我们都知道“double”的中文意思是“双倍”，那你知道“double time”是什么意思吗？从字面上看“double time”好像是“双倍时间”的意思，但其实它和时间没有关系，真正的意思是“双倍工资”。
“double time”通常指因周末或法定假日加班而获得的双倍工资。
double time: If you are paid double time, you are paid twice the usual amount for the time that you spend working, usually because you are working at the weekend or on an official holiday. If you work double time, you work twice as long as normal.
For example, some pay double time for overtime, some pay time and a half, and others do not pay for overtime.
例如，有些人付双倍的加班费，有些人付1.5倍的加班费，还有一些人不付加班费。
The small print is not about double time and not about protection for workers.
小字跟双倍工资和保护工人都无关。
你还记得英语中倍数如何表达吗？一起复习一下吧。
1.倍数+as+形容词/副词(原级)+as
两倍：twice
两倍以上：基数词+times
There are twice as many houses in this area as there used to be.
这个地区的房屋数量是从前的两倍。
He ate three times as many bananas as Mary.
他吃的香蕉是玛丽吃的三倍。
2.倍数+形容词或副词的比较级+than
This lion is four times bigger than that one.
这头狮子是那头狮子的四倍大。
This work is ten times better than the last piece you did.
这篇作品比你上次的那篇要好上10倍。
3.倍数+the size/length/weight/width/height…+of+表示比较对象的名词
This river is six times the depth of that one.
这条河是那条河的六倍深。
4.倍数+what引导的从句
The length of the road is four times what it was three years ago.
这条路的长度是三年前的4倍。
倍数的翻译也是我们经常遇到的难点问题，尤其是“increase to”和“increase by”，该怎么理解呢？首先有一个公式：
increase N times = increase by N times = increase to N times
上述表达都可以表示“增加N倍”。但是需要注意的是翻译成中文的时候“increase to N times”要翻译成“增加N-1倍”或者“增加到N倍”。
The output of cotton increased to five times in the years 1973-1979.
1979年棉花产量比1973年增加了4倍/1979年棉花产量是1973年的5倍。
The production of steel has increased to three times since 1980．
钢的产量1980年以来已增加了2倍/现在的钢产量是1980年的3倍。
在这类句型中“increase”常被“rise、grow、go/step up、multiply”等词所替代。
同理，如果想要表示减少，可以用“decrease/reduce/shorten”。“decrease N times/decrease to N times”都可以表示为“减少到1/N”。
The cotton output has decreased by 50％．
棉花产量减少了50％。
“double”除了有“双倍的”意思，还可以表示“一模一样的人；极相像的人”。
Hey, Tony, I met someone at a party last week who was your double.
嘿，托尼，上周我在一次聚会上遇到一个长得和你一模一样的人。
double back 走回头路，原路返回
We realized we had taken the wrong road and had to double back.
我们发现走错了路，于是不得不原路返回。
double up 与他人共用（尤指房间）
Terry will have to double up with Bill in the front bedroom.
特里只好与比尔一起睡在前面的卧室里了。
double up 收到两倍；使用两倍
Damon doubled up, winning two Oscars that night.
戴蒙再次胜出，那晚获得了两项奥斯卡奖。
double (up) as sth 也可用作，还能当作
The kitchen table doubles as my desk when I'm writing.
我写东西时这个餐桌还可以当书桌用。
double (sb) up/over （通常指由于痛苦或大笑而）弯腰，前仰后合
Most of the crowd doubled up with laughter at every joke.
人群中的大多数人每听完一个笑话都会笑得前仰后合。
今天要说的就是这么多了，感谢您的阅读。
本文由普特英语编辑
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