倍數翻譯的陷阱很多,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字翻譯、倍數翻譯的方法,攻克重重堡壘,到達勝利彼岸!
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。
2. by 和to
(1) 動詞+ by + 倍數/百分數/數詞
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倍的系數增加或減少。這個解釋表達不是很明確,現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。
相關閱讀
(來源:滬江英語 編輯:Rosy)