商务英语邮件范文：damages原来不是damage的复数

 　　Remember that damages is not the plural¹ of damage, but actually has a different meaning.

　　记住：damages不是damage的复数形式，damages有其他的含义。

　　Damage means “loss or injury to a person or property”. It is an uncountable singular noun and has no plural form.

　　damage的意思是“对某人或某物的伤害或损失”，是不可数单数名词，没有复数形式。

　　E.g.: The cost of the damage to the US caused by Hurricane Ike was estimated at USD 18 billion.

　　例句：艾克飓风给美国造成了约180亿美元的损失。

　　Other words you could use instead of damage: loss, injury

　　damage的同义词有：loss，injury。

　　Damages means “money claimed by, or ordered to be paid to, a person as compensation for loss or injury”. It is an uncountable plural noun and has no singular form.

　　damages的意思是“对某人受到的损失或伤害进行的赔偿”，是不可数复数名词，没有单数形式。

　　E.g.: The Claimant wishes to sue Acme² for damages as a result of a loss sustained by the Claimant after Acme’s failure to perform its obligations.

　　例句：在Acme未履行义务之后，索偿人希望起诉Acme，要求其赔偿由此造成的损失。

　　Other words you could use instead of damages: compensation, satisfaction

　　damages的同义词有：compensation，satisfaction。

　　BUT –and here’s an exception. English-speaking lawyers do sometimes use “damage” in the plural to refer to multiple losses or injuries. This is an exceptional use of the word, unique to legal jargon³, and breaks the rule that “damage” is an uncountable singular noun. In everyday English “damages”can only mean compensation or satisfaction.

　　但是，这里有一个例外。英语国家的律师有时会使用damage的复数形式来表示多项损失或伤害，这是damage一词作为不可数单数名词的唯一例外，仅限用于法律英语中。在日常英语中，damages只能用来表示赔偿。

1 plural   

n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的

参考例句：

• Most plural nouns in English end in's '.英语的复数名词多以s结尾。
• Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。

2 acme   

n.顶点，极点

参考例句：

• His work is considered the acme of cinematic art. 他的作品被认为是电影艺术的巅峰之作。
• Schubert reached the acme of his skill while quite young. 舒伯特的技巧在他十分年轻时即已达到了顶峰。

3 jargon   

n.术语，行话

参考例句：

• They will not hear critics with their horrible jargon.他们不愿意听到评论家们那些可怕的行话。
• It is important not to be overawed by the mathematical jargon.要紧的是不要被数学的术语所吓倒.