作者：杨秉政
幼学于私塾，老师写字帖，练习写大字：一去二三里，烟村四五家。小桥六七座，八九十枝花。既是识字，又是练字，一举两得。现在引进阿拉伯数字，国人用法多不规范：用阿拉伯数字代替汉文数字。这是天大的错误；永远不可替代！“三三两两”，不可以写成3322。汉语词语中用到数字的很多，下面逐个道来。
说“一”
“一”字在汉语成语里，应用广泛，用法复杂。其一、与表示极多的“十”、“百”、“千”连用，表示极少。 如一暴十寒Work by fits and starts；百无一失No risk at all；千载一时Only once in a thousand years。其二、“一”和“半”字相连，也表示“少”。如一鳞半爪odd bits；一知半解have scanty knowledge。其三、与另一个实数连用，多半表示实数，英语也有如是说。如一举两得kill two birds with one stone；一箭双雕shoot two hawks with one arrow；一本万利A small investment brings a ten thousand-fold profit；举一反三draw inferences about other cases from one instance；一年四季all the year round。
数字“一”组成的成语，在多数情况下，在英语里是表达不出数量的。如一步登天have a meteoric rise；一筹莫展can find no way out；一锤定音give the final word；一刀两断make a clean break；一帆风顺plain sailing；一见钟情fall in love at first sight；一刻千金Every minute is precious；一孔之见a limit view；一览无余take in everything at a glance；一劳永逸get sth. done once and for all；一马平川flat country；一毛不拔very stingy；一诺千金That’s a solemn promise；一贫如洗penniless；一失足成千古恨The error of a moment becomes the regret of a lifetime；一无所长be Jack of all trades一掷千金spend money like water。
理解+表达=翻译，这就是结论。
说“二”
“二”和“两”都是一加一所得的数目，但用法不全同。时下，人们对这两个字的错用误用，无以复加，令人扼腕。“两”字一般用于量词和“半、千、万、亿”等字的前面，如两半、两千、两万、两亿。可见，“屈指行程二万”的说法不符合汉语规范。读数目字，用“二”，如一、二、三、四。序数只用二，如第二名。小数和分数，用“二”，如零点二，二分之一。在传统的度量衡单位前，用二为多，但“二两”不能说“两两”。在公制度量衡单位前一般用“两”，如两吨、两公斤。在多位数中，百、十、个位用二，如二百二十二。千、万、亿的整数前，用“二”和“两”均可；不是整数，则用“二”，如两亿二千万。笔者编顺口溜，也许可以容易记忆“二”和“两”的用法：
用二用两费思量，数目序数不用两。小数分数皆用二，传统度量二为常。
百十个位多用二，遇到公制要用两。千万亿前两二用，不是整数求二忙。
二心即非全心全意half-heatedness, disloyally；二百五a stupid guy；二地主sub-landlord；二进制binary system；二流子idler；二话不说without demur；二人转a song-and-dance duet；二踢脚double bang firecracker；二郎腿cross-legged；二手房second-hand house；二一添作五go halves；二者必居其一either one or the other；说一不二Never make a promise cannot keep。独一无二unmatched。
可以说，翻译难得是精神。
说“三”
三尺不是单指一米。三尺代称法律law；古时把法律条文写在三尺长的竹简上。三尺又作为剑sword的代称；汉高祖刘邦曾说，“吾以布衣提三尺取天下”。
汉语中“三”的词语、成语不少。只有领会其精髓，才可正确应用和翻译。三只手pickpocket；三点式bikini；颠三倒四expressing confusion；三言两语in a few words；三资企业three kinds of foreign-invested enterprises (Sino-foreign joint ventures, cooperative businesses and exclusively and foreign-owned enterprises in China)；三心二意shilly-shally；三头六臂superhuman powers；三叉戟trident；三胞胎triplets；三思而行look before you leap；三三两两in knots；三句话不离本行talk shop all the time；三番两次again and again；三角恋爱love triangle；三缄其口with one’s lips sealed；三驾马车troika；三令五申repeatedly give injunctions；三更半夜in the dead of night；三分像人，七分像鬼look more like a ghost than a human being；三寸金莲three-cun lily feet；三寸不烂之舌a silver tongue；三长两短unexpected misfortune；三顾茅庐repeatedly request sb. to take up a responsible post；三百六十行all trades and professions。
真可谓“三三不断”。先查阅汉语词义，再说翻译。如三从四德，三项纪律，三纲五常。
说“四”
今人，特别是广东人，似乎对“四”不感兴趣，可能因为“四”和“死”同音的缘故吧。然而，在多数人的眼里，四是吉利。如四季发财make a fortune the whole year round；四喜丸子quad-happiness meat balls；四海一家The whole world is one family；四海兄弟brothers of the four seas；四海为家wander about the world；四德俱全all the four virtues are complete。
江淮河济四条河流，发源而注水入海，总称为“四渎”。可见长江、淮河、黄河、济水在孕育中华古文明中功不可没。八是四的倍数，可以对仗组成词语，如四面八方all directions；四平八稳lacking initiative and overcautious；四通八达extend in all directions；四仰八叉lie sprawling：四面八方everywhere；四时八节throughout the year。
