大学英语四级词汇重点详解·amount

■主要用法

一、用作名词

1. [C]数量，数额

The amount of rain affects the growth of crops. 雨量影响庄稼的生长。

The amount you pay depends on where you live. 你付多少钱要看你住什么地方。

2. [C]总额，总数

What is the amount of this? 这总共是多少?

Can you really afford this amount? 你真付得起这个总数吗?

◇an amount of / a large [great] amount of 许多，大量

I spend an amount of time for the exam. 我花了很多时间准备考试。

2. 用作动词（不及物）

1. 总计，合计

His investments amount to five million dollars. 他的投资额达500万美元。

2. (在意义、价值等方面)接近，等于

Her reply amounts to a refusal. 她的回答等于拒绝。

■考点说明

1. a great [large] amount of后通常接不可数名词，用作主语，谓语的数取决于amount的数。如：

A large amount of money was spent on the bridge. (from www.yywords.com)

=Large amounts of money were spent on the bridge. 在这座桥上花了大量资金。

但在现代英语中(尤其在美国英语中)，有时其后也可接复数可数名词(尤指大宗货物时)。如：

The shopkeeper had a large amount of oranges in his storeroom. 店主在货仓里存有大量橙子。

2. 用作动词时，不管用于哪个意思，均不及物，若要后接宾语，总是借助介词to，此时若后接动词作宾语要用动名词形式。如：

This amounts to cheating the teacher. 这等于欺骗老师。