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人们在学英语的同时也在改变英语(下)
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如今，许多英语学习者仍然力求达到美式英语或英式英语的标准。
双语精读
Today, many learners still aim for an American or British standard. Textbooks instruct Indian English-speakers to avoid Indianisms such as "What is your good name?" for "What is your first name?", or "I am working here for years" instead of "I have been working here for years."
如今，许多英语学习者仍然力求达到美式英语或英式英语的标准。教科书让说英语的印度人避免印度腔，比如把“你的名字是什么？”说成“你的好名字是什么？”，或者把“我在这里已经工作了很多年”说出“我在这里正在工作了很多年”。
A guide to avoiding Europeanisms has long circulated in European Union institutions, to keep French- or German-speakers from (for example) using "actual" to mean "current", as it does in their languages.
避免欧化英语的指南一直在欧盟机构内流传，目的是防止说法语或德语的人(例如)用actual（真实的）来表示“当前”，这是actual在法语和德语中的用法。
Yet as hundreds of millions of new speakers make English their own, they are going to be less keen to sound British or American. A generation of post-colonial novelists has been mixing native words and phrasings into their English prose, without translation, italics or explanation.
然而，随着数以亿计的新英语使用者将英语变成他们自己的语言，他们将不再热衷于让自己听起来像英国人或美国人。后殖民时期的一代小说家在他们的英语写作中混入了本土词汇和短语，而且没有翻译、标注斜体或进行解释。
Academic movements such as "English as a lingua franca" (ELF) have been developing the ideology that speakers-no longer referred to as "non-native" but rather "multilingual"-should feel free to ignore British or American norms.
“作为世界语的英语”(ELF)之类的学术运动一直在倡导这样一种思想，即说英语的人--不再被称为“非母语者”，而是“多语言使用者”--应该毫无顾忌地无视英式英语或美式英语的规范。
Karen Bennett of Nova University in Lisbon says the university website has been translated using words common in southern European English-like "scientific" for "academic", or "rector" for "vice-chancellor". The appropriate local dialect is not British or American but ELF.
里斯本诺瓦大学的凯伦·班内特说，该大学的网站在翻译成英语时，已经使用了南欧英语中常见的词汇，比如“科学的”代表“学术的”，“院长”代表“校长”。这种恰当的当地方言不是英式英语或美式英语，而是作为世界语的英语。
Given enough time, new generations of native speakers contribute not just words but their own grammar to the language they learn-from older speakers' point of view, distorting it in the process.
假以时日，新一代以英语为母语的人不仅会贡献他们自己的词汇，还会贡献他们自己的语法，从老一代英语母语者的角度来看，这会逐渐扭曲英语。
"I am working here for years" is a mistake today, but it is not hard to imagine it becoming standard in the future in culturally confident Anglophone Indian circles.
“我在这里正在工作了很多年”现在看来是一个病句，但不难想象在未来，这句话会成为文化自信的讲英语的印度文化圈的标准句式。
If this disturbs you, remember that this column is written in a mangled version of Anglo-Saxon, learned badly by waves of Celts, Vikings, Normans and others until it became an unrecognisably different tongue.
如果你对此感到不安，请记住，本篇专栏文章就是用面目全非的盎格鲁-撒克逊语写成的，凯尔特人、维京人、诺曼人等等都学习了盎格鲁-撒克逊语，而且学得很糟糕，直到它变成了一种截然不同的语言。
And take comfort in the fact that such changes usually happen too slowly to affect comprehension in a single lifetime. Written language is less volatile than the spoken kind and exerts a stabilising force.
令人欣慰的是，这种变化通常发生得很慢，人在一辈子中还不会受到它对理解语言的影响。书面语的变化程度比口语要小，从而能起到稳定作用。
But if language is always evolving (true to the point of cliché), the adaptations are even more profound when they come as a result of new speakers hailing from different linguistic worlds.
但是，如果语言总是在进化(确实如此，简直是老生常谈了)，那么当来自不同语言世界人开始讲英语，从而带来语言的改变时，这种改变就会更加深远。
No language has ever reached more speakers than English. It is hard to predict how they will change it, but easy to rule out the notion that they will not change it at all. In the end, it will be theirs too.
