解碼rather than 用法，大詞典都沒進行注譯

rather than 用法1：

問：rather than有哪些意義和用法？

答：rather than 用法主要有三種含義。

A.單純地表示否定，rather than = and not。在這種情况下它可以連接任何詞性相同的詞。例如：

1. The colour seems green rather than blue. 顏色好像是綠色，而不是藍色。
2. It ought to be you rather than me that signs the letter. 是你而不是我應該在這封信上簽字。
3. They were screaming rather than singing. 他們是在尖叫，而不是在唱歌
4. He was engaged in writing rather than reading the newspaper.
5. 他正忙著寫束西，而不是在看報紙。

B. 表示兩種說法的正確程度。rather than後面的部分是不狗精確的說法，是 more… than（與其……不如說……）相似的表達方法：

He is an artist rather than a philosopher.
與其說他是個哲學家，不如說他是個藝術家。

C. 表示主觀上判斷優劣。主要子句表示喜歡做的事（主句中常含有 would prefer, like等），rather than子句則表示不喜歡做的事。在這種rather than 用法的情況下，rather than可以放在主要子句之前：

1. I would die with my head high rather than live with knees bent. 我寧願昂著頭去死，也不願意跪著生。
2. Rather than get money in such a dishonest way, he would beg in the streets. 他寧願在街上乞討，也不願以這種不正當的手段賺錢。
3. Rather than go there I’d prefer to stay here on my own.
4. 我寧願自己待在這裡，也不去那裡。

當主要子句中有 would, should時，可將位於句末的 rather than子句中的 rather轉移到主要子句中去：

1. He would rather beg in the streets than get money in such a dishonest way.
2. 他寧願在街上乞討，也不以這種不正當的手段賺錢。
3. I’d rather take the slowest train than go there by air.
4. 我寧願坐最慢的火車，也不搭飛機去那裡。

rather than 用法2：

問：it was what he meant rather than he said.
句中的 rather than 用法是什度意思呢？我查了我手頭上的所有英漢洞典，都沒有查到。

答：上句中的 rather than 用法是英語裡一種非常常見的格式。但是，有趣的是，中國内地出版的許多英漢大詞典大都沒對這一用法進行注譯，甚至1995年出版的《最新高級英漢詞典》也是如此。下面是中國内地出版的一些英漢詞典對 rather than 用法的注譯，它們忽略了上面的用法：

1. 《英漢大辭典》：（與其）……寧願；不如……的好。
2. 《新英漢詞典》：寧可，寧願，與其……倒不如……。
3. 《最新高級英漢詞典》：寧可，願意：（與其……）倒不如。

其實，rather than在不跟情態助動詞（would, will）等連用時，並無“寧可”，“與其……倒不如“的意思，而僅僅表示否定，可以翻譯為”（而）不是“、”而不”這種用法的 rather than則做準對等連接詞，在語意上相當於 and not但是，必須注意，它只能連接詞性相同的詞項：

1. She telephoned rather than wrote. 她打了電話，而沒有寫信。
2. John ought to go rather than Jean. 是翰應該去，而不是珍（應該去）。
3. He was an objective rather than a subjective writer. 他是客觀主義作家，而不是主觀主義作家。
4. He is to be pitied rather than to be disliked. 他應該得到憐憫，而不是被厭惡。
5. I’m going to forget the whole affair, rather than cause trouble.
6. 我打算把整個事情都忘得一乾二净，而不是打算惹麻煩。

小練習：請選出正確的答案。(留言作答)
1. Clinical experiments have shown that children generally relate to other children’s strengths and abilities, rather than ______.
A. to one weak
B. a weakness is
C. to their weaknesses
D. theirs is a weak one

2. We are taught that a business letter should be written in a formal style _______ in a personal one.
A. rather than
B. other than
C. better than
D. less than

rather than 用法3：

問：您在 rather than 用法2條中說，用作準對等連接詞的 rather than所連接的詞項，詞性應當相同，如何解釋下面的句子?
Their actions precipitated the war rather than averting it.

答：請見下條。

rather than 用法4：

問：在 rather than之後應跟什形式的動狀詞？

答：在 rather than之後可以跟不帶to的不定詞：

1. He wanted to sunbathe rather than swim. 他寧願曬日光浴，也不去游泳。
2. He decided to write rather than telephone. 他決定寫信，不打電話。
3. Rather than go there, I’d prefer to stay here on my own. 我寧願自己待在這兒，也不去那裡。

也可以跟帶to的不定詞：

1. He prefers to rent a car rather than to have one of his own. 他寧可租汽車，而不願擁有一輛自己的汽車。
2. He wanted to sunbathe rather than to swim. 他寧願曬日光浴，也不去游泳。
3. I believe it is important to invest in new machinery rather than to increase wages.
4. 我認為重要的是在新機器上投資，而不是漲工資。

rather than之後還可以跟動名詞（在這種情况下 rather than 用法是介係詞）

1. We ought to check up, rather than just accepting what he says. 我們應該檢查一下，而不是只接受他所說的話。
2. Their actions precipitated the war rather than averting it.
3. 他們的行動不是阻止戰争，而是加速戰爭。

小練習：請選出正確的答案。(留言作答)
Rather than ________ on a crowded bus, he always prefers ________ a bicycle.
A. ride; ride
B. riding; ride
C. ride; to ride
D. to ride; riding