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在江苏省2008年高考英语试题中有这么一道单项选择题(第30题):
It is__________to spend money on preventing illness by promoting healthy living rather than spending it trying to make people__________after they are ill.
A. good; goodB. well; better
C. better; betterD. better; good
试卷提供的答案是C项,这就使题干所要表达的意思一目了然:花钱使人们健康地生活以预防疾病的发生要比得病以后再去花钱使人们恢复健康要好。但是,当你仔细观察句子结构,就会发现它的表达方式是存在问题的。我们不妨对句子稍作改动。由于句中的it是形式主语,故句子结构可以改写成:To spend money on preventing illness by promoting healthy living is better rather than spending it trying to make people better after they are ill.很清楚,题干其实就是一个含有比较级的简单句,而连接两个比较成分的连词应该是than,可题目中却使用了rather than。命题者也许是为了加强than的语气而为之,可笔者认为,这样的表达与rather than的习惯用法不相符。应该怎样使用rather than呢?下面就让我们一起来探究一下rather than的基本用法。
一、rather than的确切含义
在所有将rather than作为词条列出的英语词典中,它的英文解释有以下两种:
1.more than or to be a greater degree than someone or something else (LDCE)
2.in preference to; instead of someone or something else (CALD)
可以看出,这两种注释的意思接近于and not,可以译为“不是……(而是……)”,也就是说rather than连接的内容是被否定的,或者说是不被采纳的。它表达一种“否定”或“舍去”,而不是表达比较。请看例句:
I think I’d like to stay at home this evening rather than go out. (CACD) 我想今晚呆在家里,不外出了。
Parents should be blamed rather than the children. (LDCE) 应该受到责备的是父母,而不是孩子。
二、rather than的使用规则
1. 表示单纯的否定,可译为“而不是”。此时的rather than相当于一个并列连词,连接两个结构对称的成份。例如:
John ought to go rather than Jean. (LDCE) (连接两个主语) 是约翰应该去,而不是珍。
She telephoned rather than wrote. (CGEL) (连接两个谓语动词) 她打了电话,而没有写信。
These shoes are comfortable rather than pretty. (连接两个形容词) 这些鞋穿起来舒适,但并不漂亮。
He is to be pitied rather than to be disliked. (CGEL) (连接两个动词不定式) 他应该得到怜悯,而不是被厌恶。
He was engaged in writing rather than reading the newspaper. (连接两个动名词) 他正忙着写文章,而不是在读报纸。
It was what he meant rather than what he said that annoyed me. (连接两个从句) 让我生气的不是他说的话,而是他话中的意思。
2. 与would 和(would) prefer连用,表示主观上的选择,常可译为“宁可……而不……;宁愿……而不……”。例如:
I would die with my head high rather than live with knees bent. 我宁愿昂着头去死,也不愿意跪着求生。
Rather than go there, I’d prefer to stay here on my own. 我宁愿自己呆在这里也不愿去那里。
Rather than get money in such a dishonest way, he would beg in the streets. 他宁可在街上乞讨也不愿以这种不诚实的手段挣钱。
I prefer to go to the movies rather than (to) stay at home. (MECD) 我宁愿去看电影也不愿呆在家里。
在与would连用时,有时可以将rather转移到would之后。例如:
I’d rather take the slowest train than go there by air. (CGEL) 我宁愿坐最慢的火车也不愿乘飞机去那里。
He would rather pay the fine than appeal to a higher court. (CGEL) 他宁可付罚款也不向上级法院上诉。
3. 当rather than之后连接的是动词的非谓语形式时,有三种结构:rather than + do / to do / doing,它们可以互换,但仍然以前后结构对称为常见。例如:
He decided to write rather than telephone. (接do,前后不对称) 他决定写信而不打电话。
He prefers to rent a car rather than to have one of his own. (接to do,前后对称) 他宁愿租一辆车而不愿自己买车。
We ought to check up, rather than just accepting what he said. (接doing,前后不对称)我们应该检查一下,而不是只接受他所说的话。
综上所述,无论是rather than的哪一种用法,它都在表示一种否定而并非比较,也即它不可以代替than和形容词或副词的比较级一起连用。因此,我们认为江苏省08高考英语试题第30题的题干表达方式是错误的。应该将句中的rather than改为than,再将其后的spending改为to spend与上文的to spend对应。调整后的句子为:It is better to spend money on preventing illness by promoting healthy living than to spend it trying to make people better after they are ill.这样才符合英语的表达习惯,尤其是在书面语中。如果要在该句中使用rather than,那就应该是:It is good / wise to spend money on preventing illness by promoting healthy living rather than spending it trying to make people better after they are ill. 而这样的改变使句意稍有不同。改后句意为:明智的做法是花钱使人们健康地生活以预防疾病的发生,而不是得病以后再去花钱使人们恢复健康。
以上为个人的见解,恳请杏坛同仁不吝赐教。 ☆
It is__________to spend money on preventing illness by promoting healthy living rather than spending it trying to make people__________after they are ill.
