Ask & Learn聞問切英語口語:Nothing Less Than No More Than
讀者 Edmund 問:Nothing less than 和 no more than 均翻譯作「只不過是」,但兩者有何分別?
不錯,no more than 可譯作「只不過」,或者更直接的「不超過」。但 nothing less than(或 no less than)的意思卻剛剛相反,應譯作「不少于」、「不低于」或者「至少」。
我們可以從字面看出來,no more than 是設(shè)了上限,而 nothing less than 則設(shè)了下限。
Tom在 facebook 上朋友滿天下,常常向家人吹噓;但當他遇上困難時,只有三個愿意幫助他,而且都是他從小學就認識的朋友,他感慨地說:
I have no less than 5,000 friends on facebook, but no more than three would help me when I am in trouble.
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