例句:北京的空气污染问题受到了广泛的关注。
错误:A lot of attentions have been paid to air pollution in Beijing.(x)
正确:A lot of attention has been paid to air pollution in Beiljing.(V)
但有一种旧时的表述方式是个例外:
例句:在他最初的冷淡之后,达西先生开始向班尼特小姐表达自己的关怀体贴。
正确:After his initial coldness, Mr Darcy began to favour Miss Bennet with his attentions.(V)
这句话的意思是“他向她献股勤,希望能开始一段恋情。”但这种形式并不常见,并且使用的可能性也非常小,除非你立志当一名历史小说作家。因此完全可以将atention作为一个无复数形式的词。
3. Consumption / Consumptions
这组词的单复数问题相对复杂一点。其中有一个明确的区别点——
constumption可表示一种呼吸疾病的复数形式,这种情况下,既有单数形式,也有复数形式。但这种叫法已经是比较过时的了,现在我们将这种疾病叫做berculosis (肺结核)。所以跟attentions的情况一样,这种形式并不常见,并且使用的可能性也非常小。
例句:19世纪时,肺痨在英国盛行。
正确:Consumption was widespread in England in the 19th century.
例句:风寒与痨病在英国很常见,这可能跟它的气候有关。
正确:Colds and consumptions were frequent in England, and could be attributed to the climate.
Consumption表示抽象意义时的意思是消耗、摄人(intake)。它既可表示物理概念上一个人对食物的消耗,也可表示整体概念上社会对资源的消耗。这种情况下,使用复数形式的consumptions也是错误的。
例句:法国数类红酒的消费量都在下跌。
错误:The consumptions of several types of wine in france are falling. (x) 、正确:The consumption of several types of wine in France is falling. (V)
例句:春节的所有消费项目中,旅游消费的增长比率最高。
错误:Among all consumptions during the Spring Festival, travel saw the
highest rate of growth.(X)
正确:Among all categories of consumption during the spring festival, travel saw the highest rate of growth. (V)
要注意,上述第二个例子的正确例句中,consumption前添加了一个修饰语:categories of。这种表述方式,便是不可数名词在表达数量概念时的正确表达方式,在本章末尾我会再仔细讨论这一点。
而下述例句则需要斟酌:
例句:法国数类红酒的销售量都在下降,但其销量依然是世界最高之一。
The consumption of several types of wine in France is falling, but it still has one of the highest consumptions in the world. (arguable)
严格来说,这句话在语法上并没有错误,但也不是最合适的表述方式。同样的,这个例子是想表达一个抽象名词的数量概念。而有一种表述方法比使用consumptions更好,并且这种方法与上述“春节”的例子一脉相承,只不过使用的是另一个修饰语。
The consumption of several types of wine in France is falling, but it still has one of the highest levels of consumption in the world. (V)
要注意,这里用的修饰语与之前的不一样(categories of consumption; levels of consumption)。同样的,在之后我会再仔细讨论这一点。
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