little n. 利特爾〔姓氏〕。 adj. (less 或 lesser; least; 〔俚、方〕 -tler; -tlest) ★ less, lesser, least 通例是與 more, most 相對應的用語,表示數量、程度方面的小,亦可代替表示形體小的。 smaller, smallest. 又: little 除“小”的意義之外,還含有可憐、輕蔑等的感情。 習慣上只說 great and little, big and little, great and small, large and small, 不說 large and little, big and small. 1.(opp. big) 小,小的;年輕的,年紀小的,可愛的。 a little dog 小狗。 a little drop [a little glass] of whisky 一小滴[一小杯]威士忌酒。 the little Smiths 斯密士(家)的孩子們。 my little man [woman] 小弟弟[姑娘]。 a nice little thing 可愛的小家伙。 our little life 我輩短促的生命〔人生如寄之意〕。 2.(opp. great) 孩子似的,孩子氣的;瑣碎的,小的,吝嗇的,心地狹窄的。 L- things amuse little minds. 小孩歡喜小東西。 sb.'s little game 孩子似的〔可笑的〕舉動[手法]。 a little thing 小事。 a little mind [soul] 狹小的氣量。 3.〔表示數量等的否定用法,無冠詞〕 (opp. much) 只有少許〔一點點〕,沒有多少。 There is but little hope. 沒有多少希望。 I have little hope, if any. = I have little or no hope. 簡直沒有希望。 4.〔表示數量等的肯定用法,加冠詞〕 〔cf. a few〕 有一點。 There is a little hope. 有一點希望。 a little time [while] ago 片刻之前,剛才。 I will go a little way with you. 我陪你走一段路。 A little care would have prevented it. 稍微當心一點,這種事情就不會發生。 ★有時純屬禮貌上的形式,無表示微少的意義,只作some的代用語。 例: Let me give you a little mutton. 讓我給你(一點)羊肉。 May I have a little money 給我(點)錢好嗎? A little more [less] sugar, please. 請給我多[少]來一點糖。 only a little wine 只一點點酒。 I gave him the little money that I had. = I gave him what little money I had. 我把所有的一點點錢統統給了他。 but little 只一點點 (I have but little money. 我只有一點點錢)。 go but a little way to 差得遠,不夠。 make little of 1. 不重視,輕視,不以為意。 2. 難了解,不領會。 little ones 孩子們〔加用 our, her等〕。 little or no 簡直沒有,幾乎沒有。 no little (=not a little)不少,很多。 very little 很少;一點也沒有 (He has very little sense. 他沒有常識。 He takes very little trouble about his work. 他做事一點也不用心)。 n. 1.〔肯定用法,表示程度、數量的〕小,少。 Every little helps. 〔諺語〕點點滴滴都起作用。 know a little of everything 什么都懂一點。 the little不重要[無足輕重]的人。 A little is better than none. 聊勝于無。 2.〔否定用法,無冠詞〕一點點,少許,些許。 He has seen little of life. 他不懂世故。 L- remains to be said. 簡直沒有什么可以講了。 I got but [very, rather] little out of it. 我簡直沒有從這當中得著什么。 a little at a time 每次少許。 after a little 過了一會兒。 by little and little =little by little 一點一點地,慢慢地,逐漸地。 for a little 一會兒,不久。 from little up 〔美國〕從幼年起。 in little 小規模的,小型的。 little or nothing =little if anything 簡直沒有,幾乎沒有。 not a little 不少,相當多。 quite a little 〔美口〕大量,許多,豐富。 the little = what little 僅有的一點 (He did the little that [what little] he could. 他盡到了他僅有的微力)。 adv. 1.〔肯定用法,加冠詞 a〕一點,稍,略。 I speak English a little. 我稍能說一點英語。 Wait a little. 等一下。 He is a little better today. 他今天好一點了。 2.〔否定用法,無冠詞〕毫不,一點也不;幾乎不,簡直不〔主要和 know, imagine, dream, think, guess 等詞連用〕。 little known writers 不大出名的作家,無名作家。 He little knows. 他不知道。 little better [less] than 和…一樣,和…沒有差別,半斤八兩。 little more than 和…一樣[無差別]。 little short of 簡直是,幾乎。 set little by 輕視。 think little of 不重視,不在乎。
A little of his company goes a long way . 跟他呆上一會兒就叫人受不了。
Next, he wished to see a little of the working of a flourmill . 還有一層,他想多少見識見識面粉廠的情況。
As with the bogus country gentlemen, it was becoming a little of an act . 這也和那些假鄉紳一樣,多少成了一種姿態。
A little of your most delicate orange scent would not be amiss . 再灑上一點兒你那最最美好的桔子香水,那也怪不錯的。
The air being filled with applause, tom's ear necessarily caught a little of it . 空中充滿了贊揚的聲音,湯姆耳朵里當然就聽到了一點。
He ushered me into his office, closed the door, and told me a little of the story . 他領我走進他的辦公室,關上門,給我講述了有關這個故事的一些情況。
She thought that husband and wife should enjoy a little of that isolation to which marriage had indissolubly doomed them . 她認為這對夫妻應該享受一下婚姻永久賦予他們的與世隔絕小日子。
She had known a little of the language before coming, and a sort of parrot-mind made her pick it up fairly easily . 來之前她略懂一些英語,多少有些鸚鵡式的腦子使她沒費多大勁就掌握了這門語言。
If our readers will accompany us up to a little loft over the stable they may, perhaps, learn a little of his affairs . 但是如果讀者諸君愿意隨我到馬廄的樓上一間小閣樓里走走的話,也許可以了解一點他的情況。