She was the youngest of the two daughters.
She was the younger of the two daughters.
请问两句的说法都对吗?
▲这两句的说法都对,但是,在考试中,最好用:She was the younger of the two daughters.
▲英国语法专家 R.Quirk 等人指出:最高级常常用于在两个人、两件事物之间进行比较,尽管在审慎的用法中有人避免这样用,而喜欢用比较级:
He is the yongest (of the two brothers).
He is the yonger (of the two brothers).
▲《牛津英语用法指南》第三版第139.3节指出:
当一个群体只有两个成员时,我们有时候用比较级而不用最高级。
I like Betty and Maud, but I think Maud's the nicer / nicest of the two. 我喜欢贝蒂和莫德,但是我认为他们俩之中莫德更好一些 / 最好。
I'll give you the bigger / biggest steak: I'm not very hungry. 我把这块大一点的 / 最大的牛排给你吧:我不怎么饿。
有些人认为,这种情况下用最高级是不对的。