当前位置：首页>翻译园地>学术论文 > 正文汉语量词与英文用法对照（Comparison between Chinese Words of Measurement and Their EnglishEquivalents）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 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）一阵内疚／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 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 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；张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a lorryload of iron...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a troop of soldiers...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。