语。

• He has never behaved other than impeccably with me.他对待我是一直都一点也没得说的了（other than 后面接上状语成分）。
• If the state governments did not have the power to tax, they would not be able to function other than on a ceremonial basis.如果各州政府没有征税权的话，它们就只能起摆样子进行仪式的作用（other than 后面接上状语成分）。
• Attendance is not possible other than personally.到会必须本人，不可委托他人（other than 后面接上状语成分）。

3) 此外，other than 前面没有否定词时的用法，许多词典都语焉不详。其实 other than 本身就有否定的意思。有时它可以放在两个名词成分之间，表示前面一个在当前情况下不包括后面一个。

• languages other than English非英语的语言
• Singapore is now emphasizing factors other than raw testing skills when selecting its top students. (Newsweek, Jan. 9, 2006, p.37)新加坡现在挑选尖子学生时，所强调的因素已经不是光秃秃的考试技能了。

有时候 other than 干脆就是否定。

• This report is quite other than what I asked for.这个报告同我所要求的很不一样。

甚至可以放在作为表语或前置定语的形容词甚至限定词前面表示否定。

• ... he always wondered how she could be other than happy. (Robert Canzoneri. McCalls's, March, 1971)…他对她怎能竟然不高兴，总是大惑不解。
• In other than unanimous opinions (of the US Supreme Court), one or more dissenting opinions are usually written by those justices who do not agree with the majority.当（美国最高法院的）判决不一致通过时，往往那些同大多数意见不一致的大法官们就写出一份或多份的异见书（附注：opinion 在美国最高法院不是“意见书”而是有法律效力的“判决”）。
• The word is used in some other than its expected sense.这个单词不是用于一般的原义。

4) other than + 名词或动名词，这个短语还可以没有任何名词在其前面同它发生关系，在句子中起修饰全句的状语作用，表示“除了…为例外”。

• Bang on my door only if the building is on fire. Other than that, it can wait until morning.唯有房子着了火才能敲我的门。否则都可以等到早上。
• Other than twisting and untwisting her hands, she sits perfectly still. (Jim Jerome, The New York Times Magazine, Jan. 14, 1979)除了把双手扭来扭去外，她坐得十分安详。
• Other than Chinese and Indian restaurants... I can only think of one place in London where you can get lunch. (Margaret Costa, Illustrated London News, Aug. 31, 1968)除了中国饭馆和印度饭馆之外…我觉得伦敦只有一处地方可以吃午餐。
• I do not recall in what territory it was, other than that it was west of Albuquerque. (Agnes Morley Cleveland, No Life for a Lady)我记不清那是在什么地方了，只记得是在阿尔布刻尔克的西边。

5) other than 还可以用来代替 except for (except for 与 except 的区别见 except 条之 3) )。

• Other than the three chairs, a kidney-shaped table and a telephone, the office was bare.那个办公室除了有那三张椅子、一张腰子形的长桌和一部电话，就全是空荡荡的。

6) other 与 than 之间，可以插进名词成分，其否定意义同 other than 是一样的。

• There are other ways to insult the reader's intelligence than by forcing second-grade arithmetic on his attention.即使要骂读者是蠢材，也可以有别的办法，不必强迫他把注意力放在一些二年级的算术题上。