倍數(shù)翻譯中的常見的錯(cuò)誤
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(dá)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(jí))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。
小編吐槽:全國的老師都欺騙了我們啊!說實(shí)話,看到Asia is four times larger than Europe. 第一個(gè)反應(yīng)是亞洲比歐洲大四倍,有木有?可這個(gè)翻譯是錯(cuò)的!來自五湖四海的英語小編們個(gè)個(gè)跳出來指認(rèn),從小到大,老師都是這么教的,考試也是這么考的,怎么會(huì)錯(cuò)呢?于是,遍查資料后發(fā)現(xiàn),全國的老師好像都錯(cuò)了......還是不死心,這要是錯(cuò)了,簡直是推翻了我們從小到大的人生觀啊。抱著最后一絲希望,請(qǐng)教了外教,于是,人生觀無情地被顛覆了。所以,全國的同學(xué)們,請(qǐng)大家從此牢記:A is N times larger/longer than B的這個(gè)用法就是“A是B的N倍大/長,A比B大/長N-1倍”!切記,切記啊!
2. by 和to
(1) 動(dòng)詞+ by + 倍數(shù)/百分?jǐn)?shù)/數(shù)詞
Eg: The production of grain has been increased by four times this year.
今年糧食產(chǎn)量增加了四倍。
(2) 動(dòng)詞+ to + 數(shù)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(shù)增加或減少。這個(gè)解釋表達(dá)不是很明確,現(xiàn)在把它分成以下兩種情況來分析:
(1)表示增加含義時(shí)
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(nóng)業(yè)生產(chǎn)的柴油產(chǎn)量增加了四倍。
(2)表示減少含義時(shí)
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(chǎn)量減少到1977年的三分之一。
結(jié)語:倍數(shù)翻譯的陷阱很多吧,而且每個(gè)陷阱都是綿里藏針,針針見血,見血封喉!要想在倍數(shù)翻譯上不出錯(cuò),除了基本的語法過關(guān)外,還要仔細(xì)檢查,認(rèn)真思考,一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)小小的差異都有可能造成誤譯、錯(cuò)譯。所以,讓我們一起認(rèn)真學(xué)習(xí)鉆研數(shù)字翻譯、倍數(shù)翻譯的方法,攻克重重堡壘,到達(dá)勝利彼岸