“as many as” 與“as much as”的區別等同于“many”與“much”的區別嗎？

馬永軍

摘要：“many”跟可數名詞復數相聯系，“much”指的是不可數名詞。表示“多達…”時，“as many as”與“as much as”的差異則不能完全等同于“ many”和“much”區別。“as much as”結構在表示“多達…”時，其用法貌似簡單，其實它除后接不可數名詞外，還可在諸多情況下后接可數名詞復數形式。因此，在語言教學實踐中，弄清楚、搞明白“as much as”的某些特殊用法對于正確使用英語是十分必要的。

關鍵詞： as many as;as much as;可數名詞;不可數名詞

當對人或事物言其多的時候，人們常說“多達…”，英文里可用“as many as” 與“as much as”結構。那么“as many as” 與“as much as”有何區別？它們之間的差異是否簡單地等同于“many”與“much”的區別？“as much as”只能后接不可數名詞嗎？本文擬從“many”、“much”、“as many as”和“as much as”的基本用法入手，探討何種情況下“as much as”也可后接可數名詞的復數形式這一特殊用法。

一、many 的主要用法

1.1 many用作形容詞，后接可數名詞的復數形式，主要用于否定句和疑問句， 間或用于肯定句（尤其后接表示時間和距離的詞）。

1. Do you go to many movies？

你經常去看電影嗎？

2. I dont go to many movies.

我不經常去看電影。

3. 我經常去看電影。

I go to a lot of movies.? 不能說成：I go to many movies.

4. Did you stay in China for many years？

你在中國呆了很多年嗎？

5. 我在中國呆了很多年。

I stayed in China many years.? 不能說成：I stayed in China a lot of years.

6. 從這邊走到那邊有好幾碼。

Its many yards from this side to that side.

不能說成：Its a lot of yards from this side to that side.

1.2 many用作名詞

1. Many of the engineers and technicians want to draw a lesson from the past failure before going on.

許多工程技術人員愿從過去的失敗中吸取教訓，然后繼續干下去。

2. Any responsible government should improve conditions for the many.

任何負責任的政府都應為大多數人改善生活條件。

二、much 的主要用法

2.1 用作形容詞，后接不可數名詞

1. There isnt much water left in the jar， youd better fetch some.

罐子里剩的水不多了，你最好去取點。

2. North China has many oil-fields， that is to say， there is much oil there.

華北地區有許多油田，也就是說那里蘊藏好多石油。

3. If I have much time tomorrow morning， Ill visit you with my friends.

明天上午時間充裕的話，我會跟朋友一道去拜訪你。

2.2 用作名詞

1. Much of the waste acid in the chemical plant has been fully utilized.

該化工廠好多廢酸已經被充分利用起來。

2. The young mother was so worried about the missing daughter that she lay awake for much of the night.

年輕的母親對失蹤的女兒非常擔憂，大半夜都沒睡著。

2.3 用作副詞

1. When they visited the power plant， the students were much interested in the recycling of heat energy. （ much： to a large degree）

在參觀電廠時，學生們對熱能重復運用表現出極大的興趣。

2. Your working experience is much the same as mine. （ much： almost; nearly）

三、as man as 跟可數名詞的復數形式

1. As many as seven or eight children were found living in a single room.

人們發現多達七八個孩子擠在一個單間里。

2. As many as ten dialects are spoken in this area.

在該地區人們講的方言多達七種。

3. I have been living in Wuxi for as many as 20years.

我在無錫住了整整20年了。

4. Take as many as you want. （要拿的東西顯然屬于可數名詞）

你要多少就拿多少。

四、as much as 的主要用法

4. 1 接不可數名詞

1. Here is a jar of distilled water. You may use as much as you want （ need）. （需要的東西是蒸餾水，屬于不可數名詞）

這兒有一瓶蒸餾水，你隨便用多少都可以。

2. The farmer experienced as much pain as happiness. （pain 和 happiness 均為不可數名詞）

這位農夫經歷的痛苦和快樂一樣多。

4. 2接金錢數目

1. My brother could earn as much as $2.000 each month at the job when he was young. （金錢數目）

我兄弟年輕的時候做這份工作每月賺得的收入多達2000美元。

* 例1也可改寫成：

My brother could earn as high as $2.000 each month at the job when he was young.

我兄弟年輕的時候做這份工作每月賺得的收入高達2000美元。

2. My husband puts as much as ￥10 on a horse. （金錢數目）

我先生經常對跑馬下的賭注多達十元。

4.3 接度量衡單位

1. The rain is plenty in the country， with an average annual rainfall of as much as tens of inches. （長度，屬于度量衡范疇）

這個國家降雨豐沛，每年降水量平均多達數十英寸。

2. The Red Army soldiers walked as much as 50 miles each day. （長度，屬于度量衡范疇）

這些紅軍戰士每天行走多達50英里。

* 例2也可改寫成：

The Red Army soldiers walked as long as 50 miles each day.

這些紅軍戰士每天行走長達50英里的路程。

3. The campus covers as much as 100 acres. （面積，屬于度量衡范疇）

這校園占地多達100英畝。

4. The small power plant uses as much as 100 tons of solid fuel a week. （重量，屬度量衡范疇）

這家小型發電廠每周要使用多達100噸的固體燃料。

5. The deepest holes of all are made for oil， and they go down to as much as 25，000 feet._[1]（108）

在所鉆的洞中最深的是用于尋找石油的，其深度多達25000英尺。

* 例5也可改寫成：

The deepest hole is drilled for oil， and it goes down to as deep as 25，000 feet._[1]（108）

最深的洞是用于尋找石油的，其深度多達25000英尺。

4.4 接百分數

The price of the tour package will be discounted as much as 15% in May. （分數）

整套旅游計劃的價格五月份會打8.5折之多。

4.5 接溫度單位

It got down as much as 10 degrees last night. （溫度）

昨晚的氣溫降了足有10度。

4.6 接熱量單位

During a long walk people will burn off as much as 550 calories per hour. （熱量單位）

人們長距離行走時每小時會消耗掉多達550卡的熱量。

五、as much as 的其它用法

1. As much as I dont like to do it， I must stay at home and study tonight. （相當于連詞 although， 引出讓步狀語從句）

雖然我不喜歡這樣做， 但今晚還是呆在家里學習。

2. You as much as （ almost ） promised that you would help me. （相當于副詞almost）

你幾乎答應了你要幫我忙。

綜上所述，在表示“多達…”這個概念時，“as many as”與“as much as”的區別不能簡單等同于“many”與“much”的區別。“as much as”的用法較為復雜，原則上它后接不可數名詞，但當其后出現“數目+復數量詞”結構時，特別是該結構表示的是金錢數目、百分數、溫度、熱量或度量衡時，要用“as much as，盡管這里的量詞是以復數形式出現的。

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