“much of a + 单数名词”：现象透视及延伸

 （本文内容重要，注意保存）

有网友曾经问我这样一个句子：It doesn’t make much of a difference. 那没有什么很大的差别。

请问老师，我们学的词组是make a difference，意思是“起作用；有影响；有关系；有不同；有差别”。在这里加上much of是何意？

“much of a + 单数名词”，是英语中比较特殊的一种表达方式，在阅读中会时常见到。much 表示程度，理解为“很，十分，很大程度上”的意思。“much of a +名词”： 意为“该名词在很大程度上怎样”。该表达有如下特点：

1. 该结构多见于否定含义的句子；

2. 之前经常加too修饰，构成：“too much of a + 单数名词”；

3. 经常使用比较级形式：“more of a + 单数名词”；“less of a + 单数名词”。

【举例如下】

She is not much of a journalist.  她并不是一个称职的记者。

It’s not much of a day for a walk.  今天的天气不适于散步。

His brother is not much of a companion for him.  他兄弟与他情趣不甚相投。

He’s a good teacher but he’s not much of a disciplinarian.  他是个好老师，但却不是个很好的纪律执行者。

Breaking the law is too much of a risk. 违反法律太危险了。

He was too much of a gentleman to ask them for any money. 他太绅士气了，不好意思向他们要钱。

He was too much of a coward to tell the truth even to his closest friend. 他太胆怯，甚至对最亲密的朋友也不敢说出真相。 　

I find this town too much of a backwater.  我觉得这个城镇太闭塞。

We are not sure that the administration has much of a strategy beyond that. 我们不能确定政府有着超过这些的更多战略。

Lenovo might not have much of a brand overseas, but its association with a foreign firm has helped it in China. 联想在国外可能没有很强的品牌效应，但收购外国公司一事却对其在中国的发展帮助不小。

The country’s leaders, they say, are beginning to appreciate how much of a threat climate change poses to China itself. 他们说，该国领导人开始观察，气候变化对中国自身构成的威胁到底有多大。

On a sunny day your shadow would not show much of a picture because you are not transparent.在阳光充足的日子里，你的阴影不会展现很多东西，因为你不是透明的。

This may not make much of a difference in the real world. 这可能不会在现实世界中产生很大的差别。

Peppers have thin skins that don’t offer much of a barrier to pesticides.辣椒有一层很薄的表皮，对农药起不到很大的阻碍。

By itself and without faster ice loss, this would not be much of a problem.如果南极冰架不会以更快的速度融化，这也许不会是什么大问题。

Too much of a good thing can cause harm: High amounts of vitamins in supplements plus what you get in food can put you over the safe limit. 好的东西太多会造成伤害：营养补充品维生素含量过高，加上你从食物中获取的营养会使你超出安全标准。

Problem: too complex, and too much of a perfectionist.问题在于：太复杂了，过于追求完美了。

▲ 该结构中的much，还经常使用比较级形式：“more of a +名词”；“less of a +名词”。例如：

This is much of a sitting room. 这很像个起居室的样子。

This is more of a sitting room than a kitchen.  与其说这是一个厨房，还不如说这是一个起居室。

She was more of a hindrance than a help. 她非但没帮上忙，反而碍事。

Parking is less of a problem with a small car.  对于小汽车来说，停车场地不会有问题。

He is less of a fool than he looks.  他不象看上去那样笨。

No, I wanted to do something that had more of a proper structure to it. 不，我想做一件对于我的专业或经历结构更加合理的工作。

【现象透视】这种结构，它的表意功能是：在一个整体的名词中，much占的比例有多大。如果后面的名词是百分之百的话，那么就不需要这些词语了。在某种意义上说，这些词语表示出后面名词有多大的“程度”。

【知识延伸】

1. “much of a + 名词”：

much of a表示“在很大程度上”。

She is not much of a journalist.  她并不是一个好记者。

It’s not much of a day for a walk.  今天的天气不适于散步。

His brother is not much of a companion for him.  他兄弟与他情趣不甚相投。

Breaking the law is too much of a risk. 违反法律太危险了。

He was too much of a gentleman to ask them for any money. 他太绅士气了，不好意思向他们要钱。

He was too much of a coward to tell the truth even to his closest friend. 他太胆怯，甚至对最亲密的朋友也不敢说出真相。 　

I find this town too much of a backwater.  我觉得这个城镇太闭塞。

2. “more of a + 名词：

这个比较级形式是“much of a +名词”的变式，程度增加。

This is more of a sitting room than a kitchen.  与其说这是一个厨房，还不如说这是一个起居室。

She was more of a hindrance than a help. 她非但没帮上忙，反而碍事。

3. “less of a + 名词”：

这个比较级形式也是“much of a +名词”的变式，程度减弱。

Parking is less of a problem with a small car.  对于小汽车来说，停车场地不会有问题。

He is less of a fool than he looks.  他不象看上去那样笨。

4.“nothing of a + 名词”：

nothing of 意为“根本不”。

Mr. Smith is nothing of a musician.  史密斯先生全无音乐家的风味。

She is nothing of a good keeper. 她根本不是个好主妇。

She thinks nothing of a difficulty like that.  这点困难她根本不放在眼里。

She can ride a motorcycle, to say nothing of a bicycle.  她摩托车都会骑， 自行车更不在话下了。

5.“somewhat of a + 名词”：

somewhat of 意为“有点儿，有些”。

The cake we made was somewhat of a failure.  我们做的蛋糕不大成功。

It was somewhat of a surprise to us.  我们对此感到有点惊奇。

I found it somewhat of a difficulty.  我觉得这事有些困难。

What happened to them remains somewhat of a mystery.  他们到底出了什么事，到现在仍可以说是个谜。

6. “kind of a + 名词”：

kind of 意为“有点儿，有些”。

Joanie's my best friend, but she can be kind of a pain sometimes. 乔安妮是我最好的朋友，但她有时候可能有点儿招人烦。

What you did is kind of a stupid thing. 你所做的是一件多少有点愚蠢的事。

7.“sort of a + 名词”：

sort of 意为“有点儿，有些”。

It's not a sharp pain; just sort of a dull ache.  这不是剧痛；只是有些隐痛。

The moon was sort of a gray color.  月亮带点灰色。

I won't tell you; it is sort of a secret.  我不告诉你,这事可以说是个秘密。

【网友的问题】

a) You are more of a hindrance than a helper. （正确。结构和句义，请参考上面的分析）

b) You are of more a hindrance than a helper.（错误。不再分析）