People表示“民族”,此时为可数名词,其前可用不定冠词,也可有复数形式。如:
The Chinese are a hard-working people.中国人是一个勤劳的民族。
The English-speaking peoples share a common language.讲英语的各民族拥有共同的语言。
People泛指“人们”时,其前不用定冠词;泛指“人民”时,其前通常要用定冠词。如:
People say oil prices will be going up soon.人们说油价快要上涨了。
The people turned against their president.人民变得不满意他们的总统。
即使其后受到限制性定语的修饰,也不一定就必须要带定冠词:如果表特指,其前用定冠词,如果意义较泛,其前仍不用定冠词。如:
The people who work next door are architects.在隔壁工作的那些人是建筑师。
People who are waiting for the bus often shelter in my doorway.等公共汽车的人们常常在我家门口躲风避雨。