no more…than与not more…than区别

1. no more than 表示“仅仅”、“只有”(= only)，强调少；而 not more than 表示“不多于”、“至多”(= at most)。如：

He is no more than an ordinary English teacher. 他只不过是个普通的英文老师。

He has no more than three children. 他只有 3 个孩子。

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

2. 用于比较两件事物时，no more … than 表示对两者都否定，意为“同……一样不”(＝neither … nor)；而 not more … than 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)。

A whale is no more a fish than a horse is. 马不是鱼，鲸也不是鱼(=Neither a horse nor a whale is a fish)。

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

有这样一道考题，请看是该选no more…than还是not more…than？

You are _____ careful than your brother. You two can’t do the work that needs care and skill.

A. not more B. no more

C. not less D. no less

【分析】容易误选A。要做对此题，首先要正确理解以下结构的含义：

not more … than = 不如……

no more … than = 和……一样不 (否定两者)

not less … than = 不如……不 (即指不如 less 后形容词的反面)

no less … than = 和……一样 (肯定两者)

比较以下各句的意思：

You are more careful than he is. 你比他仔细。

You are not more careful than he is. 你不如他仔细。

You are no more careful than he is. 你和他一样不仔细。

You are less careful than he is. 你不如他仔细（你比他粗心）。

You are not less careful than he is. 你比他仔细（你不如他粗心）。

You are no less careful than he is. 你和他一样仔细。

通过以上分析，再结合句子语境，可知此题最佳答案为B。