（28）比较的法则

形容词的比较（Comparison），分原级、比较级和最高级三种。原级是用形容词本来的写法，比较级是单音节及少数常用的二音节词加 -er，或三音节以上的词在词前加 more，最高级是单音节及少数常用的二音节词加 -est，或三音节以上的词在词前加 most，但这里所谓二音节词，是说原来的词，前面加的接前缀是不计算在内的。又单辅音前面的元音如读短音时，在加 -er 或 -est 之前，应将其辅音重复一下。

1. 比较级与最高级的构成法。

a. 单音节词：

rich	richer	richest
big	bigger	biggest

b. 二音节词：

-y：	happy	happier	happiest
-ly：	holy	holier	holiest
-le：	noble	nobler	noblest
-er：	clever	cleverer	cleverest
-ow：	narrow	narrower	narrowest

其他如 polite、profound、secure、precise、concise、abrupt、sincere、severe、common、cruel、wicked、pleasant、quiet、handsome 等等。

c. 加接前缀的二音节词：

ignoble	ignobler	ignoblest
unpleasant	unpleasanter	unpleasantest
incomplete	incompleter	incompletest

d. 多音节词：

beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
comfortable	more comfortable	most comfortable

凡词尾有 ful、less、able、ive、ing 的二音节词或多音节词，如 useful、famous、careless、interesting 等，都属于此类。

e. 不规则变化：

good well	better	best
ill（evil） bad	worse	worst
much many	more	most
little	less	least
old	older elder	oldest eldest
late	later latter	latest last
far	farther further	farthest furthest

2. 比较级的用法。

a. 用于二人或二物的比较，通常加用 than。

（1）A good friend is better than a near relation.

（2）His nose is much wider than that of a dog，but he has smaller ears than some dogs.

上举的例（1）是在比较级后没有名词的，但例（2）便是有 ear 一个名词，这个名词是复数，故不用冠词，如系单数，在比较级的形容词前，就要冠以 a 或 an，如在比较级之后用有 of the two 的字眼，则前面要用 the，如：

（1）Henry is smaller than Frank.

（2）Henry is a smaller boy than Frank.

（3）Henry is the smaller boy of the two.

比较:	Which do you think the better，spring or autumn？ Which do you think better，spring or autumn？

第一句的 better 为形容词，后略去一个名词（season）；第二句的 better 为副词。

又 He is three years younger than I. =

He is younger than I by three years.

b. 普通的比较都是说“优于”或“多于”的，如果是“劣于”或“少于”时，就不问音节的多少，都是用 less（least）。

（1）Chen is less clever than Wang.

（2）Lee is the least clever of the three.

不过一般说话不大喜欢用这种向下的比较，所以与其说“His elder sister is less beautiful than his younger sister.”不如说“His elder sister is not so beautiful as his younger sister. ”或是说“His younger sister is more beautiful than his elder sister. ”。

c. 绝对比较级。

（1）The greater part of my apple apple trees trees have no fruit this year.

（2）These toys are meant for older children.

（3）The old linen-weaver in the neighboring parish of Tarley being dead，his handicraft made him a highly welcome settler to the richer housewives of the district，and even to the more provident cottagers，who had their little stock of yarn at the year’s end.——Eliot，Silas Marner

d. 有一种来自拉丁文的比较，如 superior、inferior、prior、senior、junior 等；后面不接 than，而要接 to，例如：

（1）This book is superior to（= better than）the other in style.

（2）This article is inferior to（= worse than）the sample.

注意：动词 prefer 也属于这一类，后要接 to。

3. 最高级的用法。

a. 在最高级的形容词上，要加 the 的：

（1）Still waters are the deepest.

（2）The elephant is the largest land animal.

（3）China is the greatest of（or among）these powers.

（4）China is the greatest power among them.

注意：在最高级之后接有名词时，通例不用 of，而用 among（后接复数名词）或 in（后接单数名词），如 He is the biggest boy in his class. 或 He is the biggest boy among them.

在最高级的前面用有 one of 或 among 时，并非专指某人，而是泛说的，不过此种情形最高级的名词一定是复数的，如

（1）He is

one of among

the tallest boys in his class.

（2）Shanghai is among the greatest cities in the world.

b. 在最高级的形容词上，不要加 the 的：

（1）Most people are aware of the fact.

（2）Who has most books？

（3）Who made fewest mistakes？

（4）The island is loveliest at night.

（5）He is my greatest friend.

（6）O dearest one，when shall we see you again？

（7）With earliest day I was up.——Brontê，Jane Eyre

（8）“Is it so，Emily？” he asked，with deepest tenderness.—Gissing，Life’s Morning

注意：最高级有时可加一个 even，如 By the law of nature the stream will run down，and the strongest man cannot stop it. = ...and even the strongest men...

