酷兔英语

口译教程(基础篇)

英语倍数句型及翻译

英语表示倍数增减或倍数对比的句型多种多样,其中有 一些(如下文中的句型②、⑤、⑥、⑧ 等, 见圈码)很容易译错--其主要原因在于:英汉两语在表述或对比倍数方面存在着语言与思维差异。现将常 用的英语倍数句型及其正确译法归纳如下:

倍数增加

(一) A is n times as great(long,much,...)as B.(①)

A is n times greater (longer, more,...)than B.(②)

A is n times the size (length, amount,...)of B.(③)

以上三句都应译为;A的大小(长度,数量,......)是B的n倍[或A比B大(长,多,......)n-1倍].

e.g. This book is three times as long as (three times longer than/three times the length of) that one.

这本书的篇幅是那本书的3倍(即长两倍)。

注:当相比的对象B很明显时,than(as,of)B常被省去。

(二)increase to n times(④)

increase n times/n-fold(⑤)

increase by n times(⑥)

increase by a factor of n(⑦)

以上四式均应译为:增加到n倍(或:增加n-1倍)。

e.g. The production of integrated circuits has been increased to three times

as compared with last year.

集成电路的产量比去年增加了两倍。

e.g. The output of chemical fertilizer has been raised five times as against l986.

化肥产量比1986年增加了4倍。

e.g. That can increase metabolic rates by two or three times.

那可使代谢率提高到原来的2倍或3倍(即提高1倍或2倍)。

e.g. The drain voltage has been increased by a factor of four.

漏电压增加了3借(即增加到原来的4倍)。

注:在这类句型中increase常被raise,grow,go/step up,multiply等词所替代。

(三)There is a n-fold increase/growth...(⑧)

应译为:增加n-倍(或增至n倍)。这个句型还有其它一些形式:

e.g. A record high increase in value of four times was reported.

据报道,价值破记录地增长了3倍。

(四)double (增加1倍),treble(增加2倍),quadruple(增加3倍)。(⑨)

e.g. The efficiency of the machines has been more than trebled or quadrupled.

这些机器的效率已提高了2倍或3倍多。

(五)此外,英语中还有一种用again而不用倍数词来比较倍数的方法,如:

A is as much (large,long,...)again as B.(= A is twice as much (large,long,...)as

B.(⑩)

应译为:A比B多(大,长,......)1倍。

A is half as much (large, 1ong,...)again as B.

(= A is one and a half times as much (large, 1ong,...)as B.)(11)

应译为:A比B多(大,长......)一半(即A是B的一倍半)。

倍数减少

(一)a is n times as small (light,slow,...)as b.(12)

a is n times smaller (lighter, slower,...) than b.(13)

以上两句均应译为:a的大小(重量,速度,......)是b的1/n[或a比b小(轻,慢,......)(n-1)/n]。

e.g. The hydrogen atom is near1y l6 times as light as the oxygen atom.

氢原子的重量约为氧原子的1/16(即比氧原子约轻15/16)。

e.g. This sort of membrane is twice thinner than ordinary paper.

这种薄膜比普通纸张要薄一半(即是普通纸厚度的1/2)。

注:当相比的对象b很明显时,than/as b常被省去。

(二)decrease n times/n--fold (14)

decrease by n times(15)

decrease by a factor of n(16)

以上三式均译为:减少到1/n[或:减少(n-1)/n]。

decrease常被reduce, shorten, go/slow down等词替代。

e.g. Switching time of the new-type transistor is shortened 3 times.

新型晶体管的开关时间缩短了1/3(即缩短到2/3)。

e.g. When the voltage is stepped up by ten times, the strength of the current

is stepped down by ten times.

电压升高9倍,电流强度便降低9/10(即90%)。

e.g. The equipment reduced the error probability by a factor of 5.

该设备误差概率降低了4/5。

(三)there is a n-fold decrease/reduction...

应译为:减至1/n [或:减少(n一1)/n]。(17)

这个句型还有其它一些形式,

e.g. A rapid decrease by a factor of 7 was observed.

发现迅速减少到1/7。

e.g. The principal advantage of the products is a two-fold reduction in weight.

