北京大学西语系英语专业编《英语常用词用法词典》(修订版,1985,p.76-77)说：“Troops不是指个别士兵，因此前面不能加数词。例如：
三个兵正在过桥，但当他们看到一个女孩子落入河内，他们都跳了下去把女孩子救了起来。
误译: Three troops were crossing a bridge; but when they saw a girl fall into the river, they all jumped into it and rescued her from drowning.
正译: Three soldiers were crossing a bridge; but when they saw a girl fall into the river, they all jumped into it and rescued her from drowning.
在军队术语及新闻报导中,可以说 a thousand troops,这是例外情况,而且只能用于较大数字。”
您同意上面的说法吗？
许多英汉词典都把 troops 译成了“部队”。其实复数形式的 troops 虽由 troop(部队)加后缀-s 构成,但却常常指士兵(soldiers)。让我们援引 CGEL 的解释:
Troops[soldiers]: Many troops were sent overseas. (许多士兵被派往国外。) 我们再来看看 EED 的解释：
Troops are soldiers, especially ones taking part in military action. EG They have more than 11,000 troops in Northern Ireland.
由此看来，a thousand troops 并不是例外情况，而是正常用法；three troops 也不是什么错误，因而不必改成 three soldiers。请看下面的例句：
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How many American troops served overseas in World War II? (RCD)
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two or several troops 两个或数个士兵
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30 troops were killed. 有 30 名士兵阵亡。