語法結構
是 A 而不是 B 的六種常用表達法
嘉中
英語中表示“是A，而不是B”、“不是A，而是B”、“與其說是B，還不如說是A”
常用的有六種表達法：
———————
A rather than B —— 肯定 A 否定 B。
例句：
He is a man who will spoil rather than accomplish something.
他這個人成事不足，敗事有餘。
A business letter should be written in a formal style rather than in a personal one.
商業信函應按正規格式書寫而不是個人風格書寫。
Jazz is essentially an art of performance rather than of transcription.
爵士音樂基本上是一種表演藝術而不是樂曲改編藝術。
These children appear to have been dragged up rather than brought up.
看來這些孩子與其說是撫養大的還不如說是拉扯大的。
He is liable to make decisions on the basis of his personal likes and dislikes rather
than what is best for the organization.
他傾向於根據他的個人好惡而不是根據什麼最有利於組織作決定。
For the most part Americans think that there is some advantage in attending one
of the better known private institutions, in spite of higher cost, rather than a
state university.
盡管私立院校費用高，美國人多半認為上較著名的私立院校有某些優勢，而不願上州
立大學。
A instead of B —— 肯定 A 否定 B。
例句：
You should reason with him instead of just telling him to obey.
你應該同他講清道理，而不是隻叫他服從。
You must make the decision on your own instead of our making it for you.
這個決定得由你們自己來做，而不是由我們幫你們做。
He leads his people to take the road of collective prosperity instead of trying to
build up family fortunes.
他領到人們走集體富裕的道路，不搞個人發傢致富。
There has been a tendency for industry to be located in a single region, instead of
being dispersed evenly over the whole country.
現在有一種傾向工業往往位於單一地區，而不是均勻地分散在全國各地。
Instead of looking at human behavior as shaped by culture, sociobiology
stresses natural selection as responsible for human’s particular biotical
characteristics.
社會生物學強調不是文化形成人類的行為而是自然選擇形成人類特有的特征。
The family hoped they would be able to settle the charges out of court instead of
having to be dragged into lengthy legal procedures.
這個傢庭希望得到庭外和解，而不是被拖進冗長的法律程序中。
more A than B ——肯定 A 否定 B。
例句：
In his eye, Peter is more a businessman than his elder brother.
在他的眼中,尤其說彼得是他哥哥，還不如說他是一個商人。
He is more diligent than clever.
與其說他聰明，毋寧說他勤奮。
The child was more frightened than hurt.
這孩子傷倒不算什麼，隻是受驚不小。
The so-called division between the pure scientist and the applied scientist is more
apparent than real.
純科學傢與應用科學傢之間的所謂區別，與其說是真的，毋寧說是表面的。
Most people in modern societies are more familiar with journalistic interviewing
than with any other from of interviewing.
現代社會大多數人更熟悉的是新聞采訪，而不是其他形式的采訪。
We will be more a complement than a competition in your economy.
我們將是你們經濟上補充者而不是競爭對手。
not so much B as A ——否定 B 肯定 A
例句：
One’s greatness lies not so much in his wealth as in his character.
一個人的偉大尤其說是他的財富來判斷，還不如說是由他的品德來判斷。
It is not so much the cold as the rain which makes the climate unpleasant.
尤其說是冷，還不如說是雨，使氣候令人不快。
The great use of a school education is not so much to teach you knowledge as
to teach you the art of learning.
學校教育的最大優點,與其說是教你知識,還不如說是教你學習的方法。
The problem is not so much the excess of protein in the diet as the large amount of
saturated fats and cholesterol accompanying it.
問題不在於飲食中有過量的蛋白質，而在於有大量的飽和脂肪和膽固醇。
———————
● 在這一句型中，如果連接的B 和A部分較長，as 有時可改用 but，通常在 but 前需用逗號
點開。
Yet the present development is wholly different, not so much because of different
people, but because of the different thoughts in them.
可是，現在的發展是全然不同的，並不是因為人民不同，而是因為他們的因為他們的
想法不同。
Whether their efforts can be more effective than those of the traditional politician
may not so much depend on the present-day working scientists, but on the
scientists now being trained — you.
他們的努力是否比傳統的政治傢更有效，與其說是取決於當今正在工作的科學傢，
毋寧說是取決於正在受訓的科學傢 —— 你們。
A, not B ——肯定 A 否定 B。
例句：
The solution is to find a different system of inner-city transportation, not a less
dangerous fuel.
解決問題的根本辦法是要找到一種不同的城內交通體系，而不是尋找一種危害性小的燃料。
We shall judge you by your actions, not by your promises.
我們是憑你的行為，而不是憑你的諾言來評價你。
We honour him for what he is, not for what he has.
我們尊敬是他的人品而不是他的財富。
It is their good quality, not their low price, that sells our goods.
我們的貨物有銷路，是因為質好，而不是因為價廉。
The real dignity of a man lies in what he is, not in what he has.
一個人真正的高貴之處在於他是什麼樣的人, 而不在於他擁有什麼。
not B, but A ——否定 B 肯定 A。
例句：
He took out of the envelope not a letter but a bill.
他從信封裡取出的不是一封信，而是一張賬單。
But to my mind the most difficult thing to cope with is not the could, but the lack of
daylight.
但是，在我看來，最難適應不是寒冷的天氣，而是白天陽光照射時間少。
His failure in business was due not to misfortune, but to his own faults.
他生意上的失敗不是因為他不走運，而是由於他自己的過失造成的。
Our chief source of terror was not the beating but the wild hysteria that had seized
many of the guards.
最使我們感到害怕的倒不是拳打腳踢，而是許多士兵的狂暴的歇斯底裡。
Through all this, it is not the triumph but the struggle that bring about the complete
personal satisfaction in knowing that you as a scientist have given your all.
由於這一切並不是勝利，而是奮鬥產生一種隻有你本人作為才能領略到的完全滿足。
