【问】 下面的译文我认为有误，不知你以为然否?
 (1) The frequency range of signal generator model 900 B is twice broader than that ofmodel 800A.
 [原译] 900B型信号发生器的频率范围比800A型宽两倍。(《翻译通讯》，1982，第5期)
 (2) A is five times longer than B.
 [原译] A比B长五倍。
 (3) This type of machine uses three times more fuel oil than that type does.
 [原译] 这种类型的机器的耗油量比那种类型的多三倍。(《英语分类句型》，商务印书馆，P.145)
 (4) Petroleum is the largest source of liquid fuel，and，in spite of attempts to develop syn-thetic fuels，and the continued use of solid fuels，world consumption of petroleumproducts is about four times greater now than in 1940. (The Structure of TechnicalEnglish，P.157)
 [原译] 石油是液体原料最大的来源，尽管人们试图发展合成燃料，并继续使用固体燃料，可是全世界的石油产品消耗量，现在比1940年大约增加了四倍。(中译本，冶金工业出版社，P.356)
 (5) Your house is three times larger than mine.
 [原译] 你的房子比我的房子大三倍(就是我的房子的四倍大小)。(葛传椝：《英语惯用法词典》，P.644)
 【答】 我国有不少英语学者著文说：“在‘倍数+more than...’的句型中，翻译时包括基数在内，把英语句中的倍数照译不减”。①②③但是，我们阅读大量科技文献后发现，这些说法和译法是不符合英语的实际情况的，至少说，是不符合当代英语的实际情况的。事实上，在当代英语里，“A is n times larger than B”与“A is n times as large as B”在意义上是完全一样的。让我们援引一段倍数可以验算的文字，以资证明。
 1. In the example shown in the figure，the cylinder on the right is twice as large in diame-ter，so the areas of the two pistons stand in the ratio of 4 to 1. Therefore，since the totalforce of hydrostatic pressure acting on the right piston will also be 4 times larger，wemust place 4 weights on it to keep it in equilibrium.
 在图中所示的例子里，右面的缸径是左边的两倍，这样，这两个活塞的面积之比是4比1。由于作用在右面活塞上的总的流体静压力将会有四倍那么大，所以，我们必须在该活塞上放四个重物来使它保持平衡。
 2. Torricelli reasoned that this ‘air pressure’ would be unable to push a liquid heavier than water as high as 35 feet，and that a column of mercury，for example，which weighedabout14 times more than water，would rise to only a fourteenth of the height of water，i. e. approximately 2. 5 feet. (A Course in Basic Scientific English，P. 13)
 [原译]托里切里推论说这—“气压”不可能把比水重的液体推到35英尺的高度，并举例说比水重约14倍的水银柱，只能升高达水的高度的1/14，也就是说将近2.5英尺。(中译本)
 原文中的mercury which weighed about 14 times more than water应译为“比重大约为水的14倍的水银”或“比水大约重13倍的水银”。
 现代语言学家对于n times larger than的真正含义已作了精确的说明，我们没有必要再对此进行争论了，也不必再作想当然的解释了：
 ＝Five times as many people came to the demonstration as (did) last time.
 Five times more people came to the demonstration than (did) last time. (CGEL)
 参加示威游行的人是上次的五倍。
 [参见much (n times as much as)]