Q:在 His second novel is as good or better than his first. 這句中,good 的後面是不是要有個 as 呢?

A:根據文法規則,good 的後面的確需要 as (不是 than) 來構成 as good as 的比較型態。然而,as good or better than、as bad or worse than 以及其他類似的「as + 原級形容詞 + or + 比較級形容詞 + than」結構,是英文的習慣用法,至少在口語是這樣用的。儘管如此,這種在英文中被稱為「雙重比較」(dual comparison) 的結構卻是一種有瑕疵的平行結構 (faulty parallelism),屢遭正統人士批評,因此在書面或正式英文中應盡量避免這樣用。

以問題中的句子為例,為了平行對稱,我們應將之改為 His second novel is as good as or better than his first. (他的第二本小說跟第一本一樣好,甚至更好)。不過,在較長的句子中,當我們恢復 as 時,若加上逗點來隔開,句子反而變得比較複雜,如 He is as handsome and well-mannered as, or even handsomer and better-mannered than, his older brother. (他跟他哥哥一樣英俊、有禮貌,甚至更英俊、更有禮貌)。

比較聰明的作法是將比較級放在句子較後面的地方,如 His second novel is as good as his first or better.;John was as crazy as Michael, probably more so. (約翰跟麥可一樣瘋狂,甚至可能有過之)。 dual comparison, faulty parallelism, as good or better than, as bad or worse than

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