四和五也可以组成习惯用语，如四分五裂fall apart；四体不勤，五谷不分can neither toil with one’s four limbs nor tell the five cereals apart；四舍五入round off；四书五经The Four Books, namely The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects of Confucius and The Mencius; The Five Classics, namely The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Changes, The Book of Rites, The Spring of Autumn and Annals。
以四开头的三字习惯用语也不可不知，如四人帮the Gag of Four；四号客consumer of heroin；四合院quadrangle。“肆”虽然是“四”的大写，然而，茶楼酒肆的“肆”却是店铺。
说“五”
汉语成语中的一个数字或两个数字并不表示具体数量。如五花八门multifarious；五湖四海all corners of the country；五颜六色 colorful；五日京兆 an official who doesn’t expect to remain long in office；五体投地prostrate oneself before sb. with admiration；五内如焚As if the five viscera are burning；五方人士people from all regions；五色斑斓a riot of color；五短身材（of a man）squat；五大三粗big and tall。
“五”有时实指数量，需要把实际内容一一翻译出来。如五官five sense organs consist of ears, eyes, lips, nose and tongue；五讲四美Five Stresses (stress on decorum, manners, hygiene , discipline and morals) and Four Points of Beauty (beauty of the mind, language, behavior and the environment)；五金the Five metals (gold, silver, copper, iron and tin)；五伦the five human relationship (between ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, brothers and friends)；五行five elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth)；五味the five flavors (sweet, sour, bitter, pungent and salty)；五保户household enjoying the five guarantees (childless and infirm old persons who are guaranteed food, clothing, medical care, housing and burial expense)；五角星five-pointed star；五星级five-star；五角大楼 the Pentagon（前缀penta- 是5的意思）。
汉语成语中的数字有时不必具体翻译，如五十步笑百步，翻译成the pot calls the kettle black, 相当于汉语的另一个成语：猪笑乌鸦黑。
说“六”
中国传统婚嫁，讲究“六礼”the Six Ceremonies，现在几乎失传。一、纳采（委禽）offering a wild goose，向女方提亲propose a marriage alliance。说起来也很浪漫。媒人向女方通报，经同意，男方即遗赠鸿雁；鸿雁是向阳鸟，南北迁徙，终身专一。二、问名asking her name和生辰birthday（现在男女交往也讲究星座）。三、纳言sending information, 在庙里卜得吉兆auspice, 通知女家，缔结婚姻concluding marriage。四、纳征sending betrothal gifts to the bride’s family。五、请期informing wedding day to bride’s family。六、亲迎getting married。
佛家把色lust、声song、香fragrant、味taste、触touch、法ill idea称为“六尘”，产生于人们的“六根”the six senses（眼eye、耳ear、鼻nose、舌tongue、身body、意mind）。六根不全The senses are deficient；六根不净The six senses still in control；六根清净free from human desires and passions。
我们常说六神无主The internal organs are out of order（六神指心heart、肺lungs、肝liver、肾kidneys、脾spleen、胆gall-bladder）；六合（东east、南south、西west、北north、天heaven、地earth）之内all are within the universe；六畜（马horse、牛cow、羊sheep、鸡birds、犬dog、豕pig）兴旺The domestic animals are all thriving。六亲不认not recognize one’s own closest relatives；六亲无靠nobody to turn to； 六辔在手to have complete power over others。
说“七”
七和八连用，表示凌乱，杂乱无章。七零八落all a hideous mess，七拼八凑to scrape，七颠八倒all in confusion，七上八下an unsettled state of mind，七手八脚too many cooks spoil the broth，七嘴八舌like a talk-shot or rattle box，横七竖八I disorder，七倒八歪off-balance，七言八语all talking in confusion or offering different opinions，七大八小objects of various sizes thrown together，七折八扣not pay full amount。意大利人说translator--traitor，就是说，翻译要敢于“背叛”，善于“背叛”。形似者死亡，神似者生存。
