pain/a pain/pains

当 pain 表示身体部位上的“痛”“疼痛”时,通常用作可数名词,但有时也用作不可数名词:

1. feel pain(s) in my back 觉得后背疼

2. I've got a pain in my leg. 我腿疼。

3. She complained of severe pains in her chest. 她自诉胸部剧痛。

4. She is in pain. 她感到疼痛。

5. The boy was crying with pain ... 这个男孩疼得直哭……

6. I'm in awful pain. 我痛死了。

当 pain 表示“内心的痛苦”“不幸”时, 是个不可数名词, 故上题应选 B:

1. The death of his father gave him much pain. 父亲的去世使他极为悲痛。

2. You will forgive me if I have given you pain. (Macaulay) 如果我给了你痛苦,你一定会原谅我的。

[附注]美国俚语里有 give sb. a pain 的说法,意思是“使人讨厌”:

1. You give me a pain! 你真让我讨厌!

2. She's such a pest. She really gives me a pain. 她很讨厌。真让我心烦。

作“辛苦”“刻苦”“努力”“操心”解的pains是一个只以复数形式出现的名词，它与pain在词义上并不是复数、单数的关系，因此，应把它看作是一个独立的词。

1. No pains, no gains. 不劳则无获。

2. The President took pains to emphasize his good health. 总统极力强调他身体很好。请做下面的英语试题：

3. He took great ____ to please his boss.

A. pain B.effort

C. pains D. efforts(注意 effort 的搭配关系: make an effort, make efforts)

2. One reason for the successes of Asian immigrants in the U.S. is that they have taken great ____ to educate their children. A. effects: B. pairs, C. attempts, D. endowarm (全国研考 94–33).

A. efforts B. pains C. attempts D. endeavours(全国研考,94-33)