Figure Interpreting

Introduction

In recording an English figure, its three digits make one subsection, while in Chinese, its four digits make one subsection. In English relevant figures have to be converted on the basis of “thousand”, “million” and “billion”, whereas in Chinese, they have to be converted on the basis of “ 万” “ ” “ ”、 亿 、 万亿 .

Basic Technique for Interpreting Figures

点三杠四法英文数字 : 逗点从右至左每三位一点 ;汉语数字 : 以斜杠从右自左每四位一划 ;缺位补零法某些数位为零时 ,零数位的要及时补零。

Memorize these conversions

1 万 =ten thousand10 万 =one hundred thousand100 万 =one million1000 万 =ten million1 亿 =one hundred million10 亿 =one billion1 万亿 = one trillion

Pronouncing numbers9325624120 9,325,624,120 93’2562’4120

83125678919348,312,567,891,934 8’3125’6789’1934

Read out the following figures both in Chinese and in English

128765432

937261000

36187650

2852956789

59946140

5851789

C-E Translation

5’6708’9056

80’1806

200’9005

73’6360’5401

9’4506’3505

12’7886’5000

4506’0130

4200

E-C Translation

2,345, 456,089345,780,00912, 087, 893123, 456, 890, 08734,456123, 456, 3091,589

Interpreting Fractions

Fractions are composed of the numerator ( 分子 ) and denominator ( 分母 ).

1). Fractions with the numerator of which is one 1/2 1/3 1/4 1/5 1/9

2). Fractions with the numerator of which is not one 3/4 3/5 9/10 3/1000

3). Fractions with big numerators and denominators 53/79 95/26 (over)

Interpreting Decimals and Percentages

1). Interpreting a decimal smaller than “1” 0.8 0.323 0.0009% zero/naught

2). Interpreting numbers with both whole numbers and decimal fractions 9.007 98.53%

3). Interpreting numbers with whole numbers and decimal fractions larger than ten thousand or one hundred million 0.7 万 0.9 亿 0.85 亿 8.8 万 36.09 万 437.98 万 8.4 亿 22.2 亿

Listen and take down the figuresPopulation in the US

1. According to most recent government census, the population is ______. This represents an increase of almost ____ people since the 1990 census.

2. A population of over ___ makes the United States the __ most populous country in the world.

Key: 281,421,906, 33mn, 281mn, 3rd

3. The latest US census reports that ____of the population is white, whereas ___ is black, ___ are of Asia origin, and ___ is native American, ___ of the population is a mixture of two or more races, and ___ report themselves as of some other race.

75.1%,12.3%,3%,1%,2.4%, 5.5%

4. Hispanics make up ___ of the present US population. The census tells us that ___ people in the United States were born in other countries. Of the __ foreign born, the largest part ____ are from Mexico, the next largest group from the Philippines, number ____.

12.5%,31mn, 27.6%, 4.3%

5. The five most populous states with population figures are California, with almost____; New York, with___, Texas, with___; and Florida, with___; and then Illinois, with_____ people.

6. Some___ of the population live in the south and the west of the United States. More than ___ of the people live in metropolitan areas, Only __ or _ out of_ people live in rural areas. Some ___ US citizens live abroad.

Key: 34mn, 21mn, 19mn, 16mn, 12.5mn, 58%,3quarters(3/4), 2, 10, 3,800,000

7. According to the 2000 census there are more than ____ more women than men in the US population. The life expectancy for women is ___, whereas for men, it is only___. Overall the average age of the population is increasing from ___ years in 1990 to __ years in 2000.

5mn, 80.4, 74.5, 33.1, 35.3

C-E Intepretation

Related expressions人口增长 population growth计划生育 family planning基本国策 basic state policy出生率 birth rate

新中国成立以来，我国人口增长的历史过程大致可以分为三个阶段。第一阶段从 1949年到 1964年， 15年间人口由 5 亿增加到 7 亿。第二阶段从 1964 年到1974年，是人口的高速增长阶段， 10年间人口由 7 亿增加到 9 亿，第三阶段从 1974年开始，在全国范围内实行计划生育，并把实行计划生育、控制人口数量、提高人口素质确定为一项基本国策。从 1974 年开始到1995年的 21年间人口由 9 亿增加到 12亿。特别是自1991年以来，我国的人口增长势头得到了有效的控制，全国人口出生率和增长率分别由 1990年的 2.106% 和1.439%下降到 1997年的 1.657% 和 1.006%。到1997年年末，全国总人口为 12 亿 3626万人。

Historical stages of population growth in China:

1. Between 1949 and 1964, the population rose from______ to _____.2. Between 1964 and 1974, the population rose from____ to _____.3.From 1974 to 1995, the population rose from _____ to ______.4. The birth rate and population growth rate was____ and_____in 1990, ______and _____ in 1997.5. By the end of 1997, the total national population was ______.