No less than

一.佳句赏析

今日回顾上半年翻译的建筑作品，发现一个很有意思的句子，如下：

No less than the rise of the field of public health, it was the modern invention of privacy that caused a decisive break with earlier attitudes toward the body that had marked much of human history.

句子来源：https://www.archdaily.com/942284/minimum-dimensions-and-typical-layouts-for-small-bathrooms

句子不长，虽然否定结构、强调句式和定语从句让句子变得复杂起来，好在理解起来不难。

二.句子分析

首先，找出句子的主干，即粗体部分：

No less than the rise of the field of public health, it was the modern invention of privacy that caused a decisive break with earlier attitudes toward the body that had marked much of human history.

主干是一个强调句（it is ... that句式），强调的主语部分the modern invention of privacy 被that引导的限制性定语从句所修饰。

句子可以简化如下：

Modern invention of privacy caused a decisive break with earlier attitudes toward the body. No less than the rise of the field of public health, modern invention of privacy had marked much of human history.

现代隐私概念的出现引起人们对身体的态度发生关键性转变，它与公共卫生领域的兴起一样，标志着人类历史的重大突破。

其次，除主句的嵌套结构之外，句子开头的否定结构 no less than也值得关注。

三.词汇解析

no less than 用法如下：

1，no less than后接基数词， 强调数量之多，表示“多达”、“有……之多”。如：

The audience was no less than five thousand. 

听众有五千人之多。

That hotel probably costs no less than 20 dollars a night. 

那间旅馆的住宿费大约要20元一晚呢。 

2，no less than 后面直接接名词，意思是“简直就是...和...一样”。如：

It is no less than robbery to ask for so much.

要这么多，简直跟抢劫没两样。

例句属于第二种用法，可作如下转换：

Modern invention of privacy had marked much of human history no less than the rise of the field of public health had. 

例句中的no less than 意思是“和...一样”，相当于like/same as

比较：no less...than用法

1，less后接形容词，强调两者具有同等性，意思是“与……一样”、“不比……差”。如：

He is no less wise than you. 

他跟你一样聪明。（两者一样 wise）

He is no less active than he used to be.

他和从前一样活跃。

His mind is no less alert than yours.

他的思路和你的一样敏捷。

2，less后接名词，表示惊奇，意思是“竟然”，“简直”、“与……没差别”。如：

Good heavens! It’s no less a person than the president! 

天哪！原来竟是总统啊！

The message came from no less a person than the prime minister. 

电文竟是首相发来的。

It was no less a personage than the bishop. 

这是与主教同等重要的人物。（同样是personage）

European leaders met through the night for 11 hours with no less a task than saving the euro currency. 

欧洲领导人聚在一起，通宵开了11个小时的会议，要完成挽救欧元这一任务。（“挽救欧元”与其他工作一样属于重要任务）

比较：A dolphin is no less a clever animal than a dog is. 

海豚与狗同样都是聪明的动物。（两者一样 clever）

He made no less money than she did.

他和她都赚钱多。

四.学以致用

No less than the rise of the field of public health, it was the modern invention of privacy that caused a decisive break with earlier attitudes toward the body that had marked much of human history.

模仿造句：

No less than the design award she received at the ceremony, it was her admission to the dream school that marked the beginning of her design life.

她就读心仪的学校，与她在典礼上获奖一样，标志着她设计人生的开始。

No less than the cultivation of his mentor, it is his self-disciple to foster good habits and train specific skills that set the basis for him to win opportunities to succeed in his career.

他培养良好习惯和练习专业技能的自律，与导师的悉心培养一样，奠定了他赢得机会收获事业成功的基础。