英语中倍数关系表达

1）n times +形容词（或副词）比较级+than…

times是用来表示“乘”的（used to indicate multiplication）n times就是“乘以n”的意思。不论在任何句型中都包括基数100%在内。

[1] Asia is four times larger than Europe.

误译：亚洲比欧洲大4倍。

正译：亚洲比欧洲大3倍。

评析：亚洲面积4400万平方公里，欧洲面积1016万平方公里。因此亚洲应该是欧洲面积的四倍，即亚洲比欧洲大3倍。

[2] Sound travels nearly 3 times faster in copper than in lead.

声音在铜中的传播速度几乎比在铅中快2倍。

评析：声音在铜中的传播速度为2100m/s，在铅中在的传播速度为710m/s，可见声音在铜中的传播速度几乎是铅中的3倍，而不是比铅快3倍。

[3] The volume of the earth is 49 times larger than that of the moon.

地球的大小是月球的49倍。

或：地球比月球大48倍。

2) n times +形容词（或副词）原级+as

[4] The oxygen atom is nearly 16 times as heavy as the hydrogen atom.

氧原子的重量几乎是氢原子的16倍。

评析：经查，氧原子的重量为，氢原子量为1。

[5] The mercury atom is about 5 times as heavy as calcium atom.

汞的原子重量大约为钙的5倍。

评析：经查，汞的原子量为，钙的原子量为。

3) by + n times

[6] The steel output has increased by two times.

钢产量已增加了一倍。

评析：即增加了（原数目-1）倍。

[7] The error probability of the equipment was reduced by times through technical innovation.

通过技术革新，该设备的误差概率降低了3/5。

评析：reduced by times，汉语中不说“降低到二点五”，这时应换算成整数分母，即降低到“五分之二”，或降低了“五分之三”。

[8] By using a new process the prime cost of the television set was reduced by times.

采用一种新工艺使这种电视的主要成本降低了71%。

评析：算成整数分母，即“降低到5/17” 或“降低了12/17”，但这样仍不符合汉语习惯。在不要求绝对精确的情况下，可进一步换算成百分数，即“降低到29%”或“降低了71%”。

另外，由倍数换算成分数表示减少后的结果，译成“减少到几分之一”或“减少为几分之一”。例如，

reduce by 3 times?? 减少到1/3? 或减少了2/3

reduce by 5 times?? 减少到1/5? 或减少了4/5

reduce by 10 times? 减少到1/10? 或减少了9/10

4)“倍数+upon/over”结构表示“增加到n倍，增加了或超过了（n-1）倍”

[9] The industrial output in our factory this year is ten times over that of 1999.

今年我们工厂的产量比1999年增加10倍。（×）

今年我们工厂的产量是1999年的10倍。

[10] He is five times upon your age.

他是你年龄的5倍。

[11] The total output value of the city’s light industry has grown over three times as against last year.

这个城市的轻工业总产值比去年增长了两倍多。

[12] The number of the students in that school has been decreased more than 3 fold.

该校学生人数减少了2/3。（即减少到原来的1/3）

[13] The grain output in that county was two times over that of 1995.

那个县的粮食产量比1995年增加了一倍。

5) 增减意义的动词+倍数

应为“增加到原来的n倍”或“增加了（n-1）倍”

[14] The cotton output in the county has increased four times.

该县棉花产量增加了3倍。

[15] The sales of TV set have risen fold.

电视机销售量增加了2倍半。

[16] The weight of the bicycle has decreased 3 times.

这种自行车的重量减少了2/3。（即减少到1/3）

[17] The length of the rope has been shortened 5 fold.

绳子的长度缩短了4/5。（即缩短到1/5）

[18] If there were a bridge here, the distance would be shortened 4 times.

如果这里有座桥，距离将缩短3/4。