请讲一讲 million(hundred, thousand) 与 millions(hundreds, thousands) 的用法。
million 有三种用法:
A. 用作数词,做名词的定语,此时没有复数形式:
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He made two [several] million dollars from trading. 他做买卖赚了二百万(几百万)美元。
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30 million dollars... (EED) 3 千万美元……
(有人认为上面的 million 是名词的零复数形式)
B. million 之后不接名词时可以采用零复数形式,也可以采用复数形式:
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He is worth three million. (MD) 他值三百万。
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The state invested two millions. 政府投资二百万。
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They want several million(s). (CGEL) 他们需要几百万。
C. 用作名词, 表示“数以百万计”“几百万”“无数”“数百万人”, 后面可以接 of 短语, 这时通常采用词尾加 s 的复数形式:
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Millions (of people) are homeless. 数以百万计的人无家可归。
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Her books still give pleasure to millions. (EED) 她的书仍然会给数百万人带来欢欣。hundred 和 thousand 与 million 的用法相类似:
two hundred/thousand students 两百/千学生
(several) hundreds/thousands of students 几百/千的学生请看下面的例句:
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That store sells several thousand (hundred) dresses every month. (IME) 这家商店每月出售几千(几百)件衣服。
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Thousands/hundreds of people go to the seaside every year. (JED) 每年有数以千计(百计)的人去海边。
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This cost us several thousand(s). (Chambers) 这件东西花掉了我们数千美元。
请做下面的英语试题:
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Both as a hobby and as a profession, photography has fascinated people for more A B C than hundred years. (TOEFL) D
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____ of kinds of matter in the world. A. That there are millions B. There are a few million C. It is millions D. There are millions(TOEFL)
(参见 dozen, hundred)