核心问题
当 proportion of 用作主语时,其谓语动词用单数,还是用复数?
词典解答
当 proportion 作“部分”(part) 解时, 如 a(the) proportion of N 用作主语, 其谓语动词的数决定于 N(名词) 的数:
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The greater proportion of the land is still uncultivated. 大部分土地还未耕种。
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A large proportion of my time is spent in studying. 我的大部分时间都用在学习上。
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A large proportion of students are workers and peasants. (EG) 大部分学生是工人和农民。
当 proportion 作“比率”“之比”解时,其谓语动词永远用单数:
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The proportion of women in the total work-force has risen. (EED) 妇女在整个劳动力中所占的比率已经提高。
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The proportion of men to women in the population has changed so that there are now fewer women and more men. (LDCE) 人口中的男女的比例改变了,现在是女的少,男的多。
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The proportion of boys to girls in our class is three to one. 我们班上的男生与女生之比是三比一。