1)根据美国英语中每逢四位数就要变更计数单位的规则,记数时采用国际习惯每隔三位数用一逗号分开,即1,000以上的数:先从后向前数,每三位数加一“,”,第一个“,”号前为thousand,第二个“,”号前为million,第三个“,”号前为billion(在英国英语国家中为thousand million),然后一节一节表示。例如:123,456,895,167,读成one hundred (and) twenty three billion four hundred (and) fifty-six million eight hundred (and) ninety-five thousand one hundred and sixty-seven.从这一读法中不难看出:除了trillion,billion,和million外,其他数字都是百、十、个的反复使用。
1,000可读作one thousand或ten hundred,4,500可读作four thousand five hundred或forty-five hundred,500,000可读作five hundred thousand或half million。
在VOA的英语广播中,如果数字达到或超过了billion,Special English和Standard English 的读法通常都不一样。如:The Chinese News Agency says China’s population has grown to 1,031,882,511 persons. (St.) Standard English的播音员将这一数字读作one billion thirty-one million eight hundred eighty-two thousand five hundred eleven。而Special English的播音员将这一数字读作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的播音员将这一数字读作one billion,而Special English的播音员将这一数字读作one thousand million,这一读法避免了使用billion这一没有被VOA Special English Wordbook收进的难词。