核心问题
On this point, however, a psychologist would probably tend to disagree. He would point out that observation or perception is a concept which refers not so much to acuteness of sight, hearing, etc., or to the care with which they are applied, as to the ability to relate phenomena to a complex network of previous experiences and theories ... (A Course in Basic Scientific English, p. 77)
[原译]然而关于这一点,心理学家可能往往是不同意的。他会指出,观察和感觉是一个概念。这概念指的与其说是视觉、听觉等等的敏锐性或使用这些知觉的敏锐性的谨慎小心,倒不如说是把这些现象同先前的经历与理论的复杂网络联系起来的能力……(中译本)
将复数名词 phenomena 译为“这些现象”是否有误？
词典解答
原文中的复数名词 phenomena 之前没有用定冠词 the, 而使用了零冠词。复数名词前的零冠词意味着: 如果它们以其单数形式出现的话, 是本应采用不定冠词 a(an) 的。
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She has become a vegetarian. 她成了素食者。
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They have become vegetarians. (CGEL) 他们成了素食者。
因此，复数名词前的零冠词是具有语法意义的，它常常用于表明事物的类别、不确定指