英語表示數字口譯
在漢英筆譯和英語寫作中,經常會遇到數字;哪些場合用單詞表示,哪些場合用阿拉伯數字表示,往往使人難以確定,現行語法書中也極少涉及此類問題。接下來,小編給大家準備了,歡迎大家參考與借鑑。
實際上,以英語為母語的國家,在書寫數字時已形成幾條約定俗成的規則,現總結如下供讀者參考。
1英美等國的出版社在排版時遵循一條原則,即1至10用單詞表示,10以上的數目用阿拉伯數字也有的以100為界限,這條原則值得我們行文時借鑑。如:
That table measures ten feet by five.
那個工作臺長10英尺,寬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.
由一個教授和十名學生每週會晤兩三次,每次授課時間45到50分鐘,是大學程度課堂教學的傳統方式。
2大數目用阿技伯數字表示顯得更簡潔明瞭,但不定數量、近似值用單詞表示較恰當。如:
There are 203817 voters on the electoral rolls。
選舉名單上有203817個投票人。
Nearly thirty thousand voters took part in this election.
近3萬個投票人蔘加了這次選舉。
3遇到日期、百分比、帶單位的特殊數字,通常用阿拉伯數字。如:
Maximum swivel of table is l20.
工作臺的最大回轉角度是120度。
又如:
①3rd march l991或3 march l991; a discount of 5 percent5%的折扣;
②purchased 7 yards of carpet買7碼地毯;
③ordered 2 pounds of minced steak 訂購2磅剁碎的肉。
如果涉及的數目和單位是不定數,可用單詞表示,
如:① about five miles per hour每小時大約5英里,
②at least ten yards away至少有10碼遠,
③hesitated for a moment or two猶豫了片刻,
④i have warned you a hundred times我已經警告你多少遍了。
4在科技文章中,數字頻繁出現,用阿拉伯數字比用單詞陳述更有利,如:
The new engine has a capacity of 4.3 liters and a power out-put of 153 kilowatts at 4400 revolutions per minute。
這臺新發動機的容積為4.3升,轉速為每分鐘4400轉時輸出功率是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.
我們知道,1立方英尺的空氣在0攝氏度和760毫米汞柱壓力下,重量是0.81磅,也就是說12立方英尺空氣的重量是1磅。
5句首不用阿拉伯數字,句末要儘量避免用阿拉伯數字,
4th July is an important date in American history.
應該寫成the fourth of July
19 couples took part in the ballroom dancing competition.
19對選手參加了交際舞比賽。應改寫成:Nineteen couples took…
60% profit was a reported.據報道有60%的利潤。
應改寫成:Sixty per cent profit…
1345 kilograms force was applied at the center point of the bar.
試驗時在杆的中點加1345公斤力。
可改成When tested, a force of l345 kg was applied…
6遇到分數,可用帶連字元號的單詞表示,如:
At 1east two-thirds of the class have had colds. 這個班至少有三分之二的學生患重感冒。
Nitrogen forms about four-fifths of the atmosphere. 氮約佔大氣的五分之四。
擴充套件:Education
1.“培養”人才怎麼譯?
“培養”可譯做 train, turn out 或 produce,如:
turn out large numbers of skilled workers
have trainedassistant and middle level technicians
the college produces very good interpreters.
有時“培養”也譯做foster,如:
to foster activists培養積極分子
2.“工作單位”怎麼譯?
我國出版的英文報刊常把“工作單位”譯作“work unit”,unit一詞在英語中經常用不 指“部隊”;翻譯時如能用具體的詞,如school, factory, hospital, company等可能更明白易懂。若指為特殊目的成立的機構如醫院,學校,公司等,也可考慮用institution一詞代替。原工作單位也可譯作the institution at which one used to work。
3.program一詞的意思
program有syllabus課程提綱或curriculum一個學校,專業,或學科的全部課程的意思,如今也用來表示學校開設的“專業”,如:We have a MA program in literature/an intercultural communication program,或學校所設的“訓練部”,如:the un language training program;Mr. Lin is in charge of the Chinese program in our university.
補充一些有關教育的詞彙:
project hope 希望工程
the credit system 學分制
a double BA degree system 雙學士制
students are admitted to be trained for pre-determined employers 定向招生
key university 重點大學
center for post-doctoral studies 博士後科研流動站
specialty 專業
college/university of science and engineering 理工科大學
normal university;teachers' university 師範大學
polytechnic university 工業大學
agricultural university 農業大學
medical university 醫科大學
institute of traditional Chinese medicine 中醫學院