第一句：The name makes me more qualified to be a football player than an art critic.

可否补充为The name makes me more qualified to be football player than it is an art critic. than作为比较代词，是代替qualified to吗？如果不对，than怎么替代形容词短语？

另外一种情况可否把than理解为介词引导比较对象？

【答】网友对此问题，理解失误。

（1）比较从句省略与主句重复的成分，这是常态。省略后，than 后面的成分变少，但没有影响它是“比较连词/代词”。它不是介词。

（2）在比较从句中，必须省略“比较项”。本句是 much qualified，由比较代词 than 替代。

（3）句子补充完整是（红色部分是省略的）：

The name makes me more qualified to be a football player than it makes me (much qualified：必须省却，形成空位) to be an art critic.

第二句：

Mr. Smith is fonder of his secretary than he is fond of his wife. 这个句子是否正确？than还按比较代词理解的话， 它代替什么？than从句中好像没有它的位置了。

【答】Mr. Smith is fonder of his secretary than he is fond of his wife. 是错句。

错在多了“比较项” fond，必须删去。改为：

Mr. Smith is fonder of his secretary than he is of his wife. （正）

从句与主句仍有重复的成分，可以省略为：

Mr. Smith is fonder of his secretary than of his wife. （正）

至此，句子已经很简练、很正确，但 of 不能再省略。省略后意思发生很大变化：

Mr. Smith is fonder of his secretary than his wife.（正。但意思发生了变化）

史密斯先生比他妻子更喜欢他的秘书。