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英语倍数表达辨析：如何准确表达 “几倍”

Episode 260415 / 15 Apr 2026

内容简介

在描述数字变化时，经常会用到 “multiples（倍数）” 这个概念。不过在英语中，“倍数” 的具体含义往往会随着语境的变化而产生细微差异，稍不留神就容易产生歧义。那么，该如何准确地区分并表达 “是……的多少倍” 以及 “增长了多少倍” 呢？听节目，跟主持人步理和 Phil 学习表示 “倍数” 的英语表达。

文字稿

（关于台词的备注: 请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。）

Buli
大家好，欢迎收听 BBC 英语教学的 “你问我答” 节目。We are here to answer your questions about English language, culture and life. I'm Buli. Phil's here to help me answer a question about numbers. Hi Phil!

Phil
Hi Buli, how's it going?

Buli
I'm very good, thank you! Let's hear this week's question.

Question
Hi, could you please share some expressions on how to describe multiples? I also don't feel very clear about the rules when using them. For example, do 'three times as long as something' and 'three times longer than something' have the same meaning?

Phil
This is a great question, because we do often have to talk about numbers and multiples. And it's also highlighting something that can cause a lot of misunderstandings so it'll be good to clear that up.

Buli
I totally agree. 这位听众想知道，如何用英语中和 “multiples（倍数）” 有关的表达准确地描述出自己的意思，比如 “……变成了原来的三倍” 用英语到底应该怎么说。

Phil
Hi Buli, I might have to ask your advice – I'm looking at how much money I spend every month, and I think I need to change something.

Buli
I'm happy to help. But why's that?

Phil
Everything keeps getting more expensive. My food costs are double what they were last year. I have been buying more expensive food though.

Buli
Yes, that might be why what you spend has doubled. Look, your rent has trebled as well.

Phil
That is just because I moved into a big house. I'm paying treble what I was last year.

Buli
I also think you just need to spend less money – you're spending lots on things that you just don't need. Look, here, the total is four times as much as last year's!

Phil
Do you mean four times as much or four times more?

Buli
Let's talk about that in a few seconds. But you really have to rein in your expenses.

你正在收听的是 BBC英语教学制作的 “你问我答” 节目。在本期节目中，我们正在学习和 “multiples（倍数）” 有关的英语表达。

Phil
OK, we heard a few ways to talk about multiples of numbers. A couple that are very common are 'double' or 'treble' for 'two or three times as much'.

Buli
Treble or triple? Phil，刚才我听到你用单词 “treble” 来表示 “三倍”。不过，我好像也用过 “triple” 这个词来表示相同的意思。而且它们听上去非常相似。

Phil
Well, they mean the same thing, but 'treble' isn't as popular in American English. You'll hear both in British English.

Buli
Thanks, let me keep that in mind. 同时，我们还可以注意到，这些表示倍数的单词通常既可以作名词也可以作动词。比如，刚才 Phil 就用了 “I'm paying double（我在花两倍的钱）”，以及 “the price tripled before I could buy it（在我买之前价格就涨到了三倍）”。And we don't just have double, triple and treble, do we?

Phil
No, we also have 'quadruple' for four times, 'quintuple' for five, 'sextuple' for six, 'septuple' for seven, and 'octuple' for eight. We also have 'nonuple' and 'decuple' for nine and ten times, but people almost never use them.

Buli
是的。虽然在英语中从 “四倍” 到 “十倍” 分别都有相应的单词，但在现实生活中，倍数越大的单词往往越少被人们所使用。取而代之的是其它的表达方式，比如，“nine times” 或者 “ten times”。Now, let's look at 'three times as much', or 'three times more' – do they mean the same thing, Phil?

Phil
Now this is where it gets complicated! 'Three times as much' is easy – it's triple. If you had one, now you have three. 'Three times more' is more complex. Strictly speaking, if we are talking about three times more, we are talking about the size of the increase, so the final number is four times what you started with. If you started with one, you add an increase of three and now you have four.

Buli
English though, is not always mathematically correct. Most people would use 'three times more' and 'three times as much' to mean the same thing.

简单来说，从字面意思上来讲，“three times as much” 和 “three times more” 的意思并不一样。前者的意思是 “变成了三倍”，而后者的意思则是 “增加了三倍”。

不过，在英语中，不少人也会用 “three times more” 来表达 “变成了三倍”。久而久之，当我们在使用或听到 “how many times more” 这种表达时，具体的倍数关系就需要依靠语境和个人的使用习惯来判断了。

Phil
Another expression which can suffer from the same problem is 'a threefold increase'. We can use 'fold' after a number to say either how many times something has increased by or to say how many times something the increase is. But when people say something has increased threefold, they usually mean it is now three times as much.

Buli
是的。和 “three times more” 有类似含义的表达还有 “a threefold increase”。我们可以在一个数字后面加上后缀 “-fold” 来组成一个新单词，意思是 “……的多少倍”。不过，如果一个人说 “a threefold increase”，那么他们有可能是想说 “增长到原来的三倍”，也有可能是想说 “增长了原来的三倍”。

I must say, these expressions could sound pretty confusing if we are not familiar with the context. Phil, what is the safest way to say, 'a number has changed to its treble' and 'a number has changed to its quadruple'?

Phil
If you want to be absolutely sure about what you mean, you can say 'treble' or 'three times as much' to say a number has changed to three times its size, and 'quadrupled' or 'four times as much' if it has changed to four times its size.

Remember, if you have a question that you'd like us to answer, you can email us too at: questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk

Buli
你还可以通过微博向我们提问。我们的微博账号是 “BBC英语教学”。Bye!

Phil
Bye!

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