he looks down on more excitable nations,and likes to think of himself as more reliable than they.
1，这里they为什么不用them?than 后面不是应该用宾格吗？
2，as more reliable 中的as在这里什么用法，是介词还是副词还是连词？怎么翻译？
求助张老师。
1，这里they为什么不用them? than 后面不是应该用宾格吗？
答：本句中的 think of himself as more reliable than they 是 than they (指代 the excitable nations) are reliable 的省略。
than 本身是引导比较从句的连词，than 从句中常常省略主句中出现过的重复信息，如：
例1 Bill is taller than Tom is.（从句的谓语动词 is 与主句的 is 属于重复信息，因此常被省略为Bill is taller than Tom）。
例2 The news surprised Pat more than it surprisedme （从句的 The news surprised 与主句的itsurprised 属于重复信息，因此常被省略为 The news surprised Pat morethan me）
例2省略后than me 中的代词宾格 me 给人一种假象，than 似乎是介词，于是口语中常会见到 Bill is taller than me 的说法。
由于这种用法在非正式英语中的普遍性，词典上也就有了 than 既是连词也是介词的两种解释。不过在当作介词使用时一定要谨慎，如果句子中出现超出两个的可比名词，要注意避免歧义。如：
例3 He likes Bill more than I. 他比我更喜欢贝尔。(= He likes Bill more than I like him 的省略)
例4 He likes Bill more than me. 他喜欢贝尔胜于喜欢我。(= He likes Bill more than he likes me 的省略)
2，asmore reliable 中的as在这里什么用法，是介词还是副词还是连词？怎么翻译？
答：as more … than 是一个常用结构，as 是副词，像 still、even、much、far 等副词一样用来加强比较程度。意思是“比…更加”。
这里的 think of himself as more reliable than they 是把as more … than they 套入到 think of himself reliable 中，意思是“认为他自己比他们更可靠”。
另如：
He is seen as more business-minded than hispredecessor. 人们认为比起他的前任来，他更有实干精神。
St Peters-burg's night life ranks as more exciting than thecapital's. 圣彼得堡的夜生活比首都来更加刺激。