比较:	Most learned men 大多数的学者 the most learned man 最有学问的人 a most learned man 一个很有学问的人

比较:	Yours is the best of all.（形容词的最高级） I like it best of all.（副词的最高级） He does his best.（名词的最高级）

c. 绝对最高级。

（1）The dog would lie at his feet，looking up into his face，following with keenest interest each fleeting expression.——London，Call of the Wild

（2）I should be ashamed the longest day I lived.——Gissing，The House of Cobwebs

（3）She bursts into tears，declaring herself the wretchedest，the most deceived，the worst-used of women.——Dickens，Our Mutual Friend

（4）The Germans are a most thorough and painstaking people in all their undertakings.

（注）以上这种 Absolute Superlative，并无多数事物相比较的意味，而大致是等于 very + 原级。

d. 最高级作为名词用（绝对最高级的一种）。

（1）Let us do our best（= utmost）.

（2）Malthus calls it the survival of the fittest.

（3）His style is of the clearest.

（4）She was looking her best that day.

（5）The cherry-blossoms are now at their best.

（6）Here was overcrowded England，at its most dismal.——Galsworthy，Silver Spoon

（7）He tried his hardest to persuade them to buy the picture.

（8）After the cold of the night the birds were singing their clearest in the sunshine.——Galsworthy，Captures

（9）He did not run，but he walked his hardest.——Galsworthy，White Monkey

（10）He breathed his last.

其他如 at best、at last、at most、at least、at the latest、in the least、to make the most of、to make the best of、to make the best of a bad bargain、to make the best of one’s way 等等，都属于这一类。

e. 用比较级来表示最高级的意味。

He is more diligent than any other boy in the class. = He is the most diligent boy in the class.

注意：other 一词不可少，如果单说 any boy，则他本人也包括在 any 之内，自己与自己比较，岂不是笑话，所以一定要说 any other boy。这后面的名词可单可复，如果 any 后不用 other，就一定要在那名词后加限制的形容词句，如

（1）The Mississippi is longer than any other river in the world.

（2）The Mississippi is longer than any river in China.

f. 在比较级上加否定词也可表示最高级的意味。

Nothing is more precious than time，yet nothing is less valued. = Time is the most precious，yet it is least valued.

比较:	Iron is the most useful metal. Iron is the most useful of all metals. Iron is more useful than any other metal. Nothing is more useful than iron.

g. 仅有叙述用法（Predicative use）的形容词，是不加 er 或 est 的，而要用 more 或 most，如

He was more fond of her than her sister.

The boy was more aware of the danger than the girls.

h. 在修饰法时要用 er 或 est 的形容词，变成叙述用法时，就多半要用 more 或 most 了，如

（1）He was far more sad than she was.

（2）I shall be most happy to do so.

（3）If I had been less cautious I might have been more wise.——Doyle，Memoirs

（4）He was more clever and cold than they were.

（5）He looked more good than ever.

i. 有时为语调的关系，甚至同时二者并用的也有。

（1）We two grew dearer and yet more dear to each other.——Haggard，She

（2）He was the sternest and most severe of masters.——Dickens，David

（3）The coffins are something narrower and more shallow than they used to be.——Dickens，Oliver Twist

j. 在口语中哪怕是说二者的比较，也常用最高级。

（1）The part was certainly in the best hands of the two.——Austen，Mansfield Park

（2）She expects me to go to her，instead of her coming to me！And yet who’s the busiest？——Bennett，Old Wives’ Tale

k. 再要加强比较级或最高级的意味时，就用 much 或 far 等副词。

（1）Gold is much more valuable than silver.

（2）He is much the best student in the class.

（3）The air is far hotter today than yesterday.

此外又可用 by far the better，by far the best，the very best 等，如

（1）In the village the money-lender is by far the most powerful man.

（2）I did the very best I could.

l. 类似单词及短语用法辨异。

（1）elder，eldest；older，oldest.

His elder brother is two years older than I.

（2）later，latest；latter，last.

This is the latest news.（time）

This is the last boy in the class.（position）

He came later than I expected.

A man and a dog turned up. The latter was a Pekinese.

（3）nearest，next.

This street is the nearest to my house.（空间或距离）

This house is next to mine.（顺序或位置）

（4）farther，farthest；further.

Our school is farther from the city than yours.（距离）

I have something to say further.（更加）

（5）last，next.

比较:	I went there last Sunday. I went there the last Sunday of last month.

（6）not more than，no more than.

not less than，no less than.

（7）no more than，not any more than.

一般形式：

A is no more B than C is D. A is not B any more than C is D.

A home without love is no more a home than a body without a soul is a man.

You can not injure such a man any more than you can throw a stone at the sun.