大學(xué)英語相似詞辨析(111):nothing but,anything but

字號:

nothing but,anything but
    這兩個片語的涵義并不相同。
    Nothing but的意思是“只不過”,其深層涵義為“除了…之外,什么都不是”。例:
    It is nothing but a joke.
    這不過是開開玩笑而已。
    Two decades ago this city was nothing but a small unknown county.
    二十年前,這個城市只不過是一個無名的小縣城。
    Mr.Song is nothing but skin and bones.
    宋先生瘦得只有皮包骨。
    請注意,當(dāng)nothing放在句首用作主語,其后的but 是個介詞,相當(dāng)于except,接復(fù)數(shù)名詞時,動詞常用單數(shù)形式。例:
    Nothing but peonies delights my eyes.
    只有牡丹花悅我之目。
    Anything but的意思是“決非”或“并不”,相當(dāng)于far from之意。例:
    The fruit here is anything but cheap.
    這里的水果并不便宜??荚嚧?BR>    That charlatan is anything but a doctor.
    那江湖騙子決不是醫(yī)生。
    Though we love peace,we are anything but cowards.
    我們熱愛和平,但決不是懦夫??荚嚧?BR>    請注意,若將anything but這個片語分開用,便不再表示“決非”、“并不”之意。例:
    I will do anything for you but that.
    除那件事之外,我一切都愿意為你效勞。
    因?yàn)樵谏暇渲?,but作except解。
    與nothing but,anything but類似的片語有:nothing like和anything like.它們之間的區(qū)別也是值得注意的。試對比下例:
    nothing like絲毫不;一點(diǎn)也不(not at all)
    anything like絲毫;一點(diǎn)也(at all)
    The painting is nothing like so well drawn.
    這幅畫繪得絲毫不好。
    He does not want anything like manual labour.
    他一點(diǎn)兒也不想勞動。
    從例句可見,nothing like和anything like的意義雷同,但使用場合不同。前者用于不帶not的句式,后者用于帶not的句式。