A. good; goodB. well; better
C. better; betterD. better; good
试卷提供的答案是C项,这就使题干所要表达的意思一目了然:花钱使人们健康地生活以预防疾病的发生要比得病以后再去花钱使人们恢复健康要好。但是,当你仔细观察句子结构,就会发现它的表达方式是存在问题的。我们不妨对句子稍作改动。由于句中的it是形式主语,故句子结构可以改写成:To spend money on preventing illness by promoting healthy living is better rather than spending it trying to make people better after they are ill.很清楚,题干其实就是一个含有比较级的简单句,而连接两个比较成分的连词应该是than,可题目中却使用了rather than。命题者也许是为了加强than的语气而为之,可笔者认为,这样的表达与rather than的习惯用法不相符。应该怎样使用rather than呢?下面就让我们一起来探究一下rather than的基本用法。
一、rather than的确切含义
在所有将rather than作为词条列出的英语词典中,它的英文解释有以下两种:
1.more than or to be a greater degree than someone or something else (LDCE)
2.in preference to; instead of someone or something else (CALD)
可以看出,这两种注释的意思接近于and not,可以译为“不是……(而是……)”,也就是说rather than连接的内容是被否定的,或者说是不被采纳的。它表达一种“否定”或“舍去”,而不是表达比较。请看例句:
I think I’d like to stay at home this evening rather than go out. (CACD) 我想今晚呆在家里,不外出了。
Parents should be blamed rather than the children. (LDCE) 应该受到责备的是父母,而不是孩子。
二、rather than的使用规则
1. 表示单纯的否定,可译为“而不是”。此时的rather than相当于一个并列连词,连接两个结构对称的成份。例如:
John ought to go rather than Jean. (LDCE) (连接两个主语) 是约翰应该去,而不是珍。
She telephoned rather than wrote. (CGEL) (连接两个谓语动词) 她打了电话,而没有写信。
These shoes are comfortable rather than pretty. (连接两个形容词) 这些鞋穿起来舒适,但并不漂亮。
He is to be pitied rather than to be disliked. (CGEL) (连接两个动词不定式) 他应该得到怜悯,而不是被厌恶。
He was engaged in writing rather than reading the newspaper. (连接两个动名词) 他正忙着写文章,而不是在读报纸。
It was what he meant rather than what he said that annoyed me. (连接两个从句) 让我生气的不是他说的话,而是他话中的意思。
2. 与would 和(would) prefer连用,表示主观上的选择,常可译为“宁可……而不……;宁愿……而不……”。例如:
I would die with my head high rather than live with knees bent. 我宁愿昂着头去死,也不愿意跪着求生。
Rather than go there, I’d prefer to stay here on my own. 我宁愿自己呆在这里也不愿去那里。
Rather than get money in such a dishonest way, he would beg in the streets. 他宁可在街上乞讨也不愿以这种不诚实的手段挣钱。
I prefer to go to the movies rather than (to) stay at home. (MECD) 我宁愿去看电影也不愿呆在家里。
在与would连用时,有时可以将rather转移到would之后。例如:
I’d rather take the slowest train than go there by air. (CGEL) 我宁愿坐最慢的火车也不愿乘飞机去那里。
He would rather pay the fine than appeal to a higher court. (CGEL) 他宁可付罚款也不向上级法院上诉。
3. 当rather than之后连接的是动词的非谓语形式时,有三种结构:rather than + do / to do / doing,它们可以互换,但仍然以前后结构对称为常见。例如:
He decided to write rather than telephone. (接do,前后不对称) 他决定写信而不打电话。
He prefers to rent a car rather than to have one of his own. (接to do,前后对称) 他宁愿租一辆车而不愿自己买车。
We ought to check up, rather than just accepting what he said. (接doing,前后不对称)我们应该检查一下,而不是只接受他所说的话。
综上所述,无论是rather than的哪一种用法,它都在表示一种否定而并非比较,也即它不可以代替than和形容词或副词的比较级一起连用。因此,我们认为江苏省08高考英语试题第30题的题干表达方式是错误的。应该将句中的rather than改为than,再将其后的spending改为to spend与上文的to spend对应。调整后的句子为:It is better to spend money on preventing illness by promoting healthy living than to spend it trying to make people better after they are ill.这样才符合英语的表达习惯,尤其是在书面语中。如果要在该句中使用rather than,那就应该是:It is good / wise to spend money on preventing illness by promoting healthy living rather than spending it trying to make people better after they are ill. 而这样的改变使句意稍有不同。改后句意为:明智的做法是花钱使人们健康地生活以预防疾病的发生,而不是得病以后再去花钱使人们恢复健康。
以上为个人的见解,恳请杏坛同仁不吝赐教。 ☆