文章主要讨论了汉语复数标记“们”与数词的不兼容和汉英语复数范畴的差异,主要结论是汉语的复数标记“们”既是累积性复数标记,又是联系性复数标记?作为前者时所指称的对象是不包括原子性的单数成员,其不能与表示确定数目的数词共现?作为后者则因指称对象的异质性而导致计数的失败?相反,英语的复数标记“-s”则蕴含了通数,可以指称单数,也可以指称复数,故而可以与数词共现?“们”是真正意义上的复数标记,而“-s”却蕴含了单数和复数?

This paper discusses the incompatibility of plural marker “men” with numerals in Chinese from a cross-linguistic perspective between Chinese and English. It comes to a conclusion that “men” is both an addictive plural marker and an associative plural marker. As an addictive plural marker, noun phrases plus “men” doesn’t refer to atomic members and is consequently incompatible with a numeral which signifies an exact number. When “men” is an associative plural marker, the heterogeneity between members in the set it refers to causes the failure of counting due to the fact that counting is based on homogeneity. In contrast, English plural marker “-s” entails general numbers including singulars and plurals so that it is compatible with numbers. While “-s” implies both singulars and plurals, “men” is a real plural marker which exclusively refers to plurals.