1.A是B的N倍大/長…(或者A比B大/長…N-1倍)
一般有以下兩種英語表達方法;
(1) A is N times as large/long (形容詞/副詞原形) as B. Eg: Asia is four times as large as Europe.
(2) A is N times larger/longer(形容詞/副詞比較級)than B. Eg: Asia is four times larger than Europe.
(3) A is N times the size/length (形容詞/副詞的名詞形式) of B. Eg: Asia is four times the size of Europe.
以上三句例句的中文翻譯均為:亞洲是歐洲的四倍大,或者亞洲比歐洲大三倍。
小編吐槽:全國的老師都欺騙了我們!說實話,看到Asia is four times larger than Europe. 第一個反應是亞洲比歐洲大四倍,有木有?可這個翻譯是錯的!來自五湖四海的英語小編們個個跳出來指認,從小到大,老師都是這么教的,考試也是這么考的,怎么會錯呢?于是,遍查資料后發(fā)現(xiàn),全國的老師好像都錯了......還是不死心,這要是錯了,簡直是推翻了我們從小到大的人生觀啊。抱著最后一絲希望,請教了外教,于是,人生觀無情地被顛覆了。所以,全國的同學們,請大家從此牢記:A is N times larger/longer than B的這個用法就是“A是B的N倍大/長,A比B大/長N-1倍”!切記,切記啊!
2. by 和to
(1) 動詞+ by + 倍數(shù)/百分數(shù)/數(shù)詞
Eg: The production of grain has been increased by four times this year.
今年糧食產量增加了四倍。
(2) 動詞+ to + 數(shù)詞
Eg: Last year profits rose to $201 million.
去年利潤增長到2億零100萬美元。
3. by a factor of
詞組by a factor of 在《朗文雙解》中的解釋為"if something increases or decreases by a factor of N, it increases or decreases by N times."以N倍的系數(shù)增加或減少。這個解釋表達不是很明確,現(xiàn)在把它分成以下兩種情況來分析:
(1)表示增加含義時
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.
這些年來,用于農業(yè)生產的柴油產量增加了四倍。
(2)表示減少含義時
Decrease/fall…by a factor of N times 減少到1/N,或者減少了(N-1)/N。
Eg: The production has decreased by a factor of three times as against 1977.
總產量減少到1977年的三分之一。
結語:倍數(shù)翻譯的陷阱很多吧,而且每個陷阱都是綿里藏針,針針見血,見血封喉!要想在倍數(shù)翻譯上不出錯,除了基本的語法過關外,還要仔細檢查,認真思考,一點點小小的差異都有可能造成誤譯、錯譯。所以,讓我們一起認真學習鉆研數(shù)字翻譯、倍數(shù)翻譯的方法,攻克重重堡壘,到達勝利彼岸。 |