population是一個集合名詞,它的用法有時較為特殊,所以很容易用錯。下面談一下它的用法。
一、population常與定冠詞the連用,作主語用時,謂語動詞常用第三人稱單數(shù)形式。例如:
The world\'s population is increasing faster and faster. 全世界的人口增長得越來越快。
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the world\'s population was about 1,700 million. 在二十世紀初,全世界的人口大約是十七億。
二、當主語是表示\"人口的百分之幾、幾分之幾\"時,謂語動詞用復數(shù)形式。例如:
About seventy percent of the population in China are farmers. 中國大約有百分之七十的人口是農(nóng)民。
三、有時population可用作可數(shù)名詞,其前可用不定冠詞。例如:
China has a population of about 1.3 billion. (=There is a population of about 1.3 billion in China.) 中國大約有十三億人口。
New York is a big city with a population of over 10 million. 紐約是一個有一千多萬人口的大城市。
在表示多個地區(qū)的人口時,population要用復數(shù)形式populations。例如:
Many parts of the world, which once had large populations and produced plenty of crops, have become deserts. 世界上很多地區(qū)一度人口眾多,種植大量的農(nóng)作物;現(xiàn)在,這些地區(qū)已經(jīng)變成了沙漠。
四、表示人口的\"多\"或\"少\",不用\"much\"或\"little\",而要用\"large\"或\"small\"。例如:
India has a large population. 印度人口眾多。
Singapore has a small population. 新加坡人口少。
五、詢問某國、某地有多少人口時,不用\"How much...?\",而用\"How large...?\";在問具體人口時用\"What...?\"。例如:
-How large is the population of your hometown? 你們家鄉(xiāng)有多少人口?
-The population of our hometown is nearly twice as large as that of yours. 我們家鄉(xiāng)的人口是你們家鄉(xiāng)人口的將近兩倍。
-What is the population of Canada? 加拿大的人口有多少?
-The population of Canada is about 29 million. 加拿大的人口大約有二千九百萬。
六、population還表示\"某地、某類的動、植物或物品的總數(shù)\"。例如:
In India, however, the population of tigers has increased, from 2,000 in 1972 to about 5,000 in 1989. 然而在印度,老虎的總數(shù)已從1972年的2,000只增長到了1989年的大約5,000只。
