has better to do than to ... ? معنای

Question

It just time waisted and everyone has better to do than to spend time on pointless.

Europe has better to do than to waste its youth, its budgets and its energy in sterile village squabbles of another age.

It seems to me that Fox has better to do than to reply to this propaganda.

Physiology has better to do than to search for an objective definition of the normal.

Answer 1

خیلی عجیبه، اولین باره که با چنین اصطلاحی روبه‌رو می‌شم، متاسفانه. حتما درست نوشته‌ید اما برای من یکی ناآشناست.

معمولاً می‌گن یا می‌نویسن You know better than to trust her، مثلاً. یعنی: خودت می‌دونی که نباید به او اعتماد کنی.

و عبارت شما هم احتمالاً به همین مفهومه: بهتر آن که چنان کنیم به عوض این که چنین کنیم، حالا موقعیت هرچی که هست.

اما به دلیل نداشتن آشنایی با has better to do than to، اگه به من بود سه جمله‌ی اول رو تغییر می‌دادم به:

It is just time wasted, and everyone here knows better than to spend time on this pointless pursuit.

Europe as a nation has far better ways to serve its own interests than wasting its youth, its budget, and its energy on sterile village squabbles of another age.

It seems to me that Fox would do better to refrain from reacting to this propaganda.