有读者问: 在英国著名小说《简·爱》(Jane Eyre)中,有这样一小段对话:
(1)—What is her age?
—Ten years.
—So much?
这里为何用much而不用many?
在英语里,指时间、金钱、价格等的不可数的量时,应用much,不用many。上述对话中的much即实指the amount of time that has passed by,即过去的时间的量。再如:
(2)Fifty dollars is much for me.
(fifty dollars指金钱的量)
(3)How much is this book?(how much指价格)
注意英语中的数目(number)亦可指一种不可数的量,言其“多少”时,亦应用much,例:
(4)How much is fifty devided by ten?
在小说《简·爱》第7章中亦有用much表数目的情况,如:
(5)The laundress tells me some of the girls have two clean tuckers in the week; it is too much ; the rules limit them to one.
