几个值得注意的比较级句式

两者均可表示数量，前者表示“仅仅”、“只不过”，强调少；而后者表示“不多于”、“至多”。如：

This test takes no more than thirty minutes. 这个测验只需30分钟。

For thirty years, he had done no more than he had needed to. 30年来，他只干了他需要干的工作。

He has not more than three children. 他最多 3 个孩子(有或许还不到 3 个之意)。

六、no more…than与not more…than

两者均可用于比较，前者表示对两者都否定，意为“同……一样不”(=neither ... nor)；而后者则指两者虽都具有某种特征，但程度不同，意为“不如”、“不及”(= not so ... as)。如：

He is no more a writer than a painter. 他不是画家，也不是作家。(= He is neither a painter nor a writer.)

He’s no more able to read Spanish than I am. 他和我都读不懂西班牙语。(=Neither he nor I am not read Spanish.)

She is not more clever than he is. 她不如他聪明。(= She is not so clever as he is.)

This book is not more difficult than that one. 这本书不比那本书更难。(This book is not so difficult as that one.)

七、no less than 与not less than

表示均可表示数量，前者意为“多达”、“有…之多”，强调多；后者表示“不下于”、“至少”。如：

He paid no less than $10,000 for it. 他为此付了10000多美元。

He paid not less than $10,000 for it. 他为此付的钱不下10000美元。

He walks no less than five miles to school. 他上学至少要走五英里。

He has no less than seven daughters. 他有七个女儿之多。

He has not less than seven daughters. 他至少有七个女儿。

有时两者都可译为“至少”，但no less than语气比not less than要夸张，表示所涉及的数量比预料的要多，其用法可比较其反义结构no more than（只不过，只有），用于强调少。