information 能用复数吗？ “他供给我许多有用的情报”，英译为He gave me a lot of useful informations.不知有错误否.

【解答】译文的最后一字应改为单数才对，全句译为: He gave me a lot of useful information. 英文的 information 一字, 现在只有单数一个形式, 如做主语用时, 则接单数动词。

Information has been received that riots have broken out. (接到发生暴动的消息。)

此字在十八世纪时, 是可以用为复数的, 不过意思不同。

如：some informations from an eminent person. (一位知名之士的指教。)

与此字在用法上完全相同的, 最通用的字就是  furniture，如：

Furniture has gone up since the end of the war. (家具在战后涨价了。)

There is little furniture in the room. (那间房间内家具很少。

A chair is an article of furniture. (椅子是一件家具。)

这种只有单数, 后面只能接单数动词的集合名词,可以把它当作物质名词一般看待。可归入物质名词一类, 二者确实是很难分别的。再举他例如下

People living in cold countries need much clothing.

(住在寒冷的国家的人们需要很多的衣服。)

The tailor makes coats, trousers, and other articles of clothing.

(裁発做衣裤及其他的衣类。

Food is essential to life. (食物是生活必需的。)

除了说食物的种类( kind of food)以外，food是不可数(uncountable)的名词。

Lions are generally found where game is plentiful. (狮子通常出现于猎物多的地方。)

The factory contains much machinery. (那工厂中机器很多。)

How much new machinery has been installed? (安装了多少新的机器?)

Merchandise has no charm for us. (商品对我们没有吸引力。)

Much produce of the factory is sent abroad.

(那工厂的大部分产品都是运到国外去的。)

The produce of the sea is no less than the produce of the hand.

(海产物并不弱于陆产物。) 若非限定之意通常不加冠词。

现在让我回到问句中的 information,用例句来说明它的用法:

I accumulated much information both from him and from other sources.

(我从他那里和别的来源搜集了许多情报。)

I shall bring together information scattered through various books and periodicals.

(我要把散见在书籍杂志上的资料搜集拢来。)

The information has been confirmed. (那情报证实了。)

The book contains much useful information, imparted with great clearness and impartiality. (那书中载有许多既明了而又客观的知识。)

From what source do you derive their information?

(你从哪方面可以获得有关那些的知识呢?)

These scholars have given no new information to the word.

(那些学者并没有给世人什么新的知识。

Pick up all the information you can while travelling.

(旅游的时候务必尽量采集见闻。)

More exact information follows by mail.

(更多正确的报道即交邮寄上。)