这些产品的主要优点是重量减轻了1/2。

从上列倍数增减句型及其译法中不难看出:与汉语不 同的是,英语在表述或比较倍数时,无论使用什么句 型(除了不含倍数词的again句型外)都包括基础倍

数在内,因此都不是净增或净减n倍,而是净增或 净减n-1倍。所以句型⑤、③表示的倍数增量=句型④; 句型(13)表示的倍数比差=句型12,且decrease(by)

3 times应译为"减少2/3",而不是"减少3/4"。



数字的译法

数字的译法有以下几点注意:

一,口译中经常遇到数字,没有经过训练的人往往会出错,这是因为汉语和英语数字表达的方式不同。汉语是个,十,百,千,万,十万,百万,千万,亿,十亿......,也就是以"十"的倍数来表示;而英语则是在数字超过千以后,以"千"(thousand)的倍数来表达的。如"一万"是"十千",即ten shousand;"十万"是"百千",即hundred thousand,直至"百万",million。百万以上的数字则用"百万"的倍数表达;如"千万"是"十百万",即ten million;"亿"是"百百万",即hundred million,直至"十亿",billion

掌握以上情况后就知道,凡遇到"万"和"十万"时都要变成"十千","百千"。当然,如记录时能把上述数字立即写成10,000和100,000,翻译起来就容易了。如记录时写成3万,30万,那就要在口译时迅速地转换成"三十千","三百千"后再翻译。因此如何记下数字也是一个问题。

上百万的数字最简单的表达方法是把百万以后的数字用point多少来表达,如396万可说成3.96 million;3亿9,650万是396.5 million;以此类推,10亿以上的数字"百亿"是"十十亿";129亿就是12.9 billion

在用小数点时应注意:小数点以前的数字读法同基数词,即数字之间一般不用连接词,只在hundred和后面的十位数之间用and,如123,456读作one hundred and twenty-three thousand four hundred and fifty-six。但小数点的数字要一个个分开来读,如3.126读作three point one two six。

二,翻译时常会遇到一些较笼统的数字,如"几个","十几个","几十个"等等,这类表达法需要熟记:

几个 some; a few; several; a number of

十几个 more than; no more than twenty

几个个 dozens of

几十年 decades

七十好几了 well over seventy

好几百个 hundreds of

成千上万 thousands of

几十万 hundreds of thousands of

亿万 hundreds of millions of

三,汉语中有些对序数词提问的问题,译成英语时要改变提问法,

如:

1.这是你第几次来中国?

Is this your first visit to china?

2.你们队得了第几名?

Did your team win the championship?

3.这孩子是你的老几啊?

Is this your oldest/youngest child/son/daughter?



英语数词的翻译

英语中的有些数词在汉译时可以等值翻译。但是,也有不少数词在汉译中不能等值翻译,或者完全不译出来。这种翻译处理方法是为了使汉译句子能符合汉语的表达习惯。

以下分别举例说明。

  (1)等值翻译:

a drop in the ocean沧海一粟

within a stone's throw一箭之遥

ki11 two birds with one stone一箭双雕

a fall into the pit, a gain in your wit..吃一堑,长一智。

  (2)不等值翻译:

at sixes and sevens乱七八糟

on second thoughts再三考虑

by ones and twos两两地,零零落落地

Two heads are better than one.三个臭皮匠胜过诸葛亮。

Can you come down a little? --Sorry, it's one price for all.

你能便宜一点卖吗?对不起,不二价.

He had one over the eight after be drank only half bottle of the wine。

他才喝了半瓶酒就醉得七歪八倒了。

  (3)不必译出

One man's meat is another man's poison.人各有所好。

I'll love you three score and ten.我会一辈子爱你的。

Ten to one he has forgotten it.很可能他已经忘了。

His mark in math is second to none in the class. 他的数学分数在班上是名列前茅的。

She is a second Lei Feng。她是雷锋式的人物。

I always believe my sixth sense。我总相信我的直觉。

He talks about you nine times out of ten when we have a chitchat.

