词组 | less...than |
释义 | less...than1 【问】 Hitler’s mistakes gave Roosevelt the victory;just as at Waterloo it was less Wellingtonwho won than Napoleon who lost. [原译]希特勒犯下的错误使罗斯福取得了胜利,正如在滑铁卢战场上,威灵顿所赢得的要比拿破仑输掉的少。(刊) 将less...than译为“比……少”似乎不符合原意。 【答】 如同more...than并不总作“比……多”一样,less...than也并不总作“比……少”解。如前所述,“more A than B”可以译作“与其说B,不如说A”,less A than B”具有与它相反的意义,即less A than B=more B than A,可以译作“与其说是A不如说是B”。例如: 1. He was less hurt than frightened. 他与其说受了伤,还不如说受了惊。 2. It was a curious exchange,less a debate than a quarrel between two aggressive men...这是一次奇特的交谈,与其说是两个好斗的人之间的一场辩论,不如说是一次争吵 3. A general-purpose computer is regarded less as an electric calculating machine than as a capable assistant to human beings. 通用电子计算机,与其说是电动计算器,不如说是人的得力助手。 [试译]……正如在滑铁卢战场上,与其说是威灵顿战胜了,不如说是拿破仑战败了。① ①本例的试译参考了邱懋如的文章,见《翻译通讯》1983年第4期,p.17。 赵振才 编著.英语常见问题解答大词典.哈尔滨:黑龙江人民出版社.1998.第647页. |
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