这个number是没有必要用复数还是非用复数不可?

湖南  陈根花

看了黄卫峰教授和李翔老师关于We have made the necessary cuts in the numbers of military personnel, while weaponry has been greatly improved 中的 numbers 该用单数还是复数的两篇文章，受益匪浅。但笔者有些不同的看法，同时也找到了一些相关的实例，现提出来向两位老师请教！

黄卫峰教授认为，We have made the necessary cuts in the numbers of military personnel, while weaponry has been greatly improved中的numbers 没有理由使用复数形式（www.yygrammar.com/Article/200905/1217.html），而李翔老师则认为句中的number非用复数不可（原文见www.yygrammar.com/Article/200908/1307.html）。

关于这个问题，首先要从a number of 与 the number of 的用法说起。

1. a number of的用法说明

(1) a number of的意思是“大量的”“许多的”。如：

A number of problems have arisen. 已经出现了一些问题。

A number of houses were burned down in the fire. 在火灾中烧掉了不少房子。

We are working in association with a number of local companies to raise money for the homeless. 我们与本地一些公司联合为无家可归的人筹款。

(2) 若要表示强调，该结构可以改用numbers of，此时的numbers通常（但非并一定）会有表示强调的描绘性形容词的修饰。如：

Large numbers of invitations were sent. 已发出了许多邀请。——摘自《剑桥国际英语词典》(Cambridge International Dictionary of English) number词条。

Small numbers of children are educated at home. 少数孩子在家接受教育。——摘自《剑桥国际英语词典》(Cambridge International Dictionary of English) number 词条。

Considerable numbers of animals have died. 有大量动物死亡。——摘自商务印馆出版的《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》(Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English) (1989年第四版)的 number 词条。

Huge numbers of birds had flocked together by the lake. 成群的鸟聚集在湖畔。——摘自商务印馆出版的《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》(Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English) (1989年第四版)的 flock 词条。

Increasing numbers of people elect to work from home nowadays. 现在越来越多的人选择在家工作。——摘自《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》(Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English) (第6版) elect词条。

2. the number of的用法说明

(1) the number of的意思是“……的数量”。如：

The number of the unemployed is still increasing. 失业的人还在增加。

There has been an increase in the number of road incidents recently. 最近交通事故的数目有增加。

This is a costly war in terms of the number of men killed and wounded. 从死伤士兵的数字来看，这是一场代价昂贵的战争。

Despite the fact that hotel prices have risen sharply, the number of tourists is as great as ever. 尽管旅馆收费猛涨，旅客的人数还是同以往一样多。

(2) 与a number of 也可改用 numbers of 不一样，the number of 很少改成 the numbers of，笔者问了几位外教朋友，他（她）们也是这样认为的。但是，笔者不甘心，把手头几本词典翻了个遍，终于还是找到了两个例子：

(1) a plague of rats / locusts etc: an uncontrolled and harmful increase in the numbers of a particular animal or insect ——摘自《朗文当代英语词典》(Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English) (1995年第3版) plague 词条。

(2) at the last count according to the latest information about the numbers of sth. ——摘自《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》(Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English) (第6版) count 词条。

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