问英语｜英语常见问题解答

other than¹

问

“I was surprised to see wild flowers in Alaska.” “Many people think there is nothing there ____ ice and snow.”

A. than B. else than C. other than D. except than (Michigan)

正确答案为 C(other than)。请解释 other than 的意义和用法。

答

other than 作“除……之外”“与……不同”解：

Someone other than your brother should be appointed manager. (LEG) 应当任命一个除你兄弟之外的人当经理。
They were given nothing other than dry bread and water for their evening meal. (Whitford) 除了干面包和水作晚餐外，他们什么也没得到。
What I regret the most, other than my conduct, is having misled all of them. (B. Clinton, My Life) 除了自己的行径，最让我后悔的就是误导了他们所有人。（《我的生活》）
You can't get there other than by swimming. (LDCE) 除了游过去之外,你没有别的方法到达那里。
Other than John, no one was there. (RWRT) 除了约翰以外,那儿一个人也没有。
She is other than I thought. (RWRT) 她与我想象的不同。
I knew I couldn't express my feelings to anyone other than Bill or my lawyers. (Hillary, Living History) 除了比尔和我的律师之外, 我不能向其他人表露我的感受。(希拉里，《亲历历史》)

other than²

问

Education was intended for white settlers only, and very recently no school lessons were held in languages rather than English. (《高中英语教科书》第三册，人教社，p.14) 我认为上句中的 rather than 用错了，不知我的看法对否。

答

我们从本书 rather than $^{1}$ 条中可以看出,上面的句子用 rather than 是不正确的。从本书 other than 条中则更可以看出,这里应当使用 other than。other than 用在名词之后作定语,作“不同于”“除了”解。languages other than English 意为“英语以外的语言”“不同于英语的语言”。类例:

She never discussed it with anyone other than Derek ... 除了德里克以外,她从没有和任何人讨论过此事……
I have not studied any language other than Chinese. 除了汉语外,我没有学过任何其他语言。

[试译]直到不久之前,学校所有的课程都是用英语讲授的(所有的课程无不是用英语讲授的/没有一门课程是用英语以外的语言讲授的)。

练习

This crop does not do well in soils ____ the one for which it has been specially developed.
1. A
  beyond
2. B
  rather than
3. C
  outside
4. D
  other than(全国四级,99.1-56)
In no country ____ Britain, it has been said, can one experience four seasons in the course of a single day.
1. A
  other than
2. B
  more than
3. C
  better than
4. D
  rather than(全国四级,99.6-66)

other than³

问

（1）We missed the last bus so there was no choice other than to walk home. 我们错过了最后一班公交车，所以除了走回家别无选择。

(2) There was nothing to do other than wait. 除了等待,别无选择。

other than 之后的动词不定式是应当带 to, 还是应当不带 to?

答

在一般情况下,other than 所连接的动词不定式是要带 to 的。但是,other than 之前有动词 do (does, did) 时,则 to 可以省略,也可以不省略:

He never speaks to me other than to ask for something. 他除了向我要东西，从不跟我说话。
There isn't anything to do other than to wait to see what happens. 除了等着看将发生什么事情之外没有别的办法。