(四)下列两类名词只有复数形式, 与动词复数连用
表示由两部分组成的物体名词,如:
calipers(卡钳)glasses scales(磅秤)pants
pliers(钳子)scissors trousers shoes
jeans shorts(短裤)
这些名词作主语时谓语动词用复数形式,前有a pair of修饰时,谓语的单复数由pair的单复数决定。
例句: Im going to weigh my luggage: are there any scales?
译文: 我想把行李过一下磅,有磅秤吗?
例句: The girl wears sun glasses, which were bought from the glasses line, and a pair of old ones has been broken.
译文: 姑娘戴着从眼镜行买来的太阳镜,而那副旧眼镜已经折断了。
另外还有: arms goodsclothes
contents headquarters minutes(会议记录)
regards(敬意) wages respects(敬意,问候)
thanks fireworks(烟火)archives(档案)
例句: My wages are the principle source of my income.
译文: 薪金是我收入的主要来源。
(五)有些名词虽以s结尾,却表示单数概念,谓语动词用单数形式
1. 学科名称:
politics linguistics
physics economics
mathematics ethics
electronics informatics
mechanics(力学) statistics
acoustics(声学)athletics
phonetics(语音学)
例句: Talk to anyone in the drug industry, and youll soon discover that the science of genetics is the biggest thing to hit drug research since penicillin was discovered. (2000年第8题)
分析: 该句是复合句,talk to anyone in the drug industry是祈使句,that引导宾语从句,since引导时间状语从句。
译文: 与从事药品工业的人一交谈,你就会发现自从盘尼西林被研制出以后,遗传学是对药品研究最大的冲击。
2.游戏名称,如: checkers(跳棋)、 darts(投镖游戏)、 billiards(弹子戏)、 cards(纸牌)以及专有名词,如 Naples(那不勒斯),the United States,the New York Times等,但表示瀑布、山脉、岛屿的以s结尾的专有名词常表复数。
例句: Today, the snooker billiards becomes an international sports activity that the people of various countries like.
分析: 该句是复合句,that the people of various countries like作定语修饰sports activity。
译文: 今天,斯诺克台球已经成为各国人民普遍喜爱的一项国际性的体育活动。
例句: Naples is an important seaport of the southwest in Italy.
译文: 那不勒斯是意大利西南部的一个重要海港。
(六)集体名词数的问题
1. 有些集体名词后接单数动词,如:
merchandisepoetry machinery furnitureluggage
baggage foliage(树叶)
例句: Modern machinery has been installed in the company.
译文: 公司已经安装了现代化的机械。
例句: This class of merchandise is usually sold on D/P(documents payment) basis.
译文: 这种商品通常在付款交单的基础上出售。
2.有些集体名词后接复数动词,如:
people police poultry clergy(教士)
vermin(害虫)cattle militia(民兵)
例句: These vermin are harmful to the plants, so they must be got rid of.
译文: 这些害虫对庄稼有害,应该尽快把它们消灭掉。
例句: All the poultry in Hong Kong were destroyed to stop the threat.
译文: 为了消除威胁,香港屠杀了所有家禽。
3.有些集体名词,如:
audience boardfamily class couple crew
committeegovernment jury party team public
company
做整体讲时,谓语动词用单数;当看做集体的各个成员时,谓语动词用复数。
例句: My family are fond of playing bowls, so they never miss the program involved.
译文: 我家人都喜欢顶碗的游戏,所以很少错过相关节目。
例句: My family is a big one, and so it is called extended family by neighbors.
译文: 我们家是一个大家庭,于是邻居们常称我们家为大家庭。
注: 需要强调个体时,集体名词一般应使用单位词,如:
three heads of cattle 三头牛
a piece of luggage 一件行李
(七)有些名词单复数形式不同,词义也发生变化
例如: air(空气)——airs(样子,摆架子)
anxiety(焦虑)——anxieties(令人忧虑的事)
brain(大脑)——brains(智力)
custom(风俗)——customs(海关)
damage(损坏)——damages(赔偿金)
delicacy(微妙)——delicacies(山珍海味)
disorder(混乱)——disorders(小病,病痛)
experience(经验)——experiences(经历)
fear(恐惧)——fears(担心)
glass(玻璃)——glasses(眼镜)
joy(快乐)——joys(令人快乐的人或事)
kindness(善意)——kindnesses(善行)
pity(怜悯)——pities(不幸)
people(人民)——peoples(民族)
security(安全)——securities(证券,债券)
time(时间)——times(时代)
work(工作)——works(作品)
authority(权威,权力)——authorities(官方,当局)
例句: They want to expose those educationally disadvantaged students to creative,enriching educational experiences for a fiveyear period.
分析: 该句是简单句,其中expose sb. to sth.意为“使某人暴露在……之下”。
译文: 他们想让那些教育背景欠佳的学生接受一种既有创造性又能丰富人生的为期五年的教育。
例句: The integration of independent states could best be brought about by first creating a central organization with authority over technical economic tasks.
分析: 该句是简单句,其中with authority over technical economic tasks是介词短语,作a central organization的定语。
译文: 首先创办一个有权管理技术经济工作的中心组织,以便更好地实现各独立国家之间的结合。
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