核心问题
Children's cloths for sale. Very reasonable prices. Phone 37092. 有本书上说, 这则广告有错误。错在何处?
词典解答
cloth 是不可数名词, 意为“布料”“织物”(material made from cotton, wool, etc)。
I wanted to have a suit made so I bought three and a half yards of cloth. (NCE, Book 2, L. 81) 我想让人给我做一套衣服,所以我买了三码半布料。
当 cloth 用来指特定用途的布(tablecloth, deskcloth)时, 它是个可数名词, 可以有复数形
式cloths:
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She cleaned the window with an old cloth. 她用一块破布擦窗户。
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Have you any cloths for polishing the furniture? 你有擦家具的布吗?
clothes[kləuðz]则是指“衣服”,只有复数形式:
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He wore ready-made clothes. 他穿着做现成的衣服。
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He soon changed into the dead man's clothes. (NCE, Book 2, L. 81) 他立即换上了死者的服装。
因此,上面的广告应写成:Children's clothes for sale.