在收聽VOA英語廣播的過程中，聽眾時常會碰到許多數(shù)字，這是我國英語學習者的一大難關，四位數(shù)以上的數(shù)字更是如此。原因是英漢兩種語言的計數(shù)單位不完全一樣。它們的最大區(qū)別是：漢語中有“萬”和“億”這兩個計數(shù)單位，英語沒有；而英語的million（百萬）和billion（十億）這兩個計數(shù)單位，漢語里卻是在它們的前面加上十，百，千而構(gòu)成的復合計數(shù)單位，于是形成了英漢數(shù)字的不同表示法。

　　英漢兩種語言的計數(shù)單位是不一致的，英語每四位數(shù)，漢語每五位數(shù)要變更其計數(shù)單位的名稱，這就形成了四位以上數(shù)字的不同表示法。這些不同的表示法給英語學習者，尤其是給來辨別數(shù)量單位并接受信息的英語廣播聽眾帶來了很大的困難。

　　怎樣才能克服這一困難，做到準確無誤地聽記英語新聞中出現(xiàn)的數(shù)字呢？根據(jù)我們的收聽實踐，發(fā)現(xiàn)采取以下步驟，比較容易聽記：

　　一、根據(jù)美國英語中每逢四位數(shù)就要變更計數(shù)單位的規(guī)則，記數(shù)時采用國際習慣每隔三位數(shù)用一逗號分開，即1，000以上的數(shù)：先從后向前數(shù)，每三位數(shù)加一“,”，第一個“,”號前為thousand，第二個“，”號前為million，第三個“，”號前為billion（在英國英語國家中為thousand million），然后一節(jié)一節(jié)表示。例如：123，456，895，167，讀成one hundred (and) twenty three billion four hundred (and) fifty-six million eight hundred (and) ninety-five thousand one hundred and sixty-seven.從這一讀法中不難看出：除了trillion，billion，和million外，其他數(shù)字都是百、十、個的反復使用。

　　二、以trillion，billion，million和thousand為中心，收聽時集中注意力聽清楚是多少個trillion，多少個billion，多少個million和多少個thousand，及時記下并在它們的后面分別用“，”分開，沒有具體數(shù)字的就打上“0”。當然trillion的前面還有一些更大的計數(shù)詞，其規(guī)律都是一樣的。

　　三、注意數(shù)字的書寫表達方法。一般說來，英語數(shù)字的書寫方法有以下三種：

　　（1）如果數(shù)字能用一個單獨單詞來表達，就直接寫出該單詞。如：“一”、“九”、“十五”、“八十”就分別寫作one，nine，fifteen和eighty。

　　（2）如果數(shù)字要用一個復合數(shù)詞或幾個數(shù)詞來表達，如：“二十一”、“九十九”、“一百零一”、“一千八百七十六”等等，通常就寫出阿拉伯數(shù)字“21”、“99”、“101”、“1，876”等等。

　　如果數(shù)字是比較大的整數(shù)，常常要用阿拉伯數(shù)字加英語單詞一起來表達。如“一百六十萬”、“四十五億”就寫成“1.6 million”和“4.5 billion”等等。

　　另外，還有一些數(shù)字可以有兩種讀法。例如：

　　1，000可讀作one thousand或ten hundred，

　　4，500可讀作four thousand five hundred或forty-five hundred，

　　500，000可讀作five hundred thousand或half million。

　　在VOA的英語廣播中，如果數(shù)字達到或超過了billion，Special English和Standard English 的讀法通常都不一樣。如：The Chinese News Agency says China’s population has grown to 1,031,882,511 persons. (St.) Standard English的播音員將這一數(shù)字讀作one billion thirty-one million eight hundred eighty-two thousand five hundred eleven。而Special English的播音員將這一數(shù)字讀作one thousand thirty-one million。又如：World Bank President A. W. Clausen says the bank will lend China 1,000,000,000 next year. (St.) Standard English的播音員將這一數(shù)字讀作one billion，而Special English的播音員將這一數(shù)字讀作one thousand million，這一讀法避免了使用billion這一沒有被VOA Special English Wordbook收進的難詞。

　　數(shù)字中的另一難點是帶有小數(shù)點的百分數(shù)，我們常常在經(jīng)濟、金融和其他涉及較精確的百分比的新聞中遇到。這些數(shù)字，特別是百分之零點幾的數(shù)字的讀法比較難懂，有的有幾種讀法，在一般的辭書和語法書中很難找到滿意的答案�，F(xiàn)根據(jù)錄音材料，從這摘錄一些含有這些數(shù)字的典型單句，按一定的規(guī)律排列如下，供讀者參考：

　　The report noted that the slowdown is less than the four and one half per cent (4.5%) drop in such economic activity during the last three months of 1981.

　　The second largest bank in the United States, the city Bank of New York, has raised its prime interest rates to sixteen and one half per cent (16.5%).

　　He (World Bank President A. W. Claysen) praised China’s economic progress in the last two years, noting the Chinese economy has grown almost seven point five per cent (7.5%) in the time of world recession.

　　The Labor Department said almost 11 million Americans were out of work, about nine point eight per cent (9.8%) of the work force. 　

　　Almost 10 million persons in the US were unemployed in March. That means nine per cent (9%) of the American labor forces was out of work, and increase of two tenths of one per cent (0.2%) over February’s rate.

　　Consumer prices in the US increased by only two tenths of one per cent (0.2%) in February.

　　Producer prices in the United States increased by one tenth of one per cent (0.1%) in April, the first rise since January. Government economists say producer prices rose at yealy rate of only four tenths of one per cent (0.4%) during the first four months of this year.

　　The Labor Department reports that producer prices increased by only one half of one per cent (0.5%) in October.

　　The Federal Reserve Board says industrial production dropped eight tenths of one per cent (0.8%) in October.

　　The Labor Department reports the prices in the US lowered only six tenths of one per cent (0.6%) last month. Prices has risen one fourth per cent (0.25%) in May and June.

　　The World has a huge supply of fresh water, rivers, rain water, lakes and underground wells. But experts say that only abut one third of one per cent (0.3% or 1/3%) of the world’s total water supply is naturally safe for drinking.

　　總的來說，英語數(shù)字的聽記是英語學習者的一大難點，除了掌握一定的規(guī)律和技巧外，必須通過大量的聽說讀寫訓練，才能達到比較迅速而準確的目的。