We already have ______ pencils, but we need two ______ pens.

A. dozen of, dozen????? ??????????????????? B. dozens of, dozens

C. dozens of, dozen??????????????????????? D. dozens of, dozen of

【分析】此題最佳答案為C。關(guān)于dozen的復(fù)數(shù)是否加詞尾-s的問(wèn)題比較復(fù)雜,大致原則是:

(1) 當(dāng)它與具體數(shù)字連用時(shí),既不加復(fù)數(shù)詞尾-s,也不后接介詞of。盡管有的詞書也有 two dozen of 這樣的用例,但這已屬過(guò)時(shí)用法,在考試中應(yīng)避免,如1992年全國(guó)高考有一道單項(xiàng)選擇題就認(rèn)為two dozen of為錯(cuò)誤選項(xiàng):

Shortly after the accident, _____ police were sent to the spot to keep order.

A. dozens of??????????????? B. dozens???????????????? ? C. dozen of??????????????????? D. dozen???????????? [D]

(2) 當(dāng)它不與具體數(shù)字連用,而是表示不確定的泛指數(shù)時(shí),則不僅要加復(fù)數(shù)詞尾-s,而且要后接介詞 of,此時(shí)可將dozens of(許多,幾十)視為習(xí)語(yǔ)。如:

I’ve been there dozens of times. 我去過(guò)那兒幾十次。

She’s got dozens of boy-friends. 她的男朋友很多。

下面一例中的dozens加了復(fù)數(shù)詞尾-s也屬為似情況:

Pack them in dozens. 按打裝袋吧。

(3) 當(dāng)與 a few, several 等數(shù)目不很具體的詞連用時(shí),加不加復(fù)數(shù)詞尾-s均可,但需注意:不加復(fù)數(shù)詞尾-s時(shí),其后的介詞of可以省略;加詞尾-s時(shí),其后介詞 of不能省略。如:

several dozen (of) pencils=several dozens of pencils幾打鉛筆(from mE.CN)

注:英語(yǔ)較少使用many dozen的說(shuō)法,要表示類似意思可用dozens of。

(4) 當(dāng)它后面的名詞受 the, these, those 等特指限定詞修飾時(shí),或其后的接的是us, them這樣的人稱代詞時(shí),則此時(shí)必須用介詞 of。如:

two dozen of these eggs 兩打這種雞蛋

three dozen of them 它們中的3打

注:score, hundred, thousand, million等也具有以上類似用法。