每次我们闲聊他几乎都谈及你。

The parson official1y pronounced that they became one。牧师正式宣告他们成婚。

I used to study in France in the year one。我早年曾在法国学习。



不定冠词a的翻译特点

英语中不定冠词a(an)相当活跃,就连英美的作家有时对它也看法不一。现只用实例来说明在翻译中常出现的一些非常规用法。

(1)a day or two(=one or two days)一两天

但前者作主语时,谓语动词用单数、复数均可;后者作主语时,谓语用复数形式。

(2)more than a year一年多的时间(即一年零几个月);比较more than one year不止一年的时间(即两年。三年......)。

(3)a ten years l0年

a dozen times l2次

用在基数词前表示一个数量单位

(4)once upon a time从前

for a time暂时

in a sense从某种意义上说

in a measure有几分

在某些口语中作"某一""某些"讲。

(5)a cow is a domestic animal母牛是家畜。

主语中的a表示any"任何一个",所以a可以表示一般性,

代表全体。

(6)be of an age同岁

we are just of an age。我们恰好是同岁。

比较be of age成年

(7)once a year一年一次

three times a day一日三次

其中的a近似于per, each, very用于计算价钱、时间和速度。

(8)have a look看一看

need a wash洗一洗

a good knowledge丰富的知识

a crashing of gears变速箱发出的一阵阵碰撞声

a screeching of tires刹车时汽车轮胎发出刺耳的响声

a有在与动词同形的名词前或名词化的动名词前,表示一定的量或一些响声。

(9)We need a Washington today。今天我们需要像华盛顿那样的人物。

The city is a London in miniature。那个城市就像是个"小伦敦"。

a可以表示借喻,表示"和......相似的人、事或地方.

(10)I have got a complete Shakespeare at hand.我手头有莎士比亚全集。

My wife is a Stuart.我的妻子是斯图亚特家的人。

A Mr. Smith called this morning。有位叫史密斯的先生今天早上来过电话。

his father bought an Anderwood last week.上周他父亲买了台安德伍德牌打字机。

a可用在作家、画家、名家、发明家前表示其作品,用在姓氏前表示某家族的一员或不认识的姓。

(11)He settled in a China which every one knows to have been completely changed for two years。 他在大家都知道的已经完全改变了面貌的中国定居了两年。

a用在带有定语的专有名词前,表示情况的改变。

(12)a glass一只玻璃杯 - glass玻璃

a hot coal一块烧红的煤一coal煤

a heavy rain一阵大雨-rain雨

a用在物质名词前,使物质名词变成普通名词

(13)Iit is a bother to me。这对我来说是件麻烦事。

She is an honor to her school,她是个为母校增光的人。

a用在抽象名词前,使抽象名词变为普通名词。

(14)a new moon一轮新月(c.f. the moon月亮)

a world like ours像我们这样的世界(c.f. the world世界)

原本the的名词改用a后,表示某种状态。

(15)a red and black skirt一条红黑相间的裙子(一条)

a red and a black skirt一条红裙和一条黑裙(二条)

两个词同指一物或一人时只用一个a,指两件物品或两个人时,两个词分别用a。



怎样用英语表示数字

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。

(1)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。如:

That table measures ten feet by five.

那个工作台长10英尺,宽5英尺。

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。

(2)大数目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。如:

There are 203817 voters on the electoral rolls。

选举名单上有203817个投票人。

Nearly thirty thousand voters took part in this election.

近3万个投票人参加了这次选举。 

(3)遇到日期、百分比、带单位的特殊数字,通常用阿拉伯数字。如:

Maximum swivel of table is l20.

工作台的最大回转角度是120度。

又如:

①3rd march l991或3 march l991; a discount of 5 percent(5%的折扣);

②purchased 7 yards of carpet(买7码地毯);

③ordered 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,

如:① about five miles per hour(每小时大约5英里),

②at least ten yards away(至少有10码远),

③hesitated for a moment or two(犹豫了片刻),

④i have warned you a hundred times(我已经警告你多少遍了)。

(4)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,如:

The new engine has a capacity of 4.3 liters 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。

we know that the weight of a cubic foot of air at 0℃,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。

(5)句首不用阿拉伯数字,句末要尽量避免用阿拉伯数字,

4th July is an important date in American history.

应该写成the fourth of July...

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...

60% profit was a reported.据报道有60%的利润。

应改写成:Sixty per cent profit...

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...

(6)遇到分数,可用带连字符号的单词表示,如:

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。

Nitrogen forms about four-fifths of the atmosphere. 氮约占大气的五分之四。



Sports

1. 创记录

e.g. had broken or chalked up 495 world records.

也可以说:

produce a total of 495 world records.

set(up)/create/establish/make a new record.

