英语中的有些数词在汉译时可以等值翻译。但是,也有不少数词在汉译中不能等值翻译,或者完全不译出来。这种翻译处理方法是为了使汉译句子能符合汉语的表达习惯。以下分别举例说明。
(1)等值翻译:
a drop in the ocean沧海一粟
within a stone’s throw一箭之遥
ki11 two birds with one stone一箭双雕
A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit..吃一堑,长一智。
(2)不等值翻译:
at sixes and sevens乱七八糟/on second thoughts再三考虑/by ones and twos两两地,零零落落地
范例1:Can you come down a little? --Sorry, it’s one price for all. (你能便宜一点卖吗?对不起,不二价. )
范例2:He had one over the eight after be drank only half bottle of the wine。 (他才喝了半瓶酒就醉得七歪八倒了。 )
范例3:Two heads are better than one.(三个臭皮匠胜过诸葛亮。)
(3)不必译出
范句1:One man’s meat is another man’s poison.(人各有所好。)
范句2:I’ll love you three score and ten.(我会一辈子爱你的。)
范句3:Ten to one he has forgotten it.(很可能他已经忘了。)
范句4:His mark in math is second to none in the class. (他的数学分数在班上是名列前茅的。)
范句5:She is a second Lei Feng。(她是雷锋式的人物。)
范句6:I always believe my sixth sense。(我总相信我的直觉。)
范句7:He talks about you nine times out of ten when we have a chitchat. (每次我们闲聊他几乎都谈及你。)
范句8:The parson official1y pronounced that they became one。(牧师正式宣告他们成婚)
范句9:I used to study in France in the year one。(我早年曾在法国学习。)