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In the following sentence:

调查显示，32%的海外民众认为中国是对世界经济影响最大的国家。与5年前相比翻了一番。

一番 might mean "one time" (at least my dictionary on macOS says "一倍" while Pleco only lists "one kind"). However, 翻 I believe means "double" as a verb here.

So I feel that the sentence is contradictionary... At least from the context, the influence of China would be "doubled". But then what is the meaning of 一番 here?

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  • (see dictionaries) 翻了一番 double, 翻 to double, 番 verbal measure word,i.e. double once, 翻两番 double twice (i.e. quadruple, multiply by 4), dictionary: bkrs – user6065 Oct 18 '17 at 21:18
  • @user6065 Which dictionary? Pleco and macOS’s dictionary both don’t have the entry... – Blaszard Oct 18 '17 at 21:19
  • bkrs：番II 〈量〉 (1) 次, 回 [time] 迭为三番。 ＂实用现代汉语语法＂；动量词：other verbal measure words: 次、下、一下、回、顿、阵、场、趟、遍. 番 ：多用于费事费力的行为。＂如他又调查了一番＂、＂这件事你得好动一番脑筋才能想出解决的办法＂，＂他们昨天较量了一番，结果不分胜负＂。＂番＂前一般只能用数词＂一＂，口语中较少使用。 see however example in comment #1, and find 87 samples with 两番, mostly 翻两番 at jukuu – user6065 Oct 18 '17 at 21:46
  • more on 动量词，verbal classifier， verb/verbal measure word，＂实用现代汉语语法＂ 表示动作或变化次数的单位的量词叫动量词。动量词也分 专用动量词 与 借用动量词 两类。 (一）专用动量词 。 专用动量词数目不多，主要有： 次、下、回、顿、阵、场、趟、遍. 番等。专用动量词一般不仅仅表示动作或变化的量，还包含某种词汇意义。动量词的使用不仅与动词有关，还与相关的名词有关。 ［次] ＂次＂表示动作的次数，一般用于（能）反复出现的动作。如＂这个问题我们讨论了三次＂、＂这个电影他看了两次，都没看完＂。＂次＂是最常用的动量词。 ［下] ＂下＂表示动作进行的次数，一般用于短时间的动作。如＂老师拍了小刘一下＂、＂他摇了几下旗子＂、＂他敲了桌子一下＂。＂一下＂用在动词后还有缓和语气的作用，不表示动作的次数。如＂你来一下＂、＂喂，你给我找一下小李＂、＂你详细介绍一下事情的经过＂。上面的句子比＂你来＂、＂喂，你给我找小李＂、＂你详细介绍事情的经过＂ 语气要委婉得多。 ［回] ＂回＂表示动作的次数，也用于（能）反复出现的动作，比＂次＂的口语色彩更浓。如＂他家我去过三回＂、＂这件事他问过我一回，我没告诉他＂、＂一回生，两回熟＂。＂回＂还可以作名量词，用于＂事情＂。 – user6065 Oct 19 '17 at 6:01
  • 如＂这是怎么一回事＂、＂你们说的是一回事，别争了＂。 ［顿] ＂顿＂表示动作的次数，一般用于吃饭、斥责、打骂等动作。如＂每天吃三顿饭＂、＂他训斥了那个流氓一顿＂、＂他昨天叫人打了一顿＂。 ［阵] ＂阵＂表示一段时间，一般用于骤发的持续的时间比较短的情况。如＂下了一阵雨＂、＂响了一阵枪声＂、＂台下爆发了一阵热烈的掌声＂、＂她觉得身上一阵冷，一阵热＂。 ［场] 完整地进行一次为＂一场＂，多用于文艺表演及体育活动。如＂上午打了一场球＂、＂明天有两场电影＂、＂她大哭了一场＂。 ［趟] 一去一回为一趟。如＂我刚进了一趟城＂、＂去年我去了欧洲一趟＂、＂他今天来了三趟都没有看到你＂。 ［遍] 一个（套）动作行为从开始到结束的整个过程为一遍。如＂这个电影我看了三遍，每遍都很感动＂、＂你把课文从头到尾念一遍＂。 ［番] see comment #3 (二）借用动量词 。表示动作行为所凭借的工具以及人体的四肢器官的名词，可以借用为动量词。如＂砍了一斧子＂、＂切了一刀＂、＂放了一枪＂、＂踢了一脚＂、＂咬了一口＂、＂看了一眼＂、＂打了一拳＂。 – user6065 Oct 19 '17 at 6:07
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翻（了）n番 is common phrase, meaning 2^n. For example, 翻一番 = 2, 翻两番 = 4， ....

But the interesting phrase is 翻n倍. Some would take 翻n倍 = 翻n番, and some would take 翻n倍 = 1*n, and some take 翻n倍 = 1*(n+1). For example, 50翻3倍 could be 150, 400 or 200. This is really a moot point. Personally, I would take 翻n倍 = 1*(n+1) and 50翻3倍 would be 200.

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0

Your intuition is correct:

新招聘信息翻了一番。 New job ads doubled. 结果日产量翻了一番。
As a result output doubled.

与5年前相比翻了一番。 (This percentage) compared with 5 years earlier has doubled.

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The correct phrasing should be 与5年前相比翻了一翻. The first 翻 is the verb, the second 翻 is a verb classifier.

More example

斬一斬 (chop one chop = take one chop /chop once)

看一看 (look one look = take one look/ look once)

翻一翻 (flip one flip = take one flip/ flip once = doubling once)

A measure word (e.g. 一, 幾) followed by a 'verb classifier' describe how many times the action verb occurred. If it wrote "翻了幾翻", then it would mean "flipped a few flips" = "doubled the original number a few times"

翻倍

double up

翻了一翻 actually means "翻(倍)了一翻"

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  • 翻一翻 means 'take a search'. In 翻一番， 番 means 倍, and 翻 means multiply. – dan Oct 19 '17 at 8:46
  • 翻 has many meanings. 煎魚要翻一翻(turnover); 翻幾翻筋斗(tumble); 翻一翻書本 (flip); 番 doesn't mean 'double', it means 'times' or 'session' as in "教導一番" or "三番四次" – Tang Ho Oct 19 '17 at 9:02
  • Do you have any resource regarding 翻一翻 is an equivalent of 翻一番? I just searched it but found that it is used like "take a search" as @dan pointed out above - wiki.ucl.ac.uk/display/Chinese/Verb+reduplication – Blaszard Oct 19 '17 at 13:12
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I found that Pleco has the entry. The entry is on neither 一番 or 番 but 翻番.

According to the dictionary:

  • increase by a specified number of times

And the example sentences are:

翻两番 // quadruple

十年内学生人数翻了一番。 // The school's enrollment doubled in ten years.

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