Only as we use our ingenuity and energies to give happiness to others regardless of the reward may we achieve happiness ourselves.
In most of the ancient civilization, the Chinese civilization is the only one that has survived so much havoc, both human and nature, and continued to survive.
History will never repeat itself in the same way.
Herself still only a girl, Victoria was called upon(拥护，推崇) to become queen of a great empire.
   To do something for oneself (亲自) is often easier than getting someone else to do it.
I didn’t know how to solve the problem by myself(独自)..
The baby can walk of himself now.
Although money in itself may not sufficient to make people grand, it is difficult to be grand without money.

    Not so much as ＝ without so much as ―ing  连-----也不----
He cannot so much as write a word.
He went away without so much as saying a word.
She came in without so much as saying hello to me.
Generally speaking, a student who passed the exam had the chance to the next round, but he did not so much as conclude the
He didn’t so much as ask me to sit down.

    Not so much-----as----  与其---倒不如---
    Not -----so much as -----与其---倒不如---
It is not so much talent as persistent efforts that make one successful.
Edison’s success is not so much talent as intelligence and hard work.
It is not poverty so much as pretense that harasses a ruined man.
It is not his illness that ruined him so much as his idleness.= it is not his illness so much as idleness that ruined him so much.
使落魄的人受苦的，与其说是贫穷，倒不如说是虚荣。

    Much more= still more 更加 更不用说（肯定）
    Much less=still less （更加）（否定）
She like drawing, more than singing.
Many people come here in winter, still more in spring and summer.
He couldn’t even pick up the box, much less carry it upstairs.
Nothing lasts forever, still less an empire built on force.
There are no nurses, much less doctors, in the mountain.
I’ve got to get out of this place and find another job somewhere. I am just spinning my wheels here. There’s no chance to get a pay raise, much less a promotion.  

    It is needless to say不必说，当然是

    It is not too much to say说是----也不过分
It is needless to say that the sun is one of the innumerable stars in the universe.
It is needless to say that you must abide by its rule when you join the club.
It is needless to say that the great wall is one of the greatest architecture in the world.
Needless to say, his allegiance to his country lasted all his life.
It is not too much to say that he achieved the great undertaking all by himself.
It is not too much to say that a boy who is careless in what he does will never succeed.
    It is a proverb that two heads are better than one.三个臭皮匠顶一个诸葛亮。
    It wasn’t discreet of you that to call him around midnight.
    Everyone desires money and leisure, but few people seem to know how to use them properly.
    The healthy mind looks a little ahead, and not too much behind.
    These statistics, for the first time, showed that the population of the country would be doubled in ten years.

    Not less----than---- 不亚于
The civilization created by the ancient in Egypt is not less grand than the ancient in china.
Sufficient sleep is not less necessary than food to our health.
= sufficient sleep is quite as necessary as food to our health.
His achievement is not less great than his father’s.
    They didn’t exchange even a single word, not because they didn’t know each other, but because they were in low spirits.
    It is patience that what he needs, and not talent.

    Not only---- but also----
A man may usually be known not only by the books he reads, but also by the friends he keeps.
A man should realize that reading is not only to make it a means for amusement but also to make knowledge a part of himself.
The man who owns land and cherishes it and works it well is the source of our stability, not only in the economic but the social sense as well.

    Nothing but -----只不过是
Don’t have him for a friend, he is nothing but a criminal.
His supper was nothing but a little piece of cheese.
His father left him nothing but an empty room and an old watch.

    Make it a rule to---- 经常做
He made it a rule to play badminton every Saturday morning.
He made it a rule to get up early to practise spoken English every day.

    May well---- 理所当然的
She may well be proud of her husband.
= She has good reason to be proud of her husband.
= She is proud of her husband, and well she may.

    May as well--- 索性---算了，干脆—
You may as well tell me the worst.

    In vain---徒然，
The enemy attempted to win over Uncle Chen, but it was in vain.
We protested in vain. The government still insisted on demolishing the building.
All he has done is in vain. It won’t save our company.
The teacher said diligence after this examination is in vain.

    It is no use-ing做---是徒劳的
It is no use trying to persuade him to accept the gift.
It is no use crying over spilt milk.覆水难收
It is absurd thinking about an impossible plan to implementation.
    It does not matter what he does if he can come back on time.
    It was not so sure whether the exhibition would be held or not.

    It is with--- as with= it is in --- as in   -- ----就像是----
It is with reading books as with receiving the education of social university.
It is in life as in a long journey going through hard, as well as pleasant, at the same time, concentrating experiences.
   It is with researching historic characters as with communicating with persons of that time.
I thought it was with receiving the task as with taking practice before I melted into the society.

    It will be -----before----- 到----为止，要花—时间
It will be about half past year before they finish the engineering construction supervision.
It was three years for them to know about each other before they decided to marry.
Generally speaking, it is about ten months that a baby stays in her mother’s stomach before he becomes a member in the world.

    Have something to do with--- 与---有关系
    Have nothing to do with--- 与---无关
He has nothing to do with the accident.
The climate in the country has something to do with its geography environment.
Everyone believes that success has a great deal to do with hard work.
We don’t think he has anything to do with what has happened.

    Far from--- 一点也不
The fact is, far from taking one hour, we can finish it in half an hour.
Properly used, the nuclear weapon, far from (being) harmful, may be very helpful to human life.
He was far from a reliable man judged from what he said and what he did.
Far from taking my advice, he went and did just what I warned him against.
= instead of taking my advice, he went and did just what I warned him against.

    Far all=with all=in spite of虽然----仍然----
For all his effort, he failed in the end.
For all his faults, I like him.
For all his money, he is unhappy.
With all his consideration, she doesn’t love them.
In spite of his faults, I like him.