英语表示“大约，差不多”的方法

英语表示大约、差不多的方法很多，下面列举一些常用的方法。

1) 通过副词 about, around, roughly 来表示“大约”
He arrived around five o'clock. 他大约在五点钟到达。
They drove for about ten miles. 她们开车行驶了大约十英里。
There are roughly ten thousand people living in this town. 大约有1万人住在这个小镇。

about 和 around 的前面还可以加上单词 somewhere，如:
The cost would be somewhere around £1500. 成本大约是1500 英镑。
The house was built somewhere about 50 years ago. 这所房子是大约50年前建造的。

2) 单词approximate, approximately 和 approximation
The approximate rate of production growth is 2 percent. 生产增长率大约为2%。
This new version of iPhone costs approximately 6500 HKD. 这款新的iPhone手机大约要6500港元。
An approximation for the circumference of the earth is 25000 miles. 地球的周长大约25000英里。

3) 词组or so 也很常用，使用时应位于数目之后。
Don't forget to turn off the gas after an hour or so. 别忘了过一小时左右就把煤气关掉。
In fifteen years or so the experts will know for sure whether the fish can survive in its new home. 15年左右，专家们将确知这种鱼是否能在它们的新家生存下去。

4) 单词some多数情况下都表示“一些”的意思，但也可以作副词表示“大约”的意思。some 的这个用法常被作为一个考点来考验学生。
Some three hundred people came to the concert. 大约300人来听音乐会。
There are some fifty teaching staff in this faculty. 这个系有约50个教职员工。

5) 此外，英语中还有不少搭配可以表示“大约”的意思，如：round about，in the neighbourhood of, somewhere in the region of, in the vicinity of, in/of/on the order of。
We're leaving round about midday. 我们要在中午前后走。
A new roof will cost round about £3000. 换新顶篷需要3000英镑左右。
Star players receive salaries in the neighbourhood of $125,000 a season. 星队员每赛季可获得大约125000美元的薪金。
He earns somewhere in the region of £20000. 他一年约挣20000英镑。
These technologies are based on a thermodynamic cycle, which efficiency is in the order of 35%. 这些技术以效能约为35%的热力循环为基础。