英语中的否定句通常是通过加否定词not, no, nothing, nobody, none, never等构成。但应该注意:并非所有包含否定词的句子都表示否定的意义。

　　试做下列四级考试全真试题:

　　1. You cannot be______careful when you drive a car. (1997. 6. 32)

　　A) very B) so

　　C) too D) enough

　　2. When he arrived, he found______the aged and the sick at home. (1997. 6. 46)

　　A) none but

　　B) none other than

　　C) nothing but

　　D) no other than

　　3. This crop does not do well in soils______the one for which it has been specially developed.(1999. 1. 56)

　　A) beyond B) rather than

　　C) outside D) other than

　　4. In no country______Britain, it has been said, can one experience four seasons in the course of a single day. (1999. 6. 66)

　　A) other than B) more than

　　C) better than D) rather than

　　"can not...+too"为固定结构,意为"怎么……也不过分;越……越好",因此第一题的正确答案为C),全句译为:开车时越谨慎越好。"none but"意为"只有(某人)",因此第二题正确答案为A),全句译为:当他到达时,发现只有年老体弱的人在家。而"not/no...other than"意为"只有,正好",因此第三题的正确答案为D,全句译为:这种庄稼只在专门培育的土壤上生长旺盛。第四题的正确答案为A),全句译为:据说,人们只有在英国才能在一天里感受到四季。

　　笔者现将四级考试中常见的貌似否定、实则肯定的成语列举如下。只要认真领会、牢记,对选择答案,加深阅读理解会很有帮助。

　　1. no more than 仅仅

　　The message itself is usually short, often no more than a slogan which the public identifies itself with the product. 广告语本身很简短,通常仅仅是一句使公众立刻能够联想到产品的口号。

　　2. nothing but 仅仅(某事)

　　Nothing but a miracle can save him. 救活他真是奇迹。

　　3. nothing less than 正好,恰恰

　　His escape from being fined was nothing less than daydream. 他想逃避罚款简直是白日做梦。

　　4. nobody/no one but 只有(某人)

　　Nobody but he is so selfish. 只有他才这么自私。

　　5. cannot/couldn't(help)but... 只有,不得不(做某事)

　　I cannot but look down upon a man like that. 像那种人,我只有嗤之以鼻。

　　6. have no choice/no way but... 只有(做某事),除……别无选择

　　In very cold winter a cold-blooded creature has no choice but to lie down and sleep. 在寒冷的冬季,冷血动物除了躺下睡觉外别无选择。

　　7. cannot/never...without 一……就……

　　I cannot see this picture without being reminded of my happy childhood. 一看到这幅画,我就想到我快乐的童年。

　　8. cannot/never fail to do 一定

　　I cannot fail to take a letter of introduction when I am going to see some person I am not acquainted with. 当我和一个不熟悉的人见面时,我一定会带上一封介绍信。

　　9. no sooner...than, hardly/scarcely/barely...when 一……就……

　　No sooner do I get one problem settled than another appears. 我刚解决了一个问题,另一个问题就出现了。

　　10. not until 直到……才

　　Not until we thought it over would we take steps to solve the problem. 直到深思后,我们才会采取措施来解决问题。

　　11. without fail 必定,一定

　　Ben promised to return the bike at a certain time without fail. 本发誓一定按时还车。

　　12. without delay 立即,马上

　　Let's take measures without delay, shall we?让我们立刻采取措施,好吗?

　　13. without doubt 必定,一定

　　He is up to the job without doubt as long as he would give his mind to it. 只要他专心,他一定能胜任这份工作。

　　(文/王文臻　英语辅导报大学一年级版03~04学年第37期;版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)