英语常用词疑难用法-163：better
(1) better是形容词good和副词well的比较级，但是同一般的比较级不一样，它作为形容词表示“患病痊愈”时，可以加上completely或quite等副词作修饰语。
He hasn't been well, but he's completely better now. 他曾经身体欠佳，但是现在已经完全康复。
Don't start work again until you're quite better. 你没有完全好之前，别恢复工作。
(2) to know better than to inf. 实际上是一种否定方式，意思是“懂得不应该做某事，也就没有去做”。
He knew better than to think the assailant had given up. 他心中有数，知道刺客并没有罢休。To think better of it of -ing也是一种否定方式，意思是“经过考虑后觉得还是不这样做为妥（从而也就没有这样做）”。
Craig polished off his second drink, eyed the scotch bottle, and thought better of pouring a third. 克雷格喝光了第二杯，眼睛盯一下那个威士忌酒瓶，想了一下，没有再倒第三杯。
(3) 动词like与love的加强修饰语是very much，但这个修饰语的比较级不是more而是better。
Which do you like better, dogs or cats? 狗和猫你更喜欢哪一样？
No one has been better liked than he was. 没有谁比他更讨人喜欢。
(4) to get the better of somebody是“赛过（某人）”、“超过（某人）”、“压倒（某人）”、“支配（某人）”的意思。
Mary got the better of Jennifer in the tennis match.玛丽在网球赛中赢了珍妮弗。
You have a lot of personal problems which are getting the better of you, creating unfair prejudices, clouding your judgment. 你有许多个人的问题压住了你，造成一些不公正的成见，遮蔽住你的判断力。
He tried not to let his emotions get the better of him. 他努力不要让情绪控制自己。
(5) to have seen better times
days是一个惯用词组，委婉地表示当前情况比过去差远了。
This city has seen better times. 这座城市已经衰落了。
His hat had seen better days. 他的帽子已经很破旧了。
(6) better与could或might（注意不是can或may)连用，往往表示当前“并不太好”(直译是“本来可以更好”）。
—John: How are things going, Fred? —Fred: Things could be better. —约翰：喂，弗雷德，情况怎么样？—弗雷德：不太好。
