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此句不能按字面译作:"你不能过分小心。"因为cannot...too是个固定结构,其义为"无论如何...也不过分"。如用英语阐述,上句相当于: You should be as careful as possible. 我们在学习英语的时候,遇到这类实际意义与其字面意义大相径庭的句子,必须小心区别,正确地理解其涵义。
下面请看几个类例:
We cannot recommend this book too strongly.
这本书很好,无论我们如何推荐也不过份。
You can't be too careful in dong this experiment.
在做这个实验时,你们愈仔细愈好。
One cannot be too careful in matters like that.
人们在处理这种事情时必须非常慎重。
要注意的是,cannot...too有几个变体结构,我们可以用impossible,difficult等字去代替cannot;以enough,difficulty,sufficiently,exaggerate,to over-等字去替代too.
下面的一些句子就是"cannot...too"结构的变体:
I couldn't get home fast enough.
我恨不得马上回到家里。
You cannot take sufficient care.
你要特别小心。
The importance of this session cannot be exaggerated.
这次大会极为重要。
No man can have too many friends.
朋友愈多愈好。
新概念第二册其中一课"Do You Call That a Hat?"
中有这么一段风趣的夫妻对话,丈夫和妻子都用了这个句型的变体:
"I find it beautiful," I said. "A man can never have too many ties."
"And a woman can't have too many hats," she anwered.
"这条领带很漂亮,"我说道。 "男人的领带愈多愈好。"
"女人的也是愈多愈好啊," 她答道。
我们来实践一下，翻译几个句子吧：(答案拉动黑框即可看到)
1. 过马路的时候要愈当心愈好。
You cannot be too careful in crossing the street.
2. 对于你们的帮忙和关心，无论怎样感谢也不为过。
I cannot be too grateful for your help and concern.
3. 一部词典好比邻居，如果是好的，相处越久越好；如果是坏的，分手越早越好。
A dictionary may be compared to your neighbor; if it is good, it cannot last too long; if it is bad, you cannot get rid of it too early.
4. 在今天的中国发展房地产业和汽车工业，无论如何重视也不过分。
We cannot estimate too much the importance of the development of real estate and auto industry in China today.
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