问
(A) Some folk are never satisfied. (ALD) (B) He may fool some folks but he can't fool me. (Lewis) 为什么(A)句中用 folk,而(B)句中用 folks 呢?
答
按照现代语言学家们的解释,folk与people,police一样,是无标记的复数名词,永远与复数动词连用。但是,在随便的语体中也使用folks来表示复数,在美国英语中尤其如此:
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I figure that different folks like different things. 我想,不同的人喜欢不同的东西。
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Is there more honesty among country folk than among town folk? 乡村人比城市里的人更诚实吗？ 有时,folks 与物主代词连用是指“家里人”的意思: I don't even have time to write letters to my folks. (EED) 我甚至没有时间给家里人写信。