How is「者」being used in this sentence?

[etm001]

Hi,

 

I was reading an article and didn't fully understand how 「者」is being used in the below sentence. The article is about genetic engineering. I've included the full sentence for context and bolded the 「者」 in question.

 

這種基因會促進產生一種神經蛋白質這種蛋白質有助於頭腦的聯想力可辨識兩種事物之間的關係譬如門鈴和送食物者兩者之間的關係。

 

I'm thinking 者 is referencing 「門鈴」and 「食物」and grouping/classifying them together as an entity, or else it's a construction with「兩者」that immediately follows it.

 

Any clarification and/or additional example usages would be great.

 

Thanks!

[Hofmann]

https://www.moedict.tw/%E8%80%85 Third definition.

 

Nevermind. The 者 in red nominalizes 送食物.

[Nathan Mao]

者 should be generally thought of as "person" or "one who [does the described action]".
So 读者 is translated as "Readers".  (the Chinese magazine equivalent of Reader's Digest is called "读者")

So the sentence is saying that the protein helps the brain develop the ability to identify the relationship between the doorbell and the person who delivers the food.
the second 者 is slightly different; used in the word 兩者 it just means "both".

[陳德聰]

[門鈴]和[送食物者](兩者)之間的關係

 

The relationship between [doorbell] & [he/she/the person/the one who 送s the food] (the both of them).

[etm001]

Thanks everyone, I understand perfectly now. There's nothing special about this usage, but for whatever reason I was having a brain freeze and not making the easy connection. I guess my own 聯想力 was lacking. Ha!