汉语量词与英文用法对照

汉语量词与英文用法对照（Comparison betweenChinese Words of Measurement and Their English Equivalents）量词是现代汉语11类词中的一种，运用非常普遍，大约有500多个量词。

除了表“量”以外，它的一个显著特点就是习惯搭配。

即使是华人也有弄错的时候，学中文的外国人更是头疼。

所以正确认识量词，准确翻译汉语量词也是很重要的。

英语中没有像汉语这样的“量词”分类，但有类似的用法和修辞结构，如quantitive determinatives（量词限定词），portative（量词），quantifiers（量词）。

它们之间有相同之处，但更多的是差异。

因而，本节以一定的版面来分析其不同结构和用法，不过，更多的还是靠读者自己潜心收集认识，才能掌握如翻译。

1、一群一群人a crowd／group／multitude／throng／army／team／class of people；a gang／swarm／horde／pack／band of people（in a derogatory way）troop通常指聚在一起活动的、生气勃勃的一群人。

如：a troop of demonstrators／shoppers／visitorsbevy特指女性的“一群”，有时指鸟类，尤指鹌鹑或云雀。

如：a bevy of actresses／young women／ladies／shop girls／quails表贬义的“一群”有：a mob of angry people／rioters／slaves／liars／blackguardshorde原意为游牧部落，通常含有轻蔑色彩：a horde of lazy-bones／swindlers／locusts／hooligansband；gang常指“帮”：a band of robbers／gangsters／thieves／outlawsa gang of criminals／slaves／prisoners一群牛、象、马、天鹅a herd of cattle／elephants／horses／swans一群鸟a flock of birds／geese／hens／goats／swallows／sheep／chickens一群猎狗a pack of hounds／wolves／grouse一群狐狸a skulk of foxes一群狮子a pride of lions一群星星a cluster of stars一群鱼a school／shoal of fish／shrimps一群马a stud／drove of horses一群鹅a gaggle／flock of geese一群蚊子／蝴蝶a swarm of mosquitoes／butterflies一群（窝）蚂蚁a colony of ants／bees一群建筑物a clump／complex of buildings2、一丝／点／层／片一片草皮a chunk of turf一丝睡意a wink of sleep一丝怀疑a shadow of doubt一点点工作a stroke of work一线未来之光a glimpse of future一缕月光a streak of moonlight／amber（fig）一丝绿意；一片绿色a tint of green一片心意a small token of our hearts一丝嫉妒；一阵窘迫a slight twinge of jealousy／embarrassment 一丝恻隐之心a sign of sympathy for...一丝懊悔a slight twinge of remorse一层霜／雪／糖霜a layer of frost／snow／cream一丝失望的眼神a flicker of disappointment（剩下）一口气／一丝气a spark／breath of life一丝失望的情绪a taint／faint of disappointment一片漆黑completely dark；dismal night；pitch dark一片汪洋a flood of water3、英译“一阵”，颇有学问，且看以下译例（突然爆发出的）一阵哭泣／喝彩／炮击／雷声a burst of tears／cheers／gunfire／thunder（量如洪水的）一阵泪雨／瓢泼大雨／夸夸其谈a flood of tears／rain／boasts少量或稀疏的一阵（小）雨／射击a spatter of rain／bullets一阵稀疏的掌声／喝彩a spatter of applause／cheers声响很大的一阵隆隆的炮声／雷声a peal of artillery／thunder突然而猛烈的一阵暴雨／狂风／烈火a gust／blast of rain／wind／flame 持续短暂的一阵怒气／激情／咳嗽a fit of anger／passion／coughing 一阵呕吐a vomiting fit持续一段时间的一阵厄运／暑热a spell of bad luck／summer heat一阵寒潮a cold spell of weather一阵昏厥a fainting spell（针捻刀刺般的）一阵疚／牙痛／风湿痛a twinge of remorse／toothache／rheumatism一阵尴尬a twinge of embarrassment（抽搐或颤抖的）一阵痛苦／伤心／咳嗽／激动a spasm of pain／grief／coughing／excitement雹打雨淋般的一阵轰炸／打击／咒骂a hail of bombs／blows／curse一阵弹雨／批评a shower of bullets／criticism更多的例子一阵欢乐an agony of joy一阵子爱意a flush of love一点点工作a stroke of work一阵心脏病发作a stroke of heart attack一点点满足a crumb of satisfaction一种混乱的政治局面a chaos of politics4、“一阵”为有这么多不同的译法其实原因很简单，汉语“一阵”这个数量词不含修辞色彩，可用于各类描述；而在英语中，“一阵”这个概念则是由多不同的名词来表述的，而且这些词一般分别具有不同的修辞色彩。

