英语中数字的翻译.pdf
用英语书写数字时的规则(必读)在汉英笔译和英语写作中，经常会遇到数字；哪些场合用单词表示，哪些场合用阿拉伯数字表示，往往使人难以确定，现行语法书中也极少涉及此类问题。实际上，以英语为母语的国家，在书写数字时已形成几条约定俗成的规则，现总结如下供读者参考。一.英美等国的出版社在排版时遵循一条原则，即 1 至 10 用单词表示，10 以上的数目用阿拉伯数字（也有的以 100 为界限），这条原则值得我们行文时借鉴。Eg.That table measures ten feet by five.那个工作台长 10 英尺，宽 5 英尺。Eg.The traditional pattern of classroom experience at the college level brings the professor and a group of 20 to 30 students together for a 45-to-50-minute class session two or three times a week.由一个教授和十名学生每周会晤两三次，每次授课时间 45 到 50 分钟，是大学程度课堂教学的传统方式。二.人数用阿技伯数字表示显得更简洁明了，但不定数量、近似值用单词表示较恰当。Eg.There are 203817 voters on the electoral rolls.选举名单上有 203817 个投票人。Eg.Nearly thirty thousand voters took part in this election.近 3 万个投票人参加了这次选举。三.遇到日期、百分比、带单位的特殊数字，通常用阿拉伯数字。Eg.Maximum swivel of table is l20.工作台的最大回转角度是 120 度。Eg.3rd March l991 或 3 March l991；a discount of 5 percent（5%的折扣）；Eg.purchased 7 yards of carpet（买 7 码地毯）；Eg.ordered 2 pounds of minced steak （订购 2 磅剁碎的肉）。如果涉及的数目和单位是不定数，可用单词表示。Eg.about five miles per hour（每小时大约 5 英里）Eg.at least ten yards away（至少有 10 码远）Eg.hesitated for a moment or two（犹豫了片刻）Eg.I have warned you a hundred times（我已经警告你多少遍了）。四.在科技文章中，数字频繁出现，用阿拉伯数字比用单词陈述更有利。Eg.The new engine has a capacity of 4.3 litres and a power out-put of 153 kilowatts at 4400 revolutions per minute.这台新发动机的容积为 4.3 升，转速为每分钟 4400 转时输出功率是153 千瓦。Eg.We know that the weight of a cubic foot of air at 0oC and 76cm，pressure is 0.08l pound,or 12 cubic feet of air weigh a pound.我们知道，1 立方英尺的空气在 0 摄氏度和 760 毫米汞柱压力下，重量是 0.81 磅，也就是说 12 立方英尺空气的重量是 1 磅。五.句首不用阿拉伯数字，句末要尽量避免用阿拉伯数字。Eg.4th July is an important date in American history.应该写成 The fourth of July.Eg.19 couples took part in the ballroom dancing competition.19 对选手参加了交际舞比赛。应改写成：Nineteen couples took.Eg.60profit was a reported 据报道有 60的利润。应改写成：Sixty per cent profit Eg.1345 kilograms force was applied at the center point of the bar.试验时在杆的中点加 1345 公斤力。可改成 When tested,a force of l345 kg was applied.六.遇到分数，可用带连字符号的单词表示。Eg.At 1east two-thirds of the class have had colds.这个班至少有三分之二的学生患重感冒。Eg.Nitrogen forms about four-fifths of the atmosphere.氮约占大气的五分之四。翻译中数字的翻译尤为重要，特别是在一些谈判性的场合，差之毫厘，谬之千里。所以对于数字的翻译决不能含糊，以下给出一些笔记，供大家参考。I Expression of numerical magnitude A hundred and one factories=a lot of factories A long hundred 100 多 A long hour 足足 1 小时 A small gross 十打（120 个）A score 二十 A decade 十 At nine hundred hours 9：00 Twenty odd=twenty and odd 二十多 Some 30 feet About 30 feet 30 feet or so 30 英尺左右 30 feet more on less Hundreds of 成百上千 Thousands of 成千上万 Hundred of thousands of 千千万万 II the translation of multiple 1.expression of multiple increment A is N times as large(long,heavy)as B A is N times larger(longer,heavier)than B A 是 B 的 N 倍 A is larger(longer,heavier)than B by N times（或 A 比 B 大、长、重 N1 倍）example:The oxygen atom is 16 times heavier than the hydrogen atom.In case of electronic scanning the beam with is broader by a factor of two.电子扫描时波速展宽 1 倍。double 翻一翻 主语谓语 treble 是。的三倍 quadruple 翻两翻 example:Whenever we double the force on a given object,we double the acceleration.At high voltage was abruptly treble all the valves burnt.Increase N times Increase by N times 乘以 N，成 N 倍，增加到 N 倍，Increase N-fola 增加了 N1 倍 Increase by a factor of N Example:1.The output of coal has been increased three times as against 2000.2.A temperature rise of 100 increase the conductivity of a semiconductor by 50 times.3.If X is doubled,Y is increased by a factor of 4.4.The speed exceeds the average speed by a factor of 3.5.5.After the power is generated at 11000 volts,it is sent into transformers that step up the voltage 25 times to 275000 volts.As much(many)again as Again as much(many)as 是。两倍（或比。多 1 倍）Half as much(many)again as Half again as much(many)as 是。的 1 倍半（或比。多 1半）example 1.Wheel A turns half as fast against wheel B.2.The resistance of aluminium is about half again great as that of copper for the same dimension.3.This year they have produced as many TV set again as compared with last year.Reduce by N times Reduce N times Reduce by a factor of N 减少了 n-1/n Reduce N times,as much(many)as 减少到 1n N-fold reduction N times less than 其中 Reduce 可以用以下词替换（decrease shorten drop step-down cut-down less lighter weaker shorter）example:1.The voltage has dropped 5 times.2.The leads of the new condenser are shortened 3 times as long as those of the old.Half as much as 比。少 1 倍 Twice less than 比。少 12 Half as long as 是。一半长 Half as high(large thin deep fast)as 是。一半高（大小、厚、深、速度）example:1.The new engine may use half as much oil as the old one.2.The power output of the machine is twice less than its imput.3.If the moon were only half as far away from the earth as it is,the force of attraction would be 4 times as great.III Increment&Decrement of Fraction&Percentage 分数表达：分子为基数，分母为序数。分子大于 1 时，分母加-s。The pressure will be reduced to one-fourth of its original value.百分数可以直接用数字表达。An increase in the oxygen content of coal by 1%reduces the calorific value by about 1.7%.