再没有哪种语言像英语这样触及了如此多的人。很难预测人们将如何改变英语，但很容易排除人们完全不会改变英语这种想法。最终，英语也将属于他们。
词汇预习
current [高考]
美[ˈkɜːrənt] | 英[ˈkʌrənt]
n. 趋势；(水、气、电)流 adj. 现在的；流通的
column [高考]
美[ˈkɑːləm] | 英[ˈkɒləm]
n. 栏；专栏；列；圆柱；柱；柱形物
profound [高考]
美[prəˈfaʊnd] | 英[prəˈfaʊnd]
adj. 深奥的；渊博的；极度的；意义深远的
ignore [高考]
美[ɪɡˈnɔːr] | 英[ɪɡˈnɔː(r)]
vt. 忽视；不理；不顾
generation [高考]
美[ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn] | 英[ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn]
n. 一代（人）；一代人的时间；（产品发展的）代；产生
contribute [高考]
美[kənˈtrɪbjuːt] | 英[kənˈtrɪbjuːt]
vt. 捐助；投稿 vi. 投稿；贡献；是原因之一
comprehension [高考]
美[ˌkɑːmprɪˈhenʃn] | 英[ˌkɒmprɪˈhenʃn]
n. 理解；理解力；领悟能力
explanation [高考]
美[ˌekspləˈneɪʃn] | 英[ˌekspləˈneɪʃn]
n. 解释；说明
academic [高考]
美[ˌækəˈdemɪk] | 英[ˌækəˈdemɪk]
adj. 学院的；学术的；理论的 n. 大学教师，大学生；学者，学究
appropriate [高考]
美[əˈproʊpriət , əˈproʊprieɪt] | 英[əˈprəʊpriət , əˈprəʊprieɪt]
adj. 适当的；相称的 vt. 占用；拨出(款项)
translation [高考]
美[trænzˈleɪʃn] | 英[trænzˈleɪʃn]
n. 翻译；译文；译本；转化
actual [高考]
美[ˈæktʃuəl] | 英[ˈæktʃuəl]
adj. 实际的；事实上的
instruct [高考]
美[ɪnˈstrʌkt] | 英[ɪnˈstrʌkt]
v. 教；命令；指导；[计] 指示
vice [高考]
美[vaɪs] | 英[vaɪs]
n. 缺点，恶习；堕落，邪恶；罪行；老虎钳 v. 握住；钳紧 adj. 副的；代替的，代理的 prep.代替
as a result of [高考]
美[æz ə rɪˈzʌlt əv] | 英[æz ə rɪˈzʌlt ɒv]
作为 ... 的结果； 由于
to the point [高考]
美[tu ði pɔɪnt] | 英[tu: ðə pɔint]
切题； 切中要害
aim for [高考]
美[em fɔr] | 英[eim fɔ:]
瞄准； 以 ... 为目标
dialect [高考]
美[ˈdaɪəlekt] | 英[ˈdaɪəlekt]
n. 方言；地方话
notion [高考]
美[ˈnoʊʃn] | 英[ˈnəʊʃn]
n. 观念；概念；想法；主张
slowly [四级]
美[ˈsloʊli] | 英[ˈsləʊli]
adv. 缓慢地
rule out [四级]
美[rʊl aʊt] | 英[ruːl aʊt]
消除； 排除； 划线隔开
true to [四级]
美 | 英
忠实于；信赖
feel free to [四级]
美[fil fri tu] | 英[fi:l fri: tu:]
可以随便
learned [四级]
美[lɜːrnd , ˈlɜːrnɪd] | 英[lɜːnd , ˈlɜːnɪd]
adj. 有学问的；博学的
linguistic [六级]
美[lɪŋˈɡwɪstɪk] | 英[lɪŋˈɡwɪstɪk]
adj. 语言的；语言学的
ideology [六级]
美[ˌaɪdiˈɑːlədʒi] | 英[ˌaɪdiˈɒlədʒi]
n. 意识形态；空论；观念学
multilingual [六级]
美[ˌmʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəl] | 英[ˌmʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəl]
adj. 使用多种语言的；用多种文字书写或印刷的 n. 使用多种语言的人
chancellor [六级]
美[ˈtʃænsələr] | 英[ˈtʃɑːnsələ(r)]
n. 大臣；总理；名誉校长；大法官
colonial [六级]
美[kəˈloʊniəl] | 英[kəˈləʊniəl]
adj. 殖民地的 n. 殖民地居民
prose [六级]
美[proʊz] | 英[prəʊz]
adj. 散文的 n. 散文
guide to [六级]
美[ɡaɪd tu] | 英[ɡaid tu:]
v. 带领到
volatile [专八]
美[ˈvɑːlətl] | 英[ˈvɒlətaɪl]
adj. 不稳定的；反复无常的；易挥发的 n. 挥发物
non [考研]
美[nɒn] | 英[nɒn]
adv. [拉]非；不是
developing [雅思]
美[dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ] | 英[dɪˈveləpɪŋ]
adj. 发展中的
重点讲解
Today, many learners still aim for an American or British standard. Textbooks instruct Indian English-speakers to avoid Indianisms such as “What is your good name?” for “What is your first name?”, or “I am working here for years” instead of “I have been working here for years.”
如今，许多英语学习者仍然力求达到美式英语或英式英语的标准。教科书让说英语的印度人避免印度腔，比如把“你的名字是什么？”说成“你的好名字是什么？”，或者把“我在这里已经工作了很多年”说出“我在这里正在工作了很多年”。
instruct v.
1. 教授；指导
【例】We have one teacher who instructs us in reading, English, and history .
我们有位老师, 一人教我们阅读、英语及历史3门课。
【近义词】teach v. 教
【拓展】instructive adj. 有教育意义的；获益良多的
2. 指示；命令
【例】She arrived at 10 o'clock as instructed.
