一、英译中时倍数减少如何翻译
1、“减少了N–1/N"
2、“减少到1/N”或“是（原来）的1/N”
英语中表示倍数减小的句型可归纳为以下几种。
（一）decrease by N times
decrease N times
decrease by a factor of N
（decrease为表承减少意义的动词，下同）
这三个句型表示的意义一样，均应译为“减少了N–1/N”或“减少到1/N”。例如：
1)Since the introduction of the new technique the switching time of the transistor has been shortened three times.
采用这项新工艺后，晶体管的开关时间缩短了三分之二。
2)When the voltage is stepped up by 10 times,the strength of the current is stepped-down by 10 times，so that the power remains the same.
当电压升高到10倍时，电流强度降低到1/10，因此功率保持不变。
3)The water level in winter falls by a factor of three as against the average level.
冬季，水位比平均水位下降三分之二。
4)When the signal has increased by 10 times the gain may have been reduced by 8 times.
如果信号增大9倍，增益就可能降低7/8。
5)The automatic assembly line can shorten ten times the assembling period.
自动装配线可把装配工期缩短到原来的1/10。
（二）N times 弱比较级 （than）
N times as 表示差、少意义的形容词原级 as
这两个句型的意义一样，可译为“比……N-1/N”或“是…1/N”。例如：
6)The plastic casing is three times lighter than the steel one.
这种塑料壳比钢壳轻三分之二（或：这种塑料壳的重量是钢壳的三分之一）。
二、英语倍数翻译常见错误
1、A是B的N倍大/长…(或者A比B大/长…N-1倍)
一般有以下两种英语表达方法：
(1)A is N times as large/long(形容词/副词原形)as B.Eg:Asia is four times as large as Europe.
(2)A is N times larger/longer(形容词/副词比较级)than B.Eg:Asia is four times larger than Europe.
(3)A is N times the size/length(形容词/副词的名词形式)of B.Eg:Asia is four times the size of Europe.
以上三句例句的中文翻译均为：亚洲是欧洲的四倍大，或者亚洲比欧洲大三倍。
2、by和to
(1)动词 by 倍数/百分数/数词
Eg:The production of grain has been increased by four times this year.
今年粮食产量增加了四倍。
(2)动词 to 数词
Eg:Last year profits rose to$201 million.
去年利润增长到2亿零100万美元。
3、by a factor of
词组by a factor of在《朗文双解》中的解释为"if something increases or decreases by a factor of N,it increases or decreases by N times."以N倍的系数增加或减少。
