【问】 Alexander Graham Bell once told his family that he would rather be remembered as ateacher of the deaf_________of the telephone.

A. than inventing B. than as the inventor

C. the invention D. as the inventor. (TOEFL，90.8)

答案为B。但我认为A也是符合would rather ... than的句式的。

【答】 上题只有选B才是正确的。在would rather... than结构里，必须注意前项和后项的对称，即than所连接的词项必须与前面的词项在词性或结构上相一致。例如，上面试题中的asa teacher of the deaf与as the inventor of the telephone在结构上就是相一致的。请分析下面的实例：

1. I'd rather have the red one than the green one. (Palmer)

我宁愿买这个红(色)的，而不是那个绿(色)的。

2. He would rather play than work. (Eckersley)

他宁愿玩耍而不愿学习。

3. I'd rather stay in motel than in an expensive hotel.

我宁愿住汽车旅馆，而不愿住高级宾馆。

4. In fact，Mary would rather have left for San Francisco____ in Los Angeles.

A. by staying B. than stay

C. than have stayed D. to stay(TOEFL，79.2—4)

(参见parallelism structural)