她依照指示于10点钟到达。
【近义词】direct/order v. 命令；指示
circulate v. 环流；流传；周旋
【例】the air/rumor/document/host circulates
空气流通/谣言传播/文件传阅/主人周旋
A guide to avoiding Europeanisms has long circulated in European Union institutions, to keep French- or German-speakers from (for example) using “actual” to mean “current”, as it does in their languages.
避免欧化英语的指南一直在欧盟机构内流传，目的是防止说法语或德语的人(例如)用actual（真实的）来表示“当前”，这是actual在法语和德语中的用法。
instruct v.
1. 教授；指导
【例】We have one teacher who instructs us in reading, English, and history .
我们有位老师, 一人教我们阅读、英语及历史3门课。
【近义词】teach v. 教
【拓展】instructive adj. 有教育意义的；获益良多的
2. 指示；命令
【例】She arrived at 10 o'clock as instructed.
她依照指示于10点钟到达。
【近义词】direct/order v. 命令；指示
circulate v. 环流；流传；周旋
【例】the air/rumor/document/host circulates
空气流通/谣言传播/文件传阅/主人周旋
Yet as hundreds of millions of new speakers make English their own, they are going to be less keen to sound British or American. A generation of post-colonial novelists has been mixing native words and phrasings into their English prose, without translation, italics or explanation.
然而，随着数以亿计的新英语使用者将英语变成他们自己的语言，他们将不再热衷于让自己听起来像英国人或美国人。后殖民时期的一代小说家在他们的英语写作中混入了本土词汇和短语，而且没有翻译、标注斜体或进行解释。
be keen to do/on sth 热衷于某事
【例】She was keen to help. 她很热心地想要帮忙。
He is keen on sports. 他对运动很感兴趣。
【近义词】be eager to/be enthusiastic about 对某事充满热情
Academic movements such as “English as a lingua franca” (ELF) have been developing the ideology that speakers—no longer referred to as “non-native” but rather “multilingual”—should feel free to ignore British or American norms.
“作为世界语的英语”(ELF)之类的学术运动一直在倡导这样一种思想，即说英语的人--不再被称为“非母语者”，而是“多语言使用者”--应该毫无顾忌地无视英式英语或美式英语的规范。
refer to sb as... 把某人称为……
【例】He prefers to be referred to as a "researcher" rather than a "scientist".
他更喜欢被称为“研究员”而不是“科学家”。
【拓展】refer to sth
1. 指的是；描述的是
【例】This paragraph refers to the events of last year.
这一段说的是去年发生的事。
2. 参考；查阅
【例】refer to a dictionary 查阅字典
norms n. 规范；标准
【例】social/cultural norms 社会/文化规范
【拓展】normal adj. 师范的
【例】a normal college 师范学院
【辨析】norm n. 常态
【例】the norm rather than the exception 常态而不是例外
Karen Bennett of Nova University in Lisbon says the university website has been translated using words common in southern European English—like “scientific” for “academic”, or “rector” for “vice-chancellor”. The appropriate local dialect is not British or American but ELF.
里斯本诺瓦大学的凯伦·班内特说，该大学的网站在翻译成英语时，已经使用了南欧英语中常见的词汇，比如“科学的”代表“学术的”，“院长”代表“校长”。这种恰当的当地方言不是英式英语或美式英语，而是作为世界语的英语。
refer to sb as... 把某人称为……
【例】He prefers to be referred to as a "researcher" rather than a "scientist".
他更喜欢被称为“研究员”而不是“科学家”。
【拓展】refer to sth
1. 指的是；描述的是
【例】This paragraph refers to the events of last year.
这一段说的是去年发生的事。
2. 参考；查阅
【例】refer to a dictionary 查阅字典
norms n. 规范；标准
【例】social/cultural norms 社会/文化规范
【拓展】normal adj. 师范的
【例】a normal college 师范学院
【辨析】norm n. 常态
【例】the norm rather than the exception 常态而不是例外
Given enough time, new generations of native speakers contribute not just words but their own grammar to the language they learn—from older speakers’ point of view, distorting it in the process.
假以时日，新一代以英语为母语的人不仅会贡献他们自己的词汇，还会贡献他们自己的语法，从老一代英语母语者的角度来看，这会逐渐扭曲英语。
distort v. 使变形；扭曲
【例】The sour lemon will distort your face.
这个酸柠檬会让你表情扭曲。
to distort the truth 歪曲事实
【近义词】twist v. 使变形；扭曲；歪曲
“I am working here for years” is a mistake today, but it is not hard to imagine it becoming standard in the future in culturally confident Anglophone Indian circles.
“我在这里正在工作了很多年”现在看来是一个病句，但不难想象在未来，这句话会成为文化自信的讲英语的印度文化圈的标准句式。
distort v. 使变形；扭曲
【例】The sour lemon will distort your face.
这个酸柠檬会让你表情扭曲。
to distort the truth 歪曲事实
【近义词】twist v. 使变形；扭曲；歪曲
If this disturbs you, remember that this column is written in a mangled version of Anglo-Saxon, learned badