核心问题
three head of cattle(三头牛)(《朗文美语词典》)是否系 three heads of cattle 之误?
词典解答
当 head 作“(牲畜)头数”解时,它属于零复数数量名词(即形式上是单数,实际上是复数)。属于这类名词的还有 horsepower(马力),gross(12 打),stone(14 磅)。请看下面的实例:
-
The cowboys rounded up fifty head of cattle after the stampede. (MD) 牛群奔窜后，牛仔们圈住了五十头牛。
-
The number of pigs grew from 9,300 head at the end of 1977 to 13,000 at the end of 1978. (Mis) 猪的存栏数由 1977 年末的 9,300 头发展到 1978 年末的 13,000 头。
-
They sold 6 million head of horses, cattle and sheep to the state. (Mis) 他们向国家卖了六百万头马、牛和羊。