2. 刷新记录

rewrite/renew/better/improve the world/one's own record

3. 其它

e.g. equal/match a record

reach a record

hold/keep the record for...

4. 得冠军,得奖牌的表达方法

e.g. had won 582 world championships

也可以说:

gain world titles/championships

take/capture 6 titles out of a possible 7

sweep all the 7 titles

wrest the championship from...

5. 体育运动中的"实力","强项"怎么译?

"实力"可译作"strength""或"power",如:

Chinese athletes showed their traditional strength in some track and field events.

"实力"也可能形容词"powerful"或"strong"表达,如:

Chinese women basketball players are very powerful/strong.

"强项"可译作"strong game/sport"。

6. "黑马"为什么是"dark"horse?

"黑马"是"dark"而不是"black"horse 这里dark的含义是"不清楚","不明朗",表示对于某人"知道甚少"的意思。



Education

1."培养"(人才)怎么译?

"培养"可译做 train, turn out 或 produce,如:

turn out large numbers of skilled workers

have trained...assistant and middle level technicians

the college produces very good interpreters.

有时"培养"也译做foster,如:

to foster activists培养积极分子

2."工作单位"怎么译?

我国出版的英文报刊常把"工作单位"译作"work unit",unit一词在英语中经常用不 指"部队";翻译时如能用具体的词,如school, factory, hospital, company等可能更明白易懂。若指为特殊目的成立的机构(如医院,学校,公司等),也可考虑用institution一词代替。原工作单位也可译作the institution at which one used to work。

3.program一词的意思

program有syllabus(课程提纲)或curriculum(一个学校,专业,或学科的全部课程)的意思,如今也用来表示学校开设的"专业",如:We have a MA program in literature/an intercultural communication program,或学校所设的"(训练)部",如:the un language training program;Mr. Lin is in charge of the Chinese program in our university.

补充一些有关教育的词汇:

project hope 希望工程

the credit system 学分制

a double BA degree system 双学士制

students are admitted to be trained for pre-determined employers 定向招生

key university 重点大学

center for post-doctoral studies 博士后科研流动站

specialty 专业

college/university of science and engineering 理工科大学

normal university;teachers' university 师范大学

polytechnic university 工业大学

agricultural university 农业大学

medical university 医科大学

institute of traditional Chinese medicine 中医学院



Economy and Reform

1.reform一词的搭配法

reform可以和以下动词连用:

accomplish/effect/initiate/make/start reforms

bring about reforms

carry a reform into effect

advocate/propose/urge reforms

"深化改革"在我国出版的英语报刊上常译成deepen reform.一般说deepen做及物动词时常与knowledge, understanding一类词连用。"深化改革"中的"深化"就是"进一步"的意思,可译成:

intensify the rural reform

further carry out reforms

as the reform further develops/is carried forward/is pushed forward

2."改革开放"的表达法

"改革开放"可译成the policy of reform and opening up 或the reform and the open policy。切不可与the open-door policy("门户开放"政策)混淆。"进一步开放"或"门要开得更大"可译成reform and opening up went one step further;further reform and opening up。

"加快改革开放的步伐"可译成accelerate the pace of reform and opening up。

3."坚持"怎么译?

"坚持"可以译作adhere to, persevere in, persist in, hold on to, stick to, keep to等,如:

adherence to the socialist road, to communist party leadership, to the people's democratic dictatorship and to Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zetong thought.

adhering to a coordinated and balanced program of development.

persevere in the pursuit of 1 central task and 2 basic points

persisting in reform and opening up

hold on to socialism

stick to this attitude

keep to the socialist orientation

adhere to 的意识是"坚持维护,支持","信仰坚定","忠于",如:"坚持党的基本路线"可译作 adhere to the party's basic line,"坚持无产阶级国际主义"可译作adhere to proletarian internationalism。

persevere in 和persist in 一般用于行动,都有"在困难或遭到反对的情况下继续"的意思;但persevere in 带褒义,表示"不屈不挠",而persist in 带贬义,表示"顽固,不听开导",如:

perseverance means success.

