able adj. (abler; ablest) 1.〔接不定式〕能;會(huì)。 2.(人)有才能的,有本事的,能干的 (opp. incompetent)。 3.(行為等)顯示出才華的。 4.【法律】有法定資格的。 be able to swim 會(huì)游泳。 an able man 能干人。 an able speech 漂亮的演說(shuō)。 ★ can 沒(méi)有不定式,也沒(méi)有將來(lái)式,過(guò)去式等變化,故必要時(shí)可說(shuō)作 shall [will, may] be able to 或 have [has, had] been able to.
less adj. 〔little 的比較級(jí)之一〕 1.更小的,較小的,更少的,較少的。 2.較次的,較劣的,較不重要的;身分較低的。 find less difficulty with one's work 覺(jué)得工作困難較少。 Your shadow hasn't grown any less. 你一點(diǎn)也沒(méi)有瘦。 an article of less weight 更輕的東西。 Eat more vegetable and less meat. 多吃蔬菜少吃肉。 He spends less time at work than at play. 他工作上的時(shí)間比游玩時(shí)間少。 less but better 少而精。 L- noise, please! 請(qǐng)靜一點(diǎn)。 More haste, less speed. 〔諺語(yǔ)〕欲速則不達(dá)。 try to make less mistakes 盡量少犯錯(cuò)誤。 an article of less value 更不值錢(qián)的東西。 a matter of less importance 次要的事情。 James the L- 副手杰姆斯,打下手的杰姆斯。 ★ 表示數(shù)量意義時(shí), fewer 比 less 普通: Fewer people study Latin today than formerly. 現(xiàn)在學(xué)拉丁文的人比從前少了。 far less 遠(yuǎn)不及。 little less 少一點(diǎn)。 little less than 相差無(wú)幾。 more or less 多少,或多或少,若干。 no less than 1. 正好…,至少…,有…那么多 (He has no less than three daughters. 他有三個(gè)女兒之多)。 2. 原來(lái)就是,…那樣的 (He was no less (a person) than the mayor. 他原來(lái)就是市長(zhǎng))。 nothing less than = no less than (We expected nothing less than an attack. 受攻擊是預(yù)料到的)。 adv. 1.較少,更少。 2.沒(méi)有…那樣。 be less known 不大著名。 He is less fat than he was. 他不及過(guò)去胖了。 The heat has grown less intense. 沒(méi)有先前那樣熱了。 Eat less, drink less and sleep more. 少吃少喝多睡覺(jué)。 Speak less and listen more. 少講多聽(tīng)。 no less ... than 不下于,和…同樣 (He is no less clever than his brother. 他跟他兄弟一樣聰明)。 none the less = not the less = no less 仍舊,依然 (He has faults, but I like him none the less . = I like him none the less for his faults. = He has faults; none the less, I like him. 他有缺點(diǎn),但我仍舊喜歡他)。 not less than 不少于;至少 (Each party shall consist of not less than ten. 每組至少由十人組成)。 not less ... than 在…方面不下于 (The pupil was not less famous than his master. 學(xué)生同老師齊名)。 nothing less than 完全一樣 (He is nothing less than a thief. 他簡(jiǎn)直是個(gè)賊). sth. less than 較…少幾分。 still [even, much] less 〔附在否定句后〕更不用說(shuō),何況 (We fear no death, still less difficulties. 我們死都不怕,何況困難)。 少掉;不足;減去。 a year less three days 一年差三天。 Five less three leaves two. 五減三剩二。 n. 較少,更小。 expect to see less of sb. 不想多見(jiàn)某人。 He is less of a fool than he looks 他不像看上去那樣笨。 He will not take less. 他不肯少拿〔堅(jiān)持要那么多〕。 in less than a year 在不到一年的時(shí)間里。 L- of your nonsense. 少說(shuō)廢話。 L- than twenty of them remain now. 他們剩下的現(xiàn)在還不到二十人。 any the less 更少一點(diǎn),更小一些 (He did not work any the less for his illness. 他雖有病在身,工作卻沒(méi)有少做)。 in less than no time 立刻,馬上。 nothing less than 同樣,正好是,恰恰是。
Why are states less willing or less able to provide such protection today 為什么諸國(guó)今日較不愿意或較不能提供這樣的保護(hù)?
They also render dorsal horn neurons less able to respond to pain signals 此外,鴉片類物質(zhì)也會(huì)降低脊髓背角神經(jīng)元對(duì)疼痛訊息的反應(yīng)。
The invisible hand is even less able to ensure that economic prosperity is distributed fairly 看不見(jiàn)的手也不能確保公平地分配經(jīng)濟(jì)成果。
But he had begun talking, and the more he talked the less able was he to control the tenor of his words 但是他一說(shuō)開(kāi)了頭,就越說(shuō)越控制不住自己的舌頭了。
Their western-backed successors have been less able to stop the inexorable spread of poppy farming 西方支持的新政府在遏止罌粟種植的努力上顯得更加力不從心。
But increasingly it appears that commitment has _ _ 2 _ _, and australia is less able to deal with its neighbors 然而努力效果卻在慢慢消逝,澳大利亞與友鄰交往更不如前。
Hence, the gap between more and less able readers in the first few grades generally grows over the years 因此低年級(jí)的孩子在閱讀能力上的差異,會(huì)隨著年齡增長(zhǎng)而逐漸擴(kuò)大。
But increasingly, it appears that commitment has = = waned, and australia is less able to deal with his neighbors 但是這項(xiàng)許諾日益顯的蒼白,而澳大利亞更難跟領(lǐng)國(guó)交涉了。
And the terms on which debt was raised mean that the banks are less able to force private-equity borrowers into bankruptcy 而且貸款條款意味著銀行不可能強(qiáng)迫私募資本破產(chǎn)。