little用作副词的用法归纳

摘自：《第二课堂》 作者：陈根花

一、先看两道考题

大家对little的代词用法和形容词用法可能比较熟悉，但对于其副词用法则可能比较生疏，所以许多考生对下面这两道高考题中的little都不甚理解：

1. I ___C___ there little more than a week when I set to work with the scientist.

A. would be                    B. have been                C. had been                D. will be

2. Little ___D___ that we were watching his every move, so he seemed to be going his own way in this business.

A. he realized                   B. he didn’t realize      C. didn’t he realize        D. did he realize

这两道题中的little均用作副词，其中第1题中的little修饰比较级more，第2题中的little修饰动词realize。

为帮助大家正确理解little的副词用法，本文拟对此作一归纳。

二、用作副词的little修饰比较级

副词little修饰比较级时，主要用于修饰better和more。little better的意思是“好不了多少”，相当于not much better；little more (than)的意思是“只”“只不过”。如：

His second suggestion was little better than his first. 他的第二条建议比第一条好不了多少。

His legs were in little better shape than they had been the year before. 他的双腿与前一年相比没有多少好转。

He was little more than a child when his father died. 他父亲去世时，他差不多还是个孩子。

Aid to the Third World is at present little more than a drop in the ocean. 目前对第三世界的援助不过是杯水车薪。

He left school with little more than a basic education. 他只接受了点基础教育就退学了。

三、用作副词的little修饰动词

副词1ittle修饰动词时，主要用于believe, care, dream, expect, guess, imagine, know, realize, suspect, think, understand等之前，表示“毫不”“根本不”等意。如：

We little believed that he would harm us. 我们根本不相信他会加害于我们。

He little expected to find himself in prison. 他几乎没有料到自己会进监狱。

He little knew what he had started. 他一点也不知道他开始干的是什么。

They said goodbye, little knowing that they were never to meet again. 他们道别了，完全不知道他们再也不会见面(from www.yywords.com)。

She little thought she would be rewarded. 她一点没想她会受到酬谢。

注：在某些情况下也可用于动词之后。如：

I am tired because I slept very little last night. 我累了，因为我昨天夜里睡得很少。

另外，还要特别注意，由于副词little具有否定意义，所以当它被置于句首时，其后要用倒装句式。如：

Little does he care whether we live or die. 他一点也不管我们的死活。

Little did I dream that such a thing would happen. 我连做梦都没想到会有这种事情发生。

Little did he realise the danger he faced. 他几乎没有认识到他面临的危险。

Little did I think that we were talking together for the last time. 我没有想到我们这次谈话竟成诀别。

四、用作副词的little用于复合词中

用作副词的little有时可用于复合词中，但这种用法非常有限，主要见于little-known, little-used, little-travelled等。如：

It is a little-used footpath. 那是一条几乎没有人走的小道(from www.yywords.com)。

He’s studying the work of a little-known German novelist. 他正在研读一位没有什么名气的德国小说家的作品。