We cannot be too careful in choosing our friends.
我们在择友时,愈小心愈好。
——请教:为什么 cannot be too careful 是“愈小心愈好”。
以下内容摘自英语专家薄冰教授编著的《英语惯用法词典》:
can 的否定形式与 too, enough 等连用时,具有特殊的意义。
1) cannot ... too 意为“无论怎样也不过分”、“越 ... 越好”。例如:
You cannot be too strict with him. 你对他越严格越好。
A woman can never have too many hats. 女人永远不嫌帽子多。
We cannot praise him too much. 我们无论怎样称赞他都不过分。
2) cannot (或 never) ... enough 意为“无论怎样都不够”。例如:
I cannot thank you enough. 我对你感谢不尽。
You can never be careful enough. 你(们)要越仔细越好。