“名词 or 名词”结构中or后的名词是同位语，应译为“即……；或者称……” 例1：Moreover, technology includes techniques, or ways to do things, as well as the machines that may or may not be necessary to apply them. 译文：再者，除机器外技术还包括技艺，即制作方法，而动用这些技艺并不一定都需要机器。 “only to do”意为“……，结果却……”，即表示与句子谓语动作的目的相反的结果。 例1: They don t have to pay for expensive seats at the theatre, the cinema or the opera, onlyto discover, perhaps, that the show is disappointing. 译文：他们不必花钱去戏院、电影院或歌剧院买价格很贵的票，(如果去了，)结果却可能发现，所演的节目令人失望。 例2: They hurried there only to find the meeting canceled. 译文：他们匆匆忙忙赶到那儿，结果却发现会议被取消了。 not more / -er than 与 no more / -er than 结构 比较： John is not better than Tom. John is no better than Tom. 前一句表示“约翰不比汤姆好”，属于普通的比较结构；后一例用了no 情况就不同了。no better than 相当于as bad as，含义是两人一样坏。这里，“no 形容词或副词比较级 than”所表示的可以说是该形容词或副词的反意。 例如： no richer than = as poor as 和……一样穷 no bigger than = as small as 和……一样小 no later than = as early as 和……一样早 同样地： I have not taken more than six courses this semester. I have taken no more than six courses this semester. 前一句的含义是本学期选的课不多于六门；后一句的含义是只选了六门。强调“少”。 上述结构与表示前后都否定的no more...than (= not...any more than)又有所不同： 例：A whale is no more a fish than a horse is.(鲸和马同样不是鱼。) 另外，在某些结构中，单独使用more than 也能表示否定概念： 例1：That is more than I can tell. 我简直不能说。 例2：My trip to Beijing is more than sightseeing. 我去北京不仅仅是旅游观光而已。