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，才能掌握如何翻译。 1、一群 一群人 a crowdgroupmultitudethrongarmyteamclass of people；a gangswarmhordepackband 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 demonstratorsshoppersvisitors bevy特指女性的“一群”，有时指鸟类，尤指鹌鹑或云雀。如： a bevy of actressesyoung womenladiesshop girlsquails 表贬义的“一群”有：a mob of angry peopleriotersslavesliarsblackguards horde原意为游牧部落，通常含有轻蔑色彩： a horde of lazy-bonesswindlerslocustshooligans band；gang常指“帮”： a band of robbersgangstersthievesoutlaws a gang of criminalsslavesprisoners 一群牛、象、马、天鹅a herd of cattleelephantshorsesswans 一群鸟a flock of birdsgeesehensgoatsswallowssheepchickens 一群猎狗a pack of houndswolvesgrouse 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 schoolshoal of fishshrimps 一群马a studdrove of horses 一群鹅a gaggleflock of geese 一群蚊子蝴蝶a swarm of mosquitoesbutterflies 一群（窝）蚂蚁a colony of antsbees 一群建筑物a clumpcomplex of buildings 2、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 moonlightamber（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 jealousyembarrassment 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 frostsnowcream 一丝失望的眼神a flicker of disappointment （剩下）一口气一丝气a sparkbreath of life 一丝失望的情绪a taintfaint of disappointment 一片漆黑completely dark；dismal night；pitch dark 一片汪洋a flood of water 3、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 tearscheersgunfirethunder （量如洪水的）一阵泪雨瓢泼大雨夸夸其谈 a flood of tearsrainboasts 少量或稀疏的 一阵（小）雨射击a spatter of rainbullets 一阵稀疏的掌声喝彩a spatter of applausecheers 声响很大的 一阵隆隆的炮声雷声a peal of artillerythunder 突然而猛烈的 一阵暴雨狂风烈火a gustblast of rainwindflame 持续短暂的 一阵怒气激情咳嗽a fit of angerpassioncoughing 一阵呕吐a vomiting fit 持续一段时间的 一阵厄运暑热a spell of bad lucksummer heat 一阵寒潮a cold spell of weather 一阵昏厥a fainting spell （针捻刀刺般的）一阵内疚牙痛风湿痛a twinge of remorsetoothacherheumatism 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 paingriefcoughingexcitement 雹打雨淋般的 一阵轰炸打击咒骂a hail of bombsblowscurse 一阵弹雨批评a shower of bulletscriticism 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 politics 4、“一阵”为何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”这个概念则是由许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 friends b）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 sands c）夸张Hyperbole 多如牛毛的问题a sea of troubles 一大笔钱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 words 6、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；张 a piece of breadpaperwoodfurniturelandadvicenewsmeatclothmusic. bit一点；一些；一片 a bit of waterwoodgrasstrouble. item条；则；项 an item of newsinformationbusinessprogramme. article件；项；条 an article of furnitureclothingluggageexport. grain粒；颗 a grain of riccewheatsaltsand. drop滴 a drop of wateroilrainblooddew. slice薄片 a slice of meatbreadcakeham. cake块 a cake of soapmudice. bar块；条 a bar of chocolatecandysoap. ear穗 an ear of cornricewheatmillet. loaf块；条 a loaf of bread. lump块；团 a lump of claysugarearth. spiral盘 a spiral of mosquito incense. card板 a card of buttons pack副；盒 a pack of cardscigarettes fistful（s）一把 a fistful of sandrice. 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 snowwhys. 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 a lorryload of iron. fit一阵子 a fit of coughingfeverlaughteranger. ray一线 a ray of hopeintelligencesunlight peal一阵 a peal of thunderlaughterapplause. flash闪现一下 a flash of hopelighteningwit. display炫耀一下 a display of powercourageforcelearningskill. attack一疾病的发作 an attack of fevermalaria group组；群；批 a group of students. team队：组 a team of expertsfootballersscientists. gang帮；伙；群；队；组 a gang of fourthievesrobbers. army大群；队 an army of beggarsantsbees. troop群；伙 a troop of soldiers. host大群 a host of friendsheroes. pack群；伙 a pack of liarsthievesrascalshounds. 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 bananasfoolsflowerskeysthieves bouquet束；把 bouquet of flowers string串；挂；节 a string of beadspearlswordsthread sheaf p1sheaves捆；束 a sheaf of wheatarrowspapers crew帮；伙；全体 a crew of sailorspilots party组；伙；批 a party of guestschildren. batch批 a batch of letterstelegramsvisitors. gaggle群 a gaggle of geesegirls. litter一窝 a litter of kittenslittle pigletspuppies. herd群 a herd of elephantsdeercattle.s swarm群 a swarm of antslocustsbeespeoplestars. cluster串；束；群；组 a cluster of flowersgrapesbeesislandsstars. a cluster of butterfliesgrapesberriesconsonantshouses brood窝；群；组 a brood of chickenspaintingsthieves. school群 a school of whalesdolphins. shoal群 a shoal of fishwhalespeople. flock群 a flock of geesebirdspigeonsducksvisitorscustomers. dozen一打 a dozen（of）pencilseggsred roses. gross一罗 a gross of nailspencilscan 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 islandsbuildings school流派 the school of traditional grammar train一列 a train of cars一列火车厢 pot一锅 a pot of soupteawater. 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。如： a sea of peopleflamesbloodflagsflowershappy faces如海般的如潮一样的人群；火海；血海；旗海；花海；无数幸福的面孔 an ocean of troubletimespacecheering无穷的麻烦；无休止的时间；浩瀚的宇宙；欢乐的海洋 a scene of great rejoicing一片欢腾 a chorus of protestpraise一片抗议之声赞扬之声 a trove of Chinese porcelain一批中国磁器 a grove of coco（a）nutbamboo一片椰林/竹林 a blaze of lights一片灯火 a mountain of debtsrubbishmoneydirty clothes债台高筑垃圾如山；家财万贯；一大堆脏衣服 a mass of imagesfactsfiguresdata大量的图像事实数据等 a rainstorm of tearsashesarrowsbullets嚎啕大哭；尘土蒙蒙；一阵箭雨，一阵弹雨 a storm of applausecriticismcheering一阵暴雨般的掌声；激烈的批评；狂热的欢呼 a gale of laughterexcitement阵阵欢笑；一阵激动 a flood of tearswords1ightterror泪如潮涌；滔滔言辞；一片光明；一片恐惧 a store of learningexperience知识渊博；经验丰富 a wealth of experiencedatatroublesgoodgoods经验丰富；丰富数据；问题多多；大有好处；商品丰富 a surfeit of fooddrug dosage过量的食品；过量的药品 a succession of defeat接二连三的挫败 a world of goodsfoodpleasuremeaningto do sb a world of goodharm a forest of hillsflagschimneyshands 这些表量的手法也可用复数，像lots of，thousands of一样，如seas of，mountains of，stores of，swarms of，thunders of，showers of ，in showers，in stores，in numbers。 a（great）number of books许多的书 numbers of peoples许多的民族 a qu