much less 是一个副词短语，常用于否定句中，意思是“更不用说”。

如：I am so tired that I cannot walk any more; much less do I run.

我太累了，都走不动了，更不用说跑了。

句型是这样的：

Sb. do not do sth.; much less do sb. do sth. else. 

某人不做某事， 更不用说做其他事。

用于强调“某人绝不会做某事”。

全句参考翻译：

一般说来，美国人是不会在如此轻松的环境里通过长时间的闲聊来评价他们的客人的，更不用说会在增进相互间信任的过程中带他们出去吃饭，或带他们去打高尔夫球。

具有否定意义的词或短语置于句首时，句子一般部分倒装，即将be动词、助动词或情态动词提到主语，用于进行“对比”。这类词或短语包括：not，never，nowhere，seldom，hardly，rarely，little，scarcely，by no means, under no circumstances, in no way, at no time, in no way，on no account，at no point，in no case, no sooner… (than), hardly... (when), not only... (but also), not until，in vain，not once，much less，still less等，只要是放在句首，句子就要倒装。

Never before has our country been as united as it is today. 

今天我们的国家空前团结。

Hardly／Scarcely had he finished when someone rose to refute his points。

他还没说完，就有人起来驳斥他的论点。

No sooner had he arrived there than he fell ill. 他一到那儿就病了。

Under no circumstances should we do anything that will benefit ourselves but harm the interests of the state. 任何情况下，我们不应当做只对自己有利而损害国家利益的事情。

We have been told that under no circumstances ______ the telephone in the office for personal affairs.

A. may we use                                         B. we may use     

C. we could use                                       D. did we use                 (1999. 6)

我们被告之在任何情况下都不能用办公室的电话办私事。答案A