sacrifices or sacrifice ?

[tien-sung]

Like all Americans, I am awed by their sacrifice, and by the sacrifices of their families.

The above sentence was quoted from today's VOA (said by Presidendt OBAMA).

I have a question-

Why he use their sacrifice instead sacrifices? Both of them are right?

Thank you.


Tien-sung

From Taiwan.

[Barb_D]

In the first one, each person made a sacrifice.
In the second one, there are many people in a family, each with his or her own sacrifice, making many sacrifices.

The first one COULD have been plural - referring to the collective sacrifices made by all of them, but the sentence wouldn't have been as balanced.