怎样理解no(nothing)more(…)than?----由一道高考题所引发的思考
2005年高考试题湖南卷（以下简称05湖南卷）阅读理解部分的D篇和某地高中毕业班第一次诊断性检测题（以下简称某地一诊题）基本上相同。然而在这篇文章后的阅读理解题目中最后一题的D选项，某地一诊题作了含义完全相反的改动，在题干和其它三个选项含义完全相同的情况下，这两套题所给的正确答案竟然都是D选项。究竟哪套题出了差错，还得从这篇阅读材料谈起。
From Mr. Ward Hoffman.
Sir, I was halfway through Professor Raj Persaud’s article “What’s the tipping point?”(Financial Times Weekend, April 9-10)when it occurred to me that what I was reading was not ironic(讽刺的).If Prof (Professor) Persaud wants to know why Americans tip in restaurants, he need only ask (needs only to ask) the first American he meets in London.
Americans tip in restaurants for one reason, and one reason only: we tip to supplement(
补贴)the salary of restaurant workers. Quality of rvice does not enter into it, beyond the fact that one may tip a bit less for poor rvice, or a little (bit) more for good rvice.
Not tipping at all in a non-fast-food restaurant is not a choice. In the US, one ud to tip about 15 per cent for dining(dinning)in a family-style restaurant or in an upmarket(高档的)（a top-level）restaurant. Here, in San Francisco Bay area restaurants, we are encouraged to tip 20 per cent or more, to help restaurant workers live in this very expensive area.
After eating at an Italian restaurant in my city, I left a tip of 20 per cent on the non-tax part of our dinner bill. It was expected. There is nothing more complicated(复杂的)than that about Americans(American)tipping in restaurants.
中国最大的淡水湖是哪个湖Ward Hoffman,
Palo Alto, CA94306, US
From Mr. Philip McBride Johnson.
Sir, I agree with most of Raj Persaud’s opinions(opinion)about the doubtful value of tipping, but with one exception(例外).Tips can be very uful when one is a repeat customer or diner.
It is only when the tipper is a stranger and likely to remain so that the system does not work to his or her advantage. But frequent a hotel or a restaurant, always tip a bit more (a frequent customer at a hotel or restaurant always tips a bit more), and the difference in rvice and treatment will be easily felt.
Philip McBride Johnson,
Great Falls, VA22066, US
68. What can we learn from Hoffman’s letter?
A Quality of rvice determines tipping in the US.
篮球的英语怎么说B. Americans don’t tip in non-fast-food restaurant.
其他的其组词
C. Tipping in US upmarket restaurants is unnecessary.
D. How to tip in the United States is not complicated.
劝世贤文(56. From Hoffman’s letter we can learn_____
A. quality of rvice determines tipping in the US.
B. Americans don’t tip in non-fast-food restaurant.向日葵画法
C. tipping in us top-level restaurants is not a must.
解字组词
D. how to tip in the USA is very complicated.)
以上材料中括号内的内容是某地一诊题与05年湖南卷阅读理解部分D篇的划线部分所不同的地方，但丝毫未改变原文的含义。这两套题后所附的阅读理解题目除D选项作了含义相反的改动外，题干和其余选项的含义都完全相同，然而所给的正确答案都是D选项。究竟是哪套题在对这篇材料的理解上出了差错呢？
从阅读材料中可以看出，选择D选项的依据是Ward Hoffman的信中最后一段的最后一句：There is nothing more complicated(复杂的) than that about Americans(American)tipping in restaurants.05年湖南卷把这句话理解为：How to tip in the United States is not complicated.而某地一诊题却把这句话理解为：How to tip in the USA is very complicated.造成这种偏差的原因是对该句中nothing more…than的不同理解。
那么究竟该怎样理解nothing more…than呢？
比较级用于否定结构意为“最（再）……不过”：
Nothing cheaper.再便宜不过了。（CEG, p.126）
I can’t agree with you more.我再同意你不过了。（AEG, p.622）
The situation couldn’t be wor.形势再糟不过了。（CEG, p.226）
He wouldn’t care less.他再漠不关心不过了。（CEG, p.226）
I have never felt less like speaking to him.我从未如此不想同他讲话。
（CEG, p.226）
You could give her no greater pleasure.你使她再满意不过了。（CEG, p.226）
赵一曼简介
There never was a man more kind and just.从来没有更和善公正的人了。
（AEG, p.611）
He has never met anyone less attractive.他从没遇到过更缺乏吸引力的人了。（ECD, p.1018）
否定词+比较级（+than）可表示最高级意义：
I like nothing better. (=It’s the best thing I like.)(NEGC, p.455)
It can’t be wor. (=It’s the worst thing I’ve ever known.)(NEGC, p.455)
He is a man than whom no one is more fit for the job.没有比他更适合干这项工作的了。（CEG, p.226）
Nothing is more precious than health.健康的身体是最宝贵的。（CEG, p.264）
Than Lei Feng no one could show a more genuine modesty to his comrades.没有一个人能够比雷锋更能表现出对真正虚心的态度。（AEG, p.611）
Nothing could be more disagreeable to me than that I should have to do that.再没有比我非做此事不可更使我不快的了。（that 从句后省去了would be）
(AEG, p.623)
纯洁无暇No leader of a party has kept himlf in greater detachment from the ntiment of his than has the late Prime Minister.任何政党的领袖都没有像已故首相那样不动感情。（助动词has移至主语the late Prime Minister之前）（AEG, p.623）
