as much as/as many as + 数词
On Sports Day, during the relay race, you will use most of all, perhaps as much as 650 calories an hour. [《高中英语教科书》第一册(下),人教社,p.2]
与该书配套的《教师教学用书》(p.68)对 as much as 是这样解释的：
“‘as much/many as’这个结构作‘多达’、‘到达……的程度’解。所涉及的数量如果是可数的，则用 many；如果是不可数的，则用 much。例如：
In the countries of Black Africa, there are as many as 700 languages. 黑非洲的国家里的语言多达七百种。
When she worked there, she could earn as much as 500 dollars a week. 她在那儿工作时，每周能挣500美元。”
“所涉及的数量……如果是不可数的”，难道“calories”和“dollars”是不可数的吗？它们的复数形式证明它们是可数名词，如同languages一样，那它们为什么要与as much as连用，而不与as many as连用呢？
我们提出下面的解释,也许能解答你的疑惑。
当数词直接修饰表示人或事物的可数名词的复数(量词除外)时,在数词之前用 as many as 来表达“言其多”的口气,当数词 + 量词结构所涉及的是不可数名词时,则用 as much as 来表达“言其多”的口气(虽然量词为复数),而不管这个不可数名词是否以 of 短语的形式出现。请分析下面的实例:
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As many as ten or twelve people were found living in a single room. 发现住在单人房间的有 10 人甚至 12 人之多。
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The rain is plentiful here, often as much as seventy inches yearly. (这里涉及的是 rain) 这里的雨水非常充分, 每年降雨量常常高达 70 英寸。
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Our factory consumes as much as 500 tons of solid fuel per week. (这里涉及的是 fuel) 我们工厂所消耗的固体燃料每周高达 500 吨。
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The deepest holes of all are made for oil, and they go down to as much as 25,000 feet. (这里涉及的是 depth) 在一切洞之中, 最深的是为了寻找石油所钻的洞, 这些洞深达二万五千英尺。
但是,如把某些量词实物化的话,也可在量词之前使用 as many as:
He drinks as many as three bottles of milk a day. (CGEL) 他每天竟喝三瓶牛奶。