怎样用英语表示数字

在汉英笔译和英语写作中,经常会遇到数字；哪些场合用单词表示,哪些场合用阿拉伯数字表示,往往使人难以确定,现行语法书中也极少涉及此类问题.实际上,以英语为母语的国家,在书写数字时已形成几条约定俗成的规则,现总结如下供读者参考.（1）英美等国的出版社在排版时遵循一条原则,即1 至10 用单词表示,10 以上的数目用阿拉伯数字（也有的以100 为界限）,这条原则值得我们行文时借鉴.如：That table measures ten feet by five.那个工作台长10 英尺,宽5 英尺.The traditional pattern of classroom experience at the college level brings the professor and a group of 20 to 30 s tudents together for a 45-to-50-minute class session two or three times a week.由一个教授和十名学生每周会晤两三次,每次授课时间45 到50 分钟,是大学程度课堂教学的传统方式.（2）人数目用阿技伯数字表示显得更简洁明了,但不定数量、近似值用单词表示较恰当.如：There are 203817 voters on the electoral rolls.选举名单上有203817 个投票人.Nearly thirty thousand voters took part in this election.近3 万个投票人参加了这次选举.（3）遇到日期、百分比、带单位的特殊数字,通常用阿拉伯数字.如：Maximum swivel of table is l20.工作台的最大回转角度是120 度.又如：①3rd March l991 或3 March l991； a discount of 5 percent（5%的折扣）； ②purchased 7 yards of carpet（买7 码地毯）； ③ordered 2 pounds of minced steak （订购2 磅剁碎的肉）.如果涉及的数目和单位是不定数,可用单词表示,如：① about five miles per hour（每小时大约5 英里）,②at least ten yards away（至少有10 码远）,③hesitated for a moment or two（犹豫了片刻）,④I have warned you a hundred times（我已经警告你多少遍了）.（4）在科技文章中,数字频繁出现,用阿拉伯数字比用单词陈述更有利,如：The new engine has a capacity of 4.3 litres and a power out-put of 153 kilowatts at 4400 revolutions per minute.这台新发动机的容积为4.3 升,转速为每分钟4400 转时输出功率是153 千瓦.We know that the weight of a cubic foot of air at 0 ℃,and 76cm ,pressure is 0.08l pound,or 12 cubic feet of air weigh a pound.我们知道,1 立方英尺的空气在0 摄氏度和760 毫米汞柱压力下,重量是0.81 磅,也就是说12 立方英尺空气的重量是1 磅.(5)句首不用阿拉伯数字,句末要尽量避免用阿拉伯数字,4th July is an important date in American history.应该写成The fourth of July...19 couples took part in the ballroom dancing competition.19 对选手参加了交际舞比赛.应改写成：Nineteen couples took… 60％profit was a reported．据报道有60％的利润.应改写成：Sixty per cent profit… 1345 kilograms force was applied at the center point of the bar,试验时在杆的中点加1345 公斤力.可改成When tested,a force of l345 kg was applied… （6）遇到分数,可用带连字符号的单词表示,如：At 1east two-thirds of the class have had colds.这个班至少有三分之二的学生患重感冒.