pain是可数名词吗
1. 表示肉体上的“痛”“疼痛”:此时可用作可数或不可数名词。如:
This tooth is giving me pain. 这颗牙很疼。
Chest pains may be symptomatic of heart disease. 胸痛可能是心脏病的症状。
Mary felt a sharp pain in her left arm. 玛丽左臂感到一阵剧烈的疼痛。
由于可用作可数或不可数名词,所以有时在同一语境中用pain, a pain, pains都是可能的。如:
I have pain [a pain, pains] in my back. 我背疼。
用作不可数名词,可用much, little等修饰;用作可数名词时,可用many, few等修饰。如:
After falling from a ladder, he had many physical aches and pains. 从梯子上摔下来以后他感到身上到处都痛。
Was it possible to have so much pain that it could no longer hurt? 痛得很厉害以至不再感到疼痛,这种情况可能吗?
2. 表示精神上的“痛苦”:此时只用作不可数名词,不用复数形式,也不与不定冠词连用。如:
I could not stand the pain any longer. 我再也忍受不了这种痛苦了。
I hope you will forgive me if I have given you pain.如果我给了你痛苦,希望你原谅我。
3. 表示“努力”“辛苦”:此时总是用pains这样的复数形式。如:
He had written the book with great pains. 他呕心沥血写了这本书。
We must give him something for his pains. 我们必须给他点什么以便酬报他的辛劳。
此时pains虽为复数形式,但在选择修饰语时,却总是被视为不可数名词,即不能用 many, few 等修饰,但可用 much, little等修饰。如:
Much pains, no gains. 辛劳无获。