Best-seller or not, the book sounds as dull as ditchwater to me. 不管这本书是不是畅销书,反正我读起来枯燥透顶。
句子中的best-seller 是可数名词,但它为什么既没有带冠词,也没有用复数?
▲首先可以肯定的是,best-seller 作“畅销书;畅销物”解时,是可数名词。
▲其次,你给出的句子是个省略句。补全之后可以是:
Whether it is a bestseller or not, the book sounds as dull as ditchwater to me.
在 whether 引导的让步状语从句中,it is 可以省略。此外,在引导让步状语从句时,从句引导词 whether 也偶有省略。比如:
He is always tired, whether working or not.
可以改写为:
Working or not, he is always tired.
▲最后,至于冠词的省略,我想,可以类比 as 引导让步状语从句,如:
Child as he is, he knows a lot.
与你所给例句类似的表达,我在英国国家语料库中找到一例:
Strange boy or not, he had to get on.