3.某些表示饮料名称的物质名词往往以复数形式代替单位词。这类词有coffees,teas等。例如:
The waitress has served twenty teas since four o’clock.
从四点起,这位女服务员已上了二十份午茶。
Send two coffees and three lemonades to the room.
请将两杯咖啡和三杯柠檬汁送到这个房间。
4.某些物质名词又是个体名词,它们的复数形式表示与原来个体完全不同的东西。这类词有 glasses(眼镜、玻璃杯), irons(熨斗),coppers(铜币),papers(文章,证件)等。例如:
She is always wearing glasses.
她总是戴着眼镜。
He wrote many papers for the newspaper.
他为这份报纸写过许多文章。
三、抽象名词的复数形式的含义
1.congratulations, regards, respects,thanks,wishes,apologies等复数形式用来表示祝愿、礼貌和客气。例如:
It’s your birthday today.Congratulations!
今天是你的生日,恭喜你!
You’ve given me so much help.Thanks a lot.
你给了我很多帮助,非常感谢。
2.smiles, pities, fears, hopes, kindnesses复数形式表示强调。例如:
He was all smiles.
他满脸笑容。
It is a thousand pities.
非常遗憾。
I have received many kindnesses from him.
他对我非常好。
Great fears are felt for the safety of the missing climbers.
人们对失踪的登山者的安全权为担忧。
3.抽象名词具体化。有些抽象名词的复数形式表示具体的事物,如cares(烦人的事),anxieties(令人着急的事),worries(使人发愁的事),difficulties(难题),joys(使人高兴的事),failures(失败的事,失败的人),friendships(表示友谊的事例)等。例如:
After listening to his advice,she had no more anxieties.
听了他的建议,她不再有发愁的事了。
His friendships never last very long.
他与别人的交情从来都不长久。
After many failures,they finally succeeded.
经过多次失败之后,他们最后成功了。
4.某些抽象名词在某种场合是个体名词,它们的复数形式表示与该个体名词不同的意义,如youths(男青年、小伙子), relations(亲属), beauties(美人),necessities(必需品)等。例如:
Twenty youths attended the meeting yesterday.
二十个男青年出席了昨天的会议。
All his poor relations came to spend their holidays at his home.
他所有的穷亲戚都在他家过节。