如：spatter “少量”，“稀疏”之义；peal 专指一阵响亮或轰鸣的声音；twinge 特指肉体或心灵上的一阵剧烈的刺痛；burst 泛指突然爆发出的一阵，有突如其来之感；hail 和shower的比喻色彩也很浓，有雹打雨淋之感；spell常用于描述天气、疾病等，表持续一阵子；flood一词比喻色彩浓厚，给人以量如洪水，滔滔不绝之感；gust则专指风、雨、雹、火、烟等的突然而猛烈的一阵。

也可用喻感情的猛烈进发；fit常指持续时间短暂的一阵——尤指疾病的短暂发作或感情的短暂进发；spasm原指痉挛，抽搐，用于动作、感情的一阵突发时，表抽搐或浑身颤抖之感。

由此可见，英译“一阵”，宜细心推敲，酌情翻译。

5、其他类似的汉译英所用的修辞性的用法a）暗喻Metaphor一串香蕉a hand of bananas颗颗汗珠beads of sweat一长串汽车a string of cars很大的朋友圈a large circle of friendsb）借代Metonymy一串珍珠a rope of pearls一炉钢a heat of steel一年三熟three crops a year一大群飞机a cloud of planes林立的烟囱a forest of chimneys一片沙滩a beach of sandsc）夸Hyperbole多如牛毛的问题a sea of troubles一大笔a pile of money勃然大怒a wave of anger开怀大笑gales of laughter无数次heaps of times小不点a dot of child一小撮敌人a pinch of enemy滔滔不绝的话语a flood of words6、英语常用单位词及汉语对应词（Commonly-used unit nouns and their Chinese equivalents）piece块；片；段；项；件；篇；首；幅；a piece of bread／paper／wood／furniture／land／advice／news／meat／cloth／music... bit一点；一些；一片a bit of water／wood／grass／trouble...item条；则；项an item of news／information／business／programme...article件；项；条an article of furniture／clothing／luggage／export...grain粒；颗a grain of ricce／wheat／salt／sand...drop滴a drop of water／oil／rain／blood／dew... slice薄片a slice of meat／bread／cake／ham... cake块a cake of soap／mud／ice...bar块；条a bar of chocolate／candy／soap...ear穗an ear of corn／rice／wheat／millet... loaf块；条a loaf of bread...lump块；团a lump of clay／sugar／earth...spiral盘a spiral of mosquito incense...card板a card of buttonspack副；盒a pack of cards／cigarettesfistful（s）一把a fistful of sand／rice...handful（s）一把a handful of soil...armful（s）一抱an armful of flowers...cupful（s）一杯four cupfuls of jam...mouthful（s）一口a mouthful of snow／whys...spoonful（s）一汤匙a spoonful of sugar...spadeful（s）一铲a spadeful of coal...bagful（s）一袋a bagful of letters...但an eyeful of…的意思是“对……大饱眼福”truckload一货车a truckload of apples...shipload一船a shipload of TV sets...lorryload一卡车fit一阵子a fit of coughing／fever／laughter／anger／...ray一线a ray of hope／intelligence／sunlight…peal一阵a peal of thunder／laughter／applause...flash闪现一下a flash of hope／lightening／wit...display炫耀一下a display of power／courage／force／learning／skill... attack一疾病的发作an attack of fever／malariagroup组；群；批a group of students...team队：组a team of experts／footballers／scientists...gang帮；伙；群；队；组a gang of four／thieves／robbers...army大群；队an army of beggars／ants／bees...troop群；伙host大群a host of friends／heroes...pack群；伙a pack of liars／thieves／rascals／hounds...band帮；伙a band of music（players）／brigands...choir队；组；群a choir of singers...bunch串；束；挂；群；帮；伙a bunch of bananas／fools／flowers／keys／thieves．bouquet束；把bouquet of flowersstring串；挂；节a string of beads／pearls／words／threadsheaf p1．sheaves捆；束a sheaf of wheat／arrows／paperscrew帮；伙；全体a crew of sailors／pilotsparty组；伙；批a party of guests／children...batch批a batch of letters／telegrams／visitors...gaggle群a gaggle of geese／girls...litter一窝a litter of kittens／little piglets／puppies...herd群a herd of elephants／deer／cattle...sswarm群a swarm of ants／locusts／bees／people／stars...cluster串；束；群；组a cluster of flowers／grapes／bees／islands／stars...a cluster of butterflies／grapes／berries／consonants／houses brood窝；群；组a brood of chickens／paintings／thieves...school群a school of whales／dolphins...shoal群a shoal of fish／whales／people...flock群a flock of geese／birds／pigeons／ducks／visitors／customers... dozen一打a dozen（of）pencils／eggs／red roses...gross一罗a gross of nails／pencils／can openers...pile一大堆a pile of what-ifs一大堆假定mound一大堆a mound（mouthful）maybes满嘴的可能clump一群a clump of islands／buildingsschool流派the school of traditional grammartrain一列a train of cars一列火车厢pot一锅a pot of soup／tea／water...fleck片a fleck of snow...7、汉英表量的对应名词（Quantity and amount in both languages）中英文都有表量的手法，除了常见的平铺直叙的说法，还有一些修辞性说法。