no more than與not more than的區別

1. no more than 表示“僅僅”、“衹有”(= only)，強調少；而 not more than 表示“不多於”、“至多”(= at most)。如：

He is no more than an ordinary English teacher. 他衹不過是個普通的英文老師。

He has no more than three children. 他衹有 3 個孩子。

He has not more than three children. 他最多 3 個孩子(有或許還不到 3 個之意)。

2. 用於比較兩件事物時，no more ... than 表示對兩者都否定，意爲“同……一樣不”(＝neither ... nor)；而 not more ... than 指兩者雖都具有某種特征，但程度不同，意爲“不如”、“不及”(= not so ... as)。如：

He is no more a writer than a painter. 他不是畫家，也不是作家(= He is neither a painter nor a writer)。

A whale is no more a fish than a horse is. 馬不是魚，鯨也不是魚(=Neither a horse nor a whale is a fish)。

She is not more clever than he is. 她不如他聰明(= She is not so clever as he is)。