the Olympic Games (the Olympics) are/is
He took part in the Olympic Games which ____ held in Barcelona.
A.is B. are C.was D.were
我选了 C。但老师告诉我应当选 D。我感到很奇怪:明明是指一届运动会,它的谓语动词为什么要用复数呢?
从语言材料和英语词典注释上来看,人们大都把 the Olympic Games 或 the Olympics 看作是复数名词,因此,即使它们指的是一届运动会,其谓语动词也用复数:
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The first Olympics were confined to running... 第一届奥运会仅有赛跑……
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The first Olympic Games in modern times happened in 1896. They were held in Greece — the country in which the games were born. 首届现代奥林匹克运动会于 1896 年在奥运会的发源地希腊举行。
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The Olympic Games are held in a different country on each occasion. 每届奥运会在不同的国家举行。
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The 1992 Summer Olympics were held in Barcelona and the Winter Olympics ... were held in Albertville. 1992年夏季奥运会在巴塞罗那举行,冬季奥运会则在艾伯桑维尔举行。
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The Olympic Games were held in Atlanta in 1996. 1996年奥运会在亚特兰大举行。
尽管如此,上面的试题并不是很成功的,因为选 C 也不应算作错误,它符合概念一致的原则。英美出版的一些英英词典明确指出,the Olympic Games 或 the Olympics 既可用作复数,亦可用作单数(treated as singular or plural)。LDCE(1987,中译本 1998)进一步指出,the Olympic Games(the Olympics)的谓语动词可用单数或复数。