比较级和比较结构(3)

John is a more efficient worker than Jack。

The slaves were given worse food than that for their master’s dogs。

以上诸例都可转换为名词词组+more````than结构做后置修饰语。例如：

There are men more intelligent than John。 John is a worker more efficient than Jack。 至于以下词序虽偶尔可见，却很不普通：

John is more efficient a worker than Jack。

more````than结构的另一种变体形式是“定冠词+形容词或副词比较级+of-词组”。例如：

John is the brighter of the two boys。

Of the two boys John behaves（the）more politely。 由上述两例可以看出，用这种变体形式进行比较都只用于两者之间的比较；在第一例中比较级前的定冠词不可省，而在第二例中比较级前的定冠词可省。这两句分别相当于： John is brighter than the other boy。

John behaves more politely than the other boy。

More/less还可用作代词，与某些可等级名词（Gradable Noun）搭配构成比较结构：

He is more/less of a sportsman than his brother。 =he is more/less sportsmanlike than his brother。

3）“（the）+形容词副词最高级+比较范围”结构

如果是三个或三个以上的人或物进行比较，就要使用形容词和副词的最高级。例如：

The Sahara is the biggest desert in the world。 John is the brightest of the here boys。

Of the three boys John behaves（the）most politely。 He works（the）hardest of all。

This is the most interesting book I have ever read。

Shakespeare was the greatest English dramatist ever known。 由上述诸例可以看出，表示“最高级”的意义，通常都要有一个“比较范围”，表示比较范围可以用介词词组，如in the world，of the three boys，也可以用关系分句或非限定分句，如I have ever read，ever known。比较范围在一定上下文中可以不表示出来。例如：

A：Six juicy oranges，please。 B：These are our juiciest。

有些最高级结构并不是和其他事物相比，因而也不须把比较范围表示出来：

Please accept my deepest gratitude。 I shall do it with the greatest pleasure。 A：Do you mind if I open the window？ B：Not in the slightest。

表示最高级的相反意义可用the least```结构。例如： This is the least difficult book I have ever read。 He behaved the least politely of the three。

the least```结构在实际使用上常为原句中形容词或副词的反义词的最高级所取代：

this is the easiest book I have ever read。 He behaved the most rudely of the three。

在一定上下文中，最高级含义也有用其他结构来表示，比如用more```than结构表示：

George did more work this morning than anyone else。 （=George did the most work。）

This car runs faster than any other car in the garage。

（=This car runs the fastest of all the cars in the garage。） 也可用as``as结构来表示：

Nothing in my life shook me so deeply as my first visit to China。

（=My first visit to China shook me the most deeply。） 还可用“否定词+比较级”来表示：

I like nothing better。

（=it is the best thing I like。） It can not be worse。

（=it is the worse thing I have ever known。）

下面四则练习均是操练本节所介绍的几种比较结构。 EXERCISE 25B

Fill in an appropriate comparative construction: 1. He looked——a brick wall。（nervous） 2. drive——you can。（fast）

3. his new book’s much——his last。（interesting） 4. the car’s running les——it used to。（smoothly） 5. you are——person I have met。（annoying）

6. we will probably drive a bit——you do，so we will get there first。（fast）

7. Mary’s——of the four girls in the family。（nice） 8. Mont Blanc is——all other Alpine peaks。（high）

9. I like Betty and Maud，but I think Betty’s——of the two。（nice） 10. You are far——I am。（tolerant） 11. Is your mother any——？（relaxed） 12. She is ——of the Smith girls。（sensible） 13. Could you come——you usually do？（early） 14. Honey is just about——sugar。（sweet）

15. Does not Alex look a little bit——he did last week？（unhappy） 16. Salt water is a great deal——fresh water。（dense） 17. We bought——boards we could find 。（thick）

18. Is this type of pencil very much——the other type？（dark）

19. What is——joke you have ever heard？（funny）

20. Which job is——，a policeman’s or a fireman’s？（dangerous） EXERCISE 25C

Provide the correct words to make comparisons：

A：Hi，Walt。Welcome home！Did you have a nice vacation？ B：Yes，it was just（1。Nice）last year’s。The weather was a lot（2。Cool）it was last August，though。 A：Did you go to the same place？

B： No。We decided that a mountain trip would be much（3。Exciting）a fish trip。Besides，my wife and children are not quite（4。Interested in fishing）I am。

A：Was ot the trip up there a bit（5。Long）the trip to the lake？ B：It was just about（6。Far to the mountain camp）it is to the lake camp。The roads aew a lot（7。Rough）（，though。I had to be a great deal（8。Careful）with my driving。

A：We have though about a mountain trip。 But is not it a little（9。Expensive）going to the lake？

B：As a matter of fact，it is just about（10。Cheap）the lake，maybe even a little（11。Cheap）the lake。The cabins in the mountain camp are a little bit（12。Modern）those at the lake，but they are just（13。 Comfortable）the others。

A：You will have to come over and tell my wife about it。She is a lot