倍数翻译的陷阱很多,而且每个陷阱都是绵里藏针,针针见血,见血封喉!要想在倍数翻译上不出错,除了基本的语法过关外,还要仔细检查,认真思考,一点点小小的差异都有可能造成误译、错译。所以,让我们一起认真学习钻研数字翻译、倍数翻译的方法,攻克重重堡垒,到达胜利彼岸! 1.a是b的n倍大/长……(或者a比b大/长……n-1倍) 一般有以下两种英语表达方法; (1) a is n times as large/long (形容词/副词原形) as b. eg: asia is four times as large as europe. (2) a is n times larger/longer(形容词/副词比较级)than b. eg: asia is four times larger than europe. (3) a is n times the size/length (形容词/副词的名词形式) of b. eg: asia is four times the size of europe. 以上三句例句的中文翻译均为:亚洲是欧洲的四倍大,或者亚洲比欧洲大三倍。 2. by 和to (1) 动词+ by + 倍数/百分数/数词 eg: the production of grain has been increased by four times this year. 今年粮食产量增加了四倍。 (2) 动词+ to + 数词 eg: last year profits rose to $201 million. 去年利润增长到2亿零100万美元。 3. by a factor of 词组by a factor of 在《朗文双解》中的解释为"if something increases or decreases by a factor of n, it increases or decreases by n times."以n倍的系数增加或减少。这个解释表达不是很明确,现在把它分成以下两种情况来分析: (1)表示增加含义时 increase/grow...by a factor of n times 增加到n倍,或者增加了n-1倍 eg: the output of diesel oil for farm use has been increased by a factor of five times these years. 这些年来,用于农业生产的柴油产量增加了四倍。
(2)表示减少含义时 decrease/fall...by a factor of n times 减少到1/n,或者减少了(n-1)/n。 eg: the production has decreased by a factor of three times as against 1977. 总产量减少到1977年的三分之一。