hundred/hundreds

许多权威的英语词典均未把 hundred, thousand, million 看作是数词, 而看作是“名词; 形容词”(ALD)。有趣的是, R. Quirk 等人在 CGEL 中解释这类词时竟出现了混乱。他们在 §6.65 中说 hundred, thousand 和 million 可以用作数词, 如 Ten million viewers saw the title fight on TV. 但是他们在 §5.89 中却说 two hundred people 中的 hundred 是数量名词 (quantitative noun)。因此, 我们最好还是不去争论这些词的词性, 而是弄清它们的用法。对此, 语言学家们已经作了全面的总结。

当 hundred, thousand, million, billion 和 dozen 受数词或不定数量词修饰时, 总是用零复数形式(即意义上是复数, 而形式上无复数标志):

1. two hundred/thousand/million/billion/people

2. several hundred/thousand/million/billion/people

3. They want $\$left\{ \begin{array}{ll}a & \text{few hundred.}\\ ten & \text{thousand.} \end{array} \right. (CGEL)

4. The UN estimate is that 6.3 million Africans are suffering its effects today. (The Guardian) 据联合国估计,有630万非洲人如今正在遭受这种干旱的影响。(卫报)

5. Several billion molecules would be needed to fill a thimble. (RWRT) 要充满顶针般大小的容器就得需要几十亿个分子。

6. The radio program has an audience of several million. (OSD) 广播节目有几百万听众。当 dozen, hundred, thousand, million 后面接 of 短语时，则在标准英语中大都采用复数形式：

many(several/a few) dozens/hundreds/thousands/millions of people

1. “Have you ever gone water-skiing before?” “Oh, yes, dozens of times.” (TOEFL) “以前你滑过水吗?” “是的，去过几十次。”

2. Hundreds of men, women and children came for a weekly ritual: scouring the stalls in search of food and clothing. (NEWSWEEK) 数百名男女和儿童前来参加每周的惯例活动: 在摊子上寻找食品和衣物。(新闻周刊)

3. Billions of molecules would be needed to fill a thimble. (RWRT) 要充满顶针般大小的容器就得需要几十亿个分子。