古代丈夫遗弃妻子，理由有七，叫做“七出”：无子birth sterile、淫佚wanton、不事舅姑no wait upon uncle and aunts in-law、口舌gossipy、盗窃burglary、妒嫉envy、恶疾a nasty disease。七窍又叫七孔：口mouth、两眼eyes、两耳ears、两鼻孔nostrils。《庄子 · 应帝王》中说：“人皆有七窍，以视听食息。”Everybody has seven apertures in the head to sight, listen, eat and breathe. 七窍生烟to fume with anger。七情the seven human emotions：喜joy、怒anger、哀sorrow、惧fear、爱love、恶hate、欲desire。
在汉语成语里，七要翻译成实数。七步之才seven-pace talent。曹植七步成诗：煮豆燃豆萁，豆在釜中泣。本是同根生，相煎何太急。Burning beanstalk to boil beans/That cry in the cauldrons/Both from the same root/Why they suffer each hurrying。
说“八”
古来说的八风，并不是风向的专名，不过是先民对于刮风的感受而已。《吕氏春秋 · 有始》中的列有“八风”：炎风（东北风）hot wind；滔风（东风）big wind；东南风（熏风）fumigating wind；巨风（南风）strong wind；凄风（西南风）chilly wind；飀风（西风）light breeze；厉风（西北风）violet wind；寒风cold wind（北风）。
中国古代对乐器有“八音”的统称：金 metal chimes（编钟）、石chime stone、土ocarina、革drum、丝stringed instrument、木woodwind instrument、匏calabash、竹bamboo。以现代的音乐表标准来分，金、石、革、木为打击乐器percussion instruments；土、匏、竹为管乐器wind instruments；丝为弦乐器stringed instrument。明白了这八音，八音盒musical box 是什么，便可迎刃而解了。八字eight cyclical characters（生年birth year、生月birth month、生日birth day、生时birth time）。问八字to consult horoscope。八字帖card of horoscope presented by candidate for betrothal。八字不合Horoscopes of proposed couple do not agree。八仙桌是八个人围桌而坐的大方桌a square dinner table seating eight；旧时所用的信纸，每页信纸印有红线八行，称为八行书，即代称书信a letter。
“八”字的成语不少，如八面玲珑be smooth and slick；八面威风a commanding presence；八仙过海，各显神通act like the Eight immortals crossing the sea, each one showing his or her special prowess。八方呼应responses from every direction；八旗子弟pampered offspring of Manchu Eight Banners；八斗之才very gifted man。
说“九”
古人传说，天有九重，高不可测too high to measure，如九重天being the highest。九重就是天the heaven的代称.。与九天相对，也有“九地”之说，言其深不可知too deep to know。九泉指阴间the Hades, grave。
传说夏禹铸成九鼎，神圣不可侵犯。“鼎”于是成为帝王统治权力的象征。所谓一言九鼎One word is more prized than the sacred treasures，就相当于圣旨imperial edict。“九霄”指“天”的最高处，九霄云外，英语可以说成beyond the highest heavens。
汉语有写成语同“九”有关。如九九归一when all is said and done；九五之尊the imperial throne；九牛一毛a drop in the ocean；九牛二虎之力make Herculean efforts；九世同堂nine generations living in together；九死一生a ten percent chance to survive；九泉之下beneath the nether world；九原可作if the dead in the graves can resurrect；九炼成钢Master is the result of long practice。九个裁缝成一人Nine tailors make a man。
说“十”
十是五的倍数，故有成语“五光十色”resplendent with variegated coloration；“五风十雨”形容风调雨顺favorable weather。《论衡 · 是应》说：“风不鸣条，雨不破块，五日一风，十日一雨”Wind does not make twigs sound while rain does not break the land every other five or ten days。
中国人向来崇尚“和为贵”Harmony is above all，把“花”称为“花友”flower friend，“花客”flower guest，而且给各种花都取了富有诗意的名字poetic names。如牡丹为贵客peony—honored guest；梅花为清客winter sweet—aloof guest；菊花为寿客chrysanthemum—long-life guest；瑞香为佳客winter Daphne odora—transit guest；丁香为素客lilac—quiet guest；兰花为幽客orchid—delicate guest；莲花为静客Lotus—peaceful guest；荼麋roseleaf raspberry—tasteful guest为雅客；桂花为仙客sweet-scented osmanthus—immortal guest ；茉莉为远客jasmine—far-away guest；芍药为近客 Chinese herbaceous peony—near guest。
下面引用有关“十”的成语：十人十心So many men, so many minds；十人十色everyone to his taste；十之八九in nine cases of ten；十手所指target of public accusation；十全十美perfect in every way； 十年树木It takes ten years to make the tree grow； 十官九胖Nine of ten officials are fat；十拿九稳ninety percent sure；十恶不赦beyond redemption。