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。
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
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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。
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