persevere in one's studies/armed struggle

persist in one's errors/asking insulting questions

hold one to 的意思是"抓住不放",用于beliefs, ideas, principles时表示"坚持信仰",即使他人影响或情况使人产生怀疑,也不改变或放弃,如:

hold on to one's views

stick to 的意思是"粘住,不离";和choice, decision, principle, belief 等词连用时,也有"不变,不放弃","坚持"的意思。

keep to 有"不离","不违背","遵守"的意思,如:

keep to the main road

keep to prearranged plan

keep to 用于decision,belief,rules时有"坚持"的意思。此外,"坚持"也可译作insist on, keep up, uphold 等。

insist on 多用于意见,主张,表示"硬要","坚决要求",如:

we insist on an interview before we accept any ma candidate.

she insisted on her innocence.

he insisted on going innocence.

keep up 的意思是"继续",如:

keep up one's studies/piano practice/the attack/the good work

uphold 的意思 是"支持",赞同",可和law, principle, system, practice连用,表示"坚持"。"我们党坚持辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义的世界观"可译作our party upholds dialectical materialism and historical materialism as its world outlook.



工业

1."达到"怎么译?

"达到"可用reach或amount to,但amount to 表示几个部分相加后得到的总和,和add up to,total,number的意思一样。

2.operation一词的意思

operation有"运转","操作","工作"等意思,因此工厂"投入生产",铁路"开始通车",公司"开始营业"等都可能go into/step into/begin operation(s),如:

the factory went into operation in1992.

operation还有"经营"的意思,"经营机制"是operation mechanism,"经营自主"是autonomy in operation."扩大生产/经营"可用expand operation 表达,如:

The enterprise expanded its operation into an iron and steel complex.

3.capacity一词的意思

capacity表示最大生产量,容量或运载量,如:

annual production capacity

freighters with a total capacity of 100,000 tons

capacity 也表示人的"能力","才干","本领",如:

not working to capacity意思是"本领没有使出来","才干没有完全发挥"。

4.同义词、近义词辨析:

1)factory, plant, works, mill, complex等:

factory, plant, works, mill 都是工厂.

factory 泛指一般工厂,如 food factory, tractor factory

plant 多指电器业或机械制造业,一般用于以下工厂:

water power plant, machine-building plant, chemical plant。

works 多用于钢铁等重工业,如 iron and steel works, gas works, cement works。

mill 原意是"磨坊",现泛指"工厂",多用于轻工业,尤其是纺织工业,如:

cotton/textile/silk/woolen mill, lumber/saw mill, steel mill, heavy steel rolling mill

complex 指"联合企业",如 chemical complex, iron and steel complex, building complex。

在现代报刊中,以上用法大都依照习惯,有时没有明确界限或区别。值得注意的是有些词专指特殊的工厂,如smeltery 冶炼厂、foundry 铸造厂、tannery制革厂。

2) equipment, facility:

equipment 和 facility 都可译作"设备","器材",但equipment 是不可熟名词,指用于某一特殊目的的东西,供给品,装备等。如:

a completer of equipment

an important piece of equipment

basic kitchen equipment

stereo equipment

facility 是可数名词,常用复数形式。facilities指为一特殊活动或目的所提供的种种便利,包括设备、建筑物和服务等等。如:

production facilities

facilities for study

facilities for travel

sports facilities
关键字:口译考试
生词表:
  • fertilizer [´fə:tilaizə] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.肥料 四级词汇
  • membrane [´membrein] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.膜(片);薄膜;隔膜 四级词汇
  • shorten [´ʃɔ:tn] 移动到这儿单词发声 v.缩短,变短 四级词汇
  • championship [´tʃæmpiənʃip] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.拥护;奋斗;锦标赛 四级词汇
  • traditional [trə´diʃənəl] 移动到这儿单词发声 a.传统的,习惯的 四级词汇
  • discount [´diskaunt] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.&vt.(打)折扣 四级词汇
  • applied [ə´plaid] 移动到这儿单词发声 a.实用的,应用的 六级词汇
  • policy [´pɔlisi] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.政策;权谋;保险单 四级词汇
  • dictatorship [dik´teitəʃip] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.独裁(权);专政 六级词汇
  • socialism [´səuʃəlizəm] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.社会主义 六级词汇
  • perseverance [,pə:si´viərəns] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.毅力;坚持 六级词汇
  • uphold [,ʌp´həuld] 移动到这儿单词发声 vt.支持,拥护;维持 四级词汇
  • outlook [´autluk] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.眺望;景色;展望 四级词汇


文章标签:口译