one—third the time
原因：
He did it one-third the time it took me 的英語(yǔ)結(jié)構(gòu)是：He did it for one-third the time it took me .英語(yǔ)中省略for 到處可見(jiàn),the time it took me中it took me 是定語(yǔ)從句,意思是：它（那件事）所花費(fèi)9我的時(shí)間),把“the time "放到正確位置是“ it took me the time "(這件事占據(jù)我那一段時(shí)間）先行詞the time 在定語(yǔ)從句中作直接賓語(yǔ).因此 He did it one-third the time it took me 這句話的直譯意思是：他當(dāng)時(shí)做那件事用了三分之一的（the time )那段特定的時(shí)間,那件事花費(fèi)我(正是)那段特定的時(shí)間..one—third the time 是三分之一的那段時(shí)間,指的不是那段時(shí)間的全部.如果寫(xiě)成 “the one -third time”指的 是“特定的三分之一的時(shí)間”表示“整體上上講就是三分之一的時(shí)間”,這時(shí)我們對(duì)三分之一的時(shí)間概念一定模糊不清,故英譯中表示 “三分之一的.（特定的整體）時(shí)間”或“.的時(shí)間的三分之一”,很明顯用“one-third the time ”就很合乎語(yǔ)法和邏輯理解了.例如 we played basketball that day for six hours ,(我們那天打籃球用了6小時(shí)）,那么,one-third the time we played basketball that day for is two hours ,(三分之一的我們打籃球的時(shí)間）或我們打籃球的三分之一的時(shí)間是2小時(shí).）,從這里看看“for"是不是很別扭,把它一省略,就更能明白了,.
因?yàn)?the "表示特指,the time it took me 是定語(yǔ)從句修飾先行詞"the time " ,（見(jiàn)上面分析）,定語(yǔ)從句的先行詞前加"the"是理所當(dāng)然的事.a 表示泛指.