此处的 as long as 用于字面意义,表示“与……一样长”:
I haven’t known him as long as you.
不过这个句子好像有歧义:一是理解为“我没有你认识他的时间长”,二是理解为“我认识他的时间没有认识你的时间长”。
除以上用法外,as long as还可用作习语(起连词作用),表示原因、条件、时间等。如:
As long as I'm here, we may as well begin. 既然我在这里,不如我们现在就开始。(原因)
They can do anything they want, so long as they follow the rules. 只要遵守规章,他们想做什么都可以。(条件)
The economy will remain strong as long as there are jobs to go around. 当人人都有工作可做时,经济就会保持强劲。(时间)