英語読解のヒント（168）

168. as much...as if / no more...than if

基本表現と解説

• She thinks as much of her nurse as if she were her own mother. 「彼女は母親を思うほどに乳母のことを思っている」
• She thinks no more of her nurse than if she never existed. 「彼女は乳母ははじめからいなかったかのように少しも思っていない」

前項とおなじように上記の例文もそれぞれ次の文の省略形である。

• She thinks as much of her nurse as she would think of her if she were her own mother.
• She thinks no more of her nurse than she would think of her if she never existed.

例文1

...the girl heeded him no more than if he had been made of stone.

Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist

娘は相手が石ころででもあるかのように少しも注意を向けなかった。

例文2

The English, keeping side by side in a great mass, cared no more for the showers of Norman arrows than if they had been showers of Norman rain.

Charles Dickens, A Child's History of England

密集して一大集団をなしていたイギリス軍は雨のように降りかかるノルマンの矢など意にも介さなかった。まるでそれがノルマンの雨であるかのように。

例文3

The most important requisite for a croquet ground is smoothness of surface. Very good sport may be had on a ground slightly inclined; indeed a little practice will enable the players to make allowance for the inclination, so as to play with as much accuracy as if the surface were horizontal.

Anonymous, Croquet

クロッケーでいちばん大切なのは地面にでこぼこがないことである。やや傾きのあるクロッケー・グラウンドでプレイするのは非常に楽しいことがある。すこし練習すれば傾きを考慮に入れ、地面が真っ平らであるかのような正確さでプレイできるようになるだろう。