有读者问： 在某读物中有这样一句话：
(1)I would rather lose a dozen cherry trees than that you should tell one lie.
请问句中than后的that可以不要吗？
我们知道，would rather之后的宾语从句是不用连词that引导的，如：
(2)I'd rather you didn't talk about this to anyone.
(3)He says he'd rather you went home now.
但当would rather...than或would...rather than后接宾语从句时，宾语从句则可为连词that所引导。除上面的例（1）外，再如：
(4)I'd have done anything rather than that you should know .
但例（1）与例（4）中的that皆可省去，而且不用that的情况似乎要多些，如：
(5)She would rather die than Zora should know.
(6)Dear Fanny, let me say first, that I would far rather we worked for a scanty living again, than I would see you rich and married to Mr.Sparkler.
例（6）系摘自19世纪英国小说家狄更斯著的《小多利特》（Little Dorrit ），可见上述结构中than后省去that的现象并非始于当代，而是早已有之了。
