由“A is n times +比较级than B”说起.docVIP

由“A is n times +比较级than B”说起 [摘 要] 本文主要谈论对英语倍数中“a is n times +比较级than b”（n＞1）的理解和翻译，指出该方面存在的一些常见不当之处，并探讨其背后可能的原因。再由此及彼，以“increase/reduce (by) n times”为例说明对其他英语倍数表达方式的理解和翻译也可同样处理。 [关键词] a is n times +比较级than b 理解 翻译 increase/reduce (by) n times 笔者在英语学习和教学中发现，许多人对英语倍数表达方式之一的“a is n times +比较级than b”（n＞1）的理解和翻译不一，存在着一些争议。而倍数关系的重要性毋庸置疑，尤其是在科技领域。所谓差之毫厘，谬以千里，以医药方面为例，对用药剂量的大小，药物中某些成分多少的理解直接关系到药物疗效甚至患者的生命。有鉴于此，笔者觉得有必要进行讨论，求证对这一结构的恰当理解和翻译，指出该方面存在的一些常见不当之处，并探讨其背后可能的原因。再由此及彼，看对其他英语倍数表达方式的理解和翻译是否也能同样处理。 一、不同理解，何去何从 对“a is n times +比较级than b”（n＞1）结构一般有两种理解：有人认为其含义为“a比b大、快等n倍”或“a的大小、速度等是b的n+1倍”；有人认为其含义为“a比b大、快等n-1倍”或“a的大小、速度等是b的n倍”。 例如，英国作家和数学家henry dudeney曾在其编著的《娱乐数学》amusement in mathematics一书中对一道趣味数学题解答说：…of course “seven times older” is equal to “eight times as old”. it is surprising how many people hastily assume that it is the same as “seven times as old”. some of the best writers have committed this blunder. 显然，按照dudeney的观点，“a is n times +比较级than b”应该采取第一种理解。这在逻辑上听上去很有道理，也很符合中国人的思维方式，所以我国读者非常乐于接受。 不过从dudeney所述也可以看出，许多英美人实际上却采用第二种理解。例如，英国著名国际应用语言学家john swales在其著作《科技英语写作》writing scientific english中就明确指出：a yard is three times longer than a foot. = a yard is three times as long as a foot. 而英国著名语言学家randolph quirk主编的a comprehensive grammar of the english language中也指出：count “as many…as” and noncount “as much…as” are equivalent to “more…than” when they are premodified by a times-phrase，并举例说明，其中一例为：five times as many people came to the demonstration as did last time. = five times more people came to the demonstration than did last time. 可见，在john swales眼中，“a is n times +比较级than b”应为第二种理解。 此外，还有人采取了折中态度。例如，美国词典编纂学家bergen evans和cornelia evans在其合编的《当代美语用法词典》a dictionary of contemporary american usage中指出：the word “times” may be used in comparing a large thing with a small one, as in 搃t is three times as large?and 搃t is three times larger? the first form is perfectly clear but the second is ambiguous. it means to some people 搕hree times as large?and to others 揻our times as large