1. little more than：其中的 little（表否定意义）修饰 more than，字面意思是“几乎不多于”，可根据具体语境翻译成“只不过”“只是”“仅仅”“无异于”等。如：

He’s little more than a child. 他只不过是个孩子。

It was little more than a scratch. 这仅仅是一点擦伤而已。

The investment is little more than a punt. 这项投资无异于一场赌博。

You are little more than a slip of a girl. 你还只是个瘦小的小姑娘。

The President will be little more than a figurehead. 总统将不过是个傀儡而已。

It cost little more than a few pounds and a handful of shrapnel. 它不过花了几个英镑再加一点儿零钱。

Aid to the Third World is at present little more than a drop in the bucket. 目前对第三世界国家的援助不过是杯水车薪.

2. a little more than：其中的 a little（表肯定意义）修饰 more than，其字面意思是“稍多于”“略多于”。如：

She is a little more than twenty years old. 她20岁出头。

She came to Dallas a little more than a year ago. 她在一年多前来到达拉斯。

Light reaches us from the moon, which is about 380 000 kilometres away, in only a little more than a second. 光从大约38万公里以外的月球照射到我们这里仅需一秒钟略多一点的时间。