Ask & Learn闻问切英语口语:Nothing Less Than No More Than

读者 Edmund 问：Nothing less than 和 no more than 均翻译作「只不过是」，但两者有何分别？

不错，no more than 可译作「只不过」，或者更直接的「不超过」。但 nothing less than（或 no less than）的意思却刚刚相反，应译作「不少于」、「不低于」或者「至少」。

我们可以从字面看出来，no more than 是设了上限，而 nothing less than 则设了下限。

Tom在 facebook 上朋友满天下，常常向家人吹嘘；但当他遇上困难时，只有三个愿意帮助他，而且都是他从小学就认识的朋友，他感慨地说：

I have no less than 5,000 friends on facebook, but no more than three would help me when I am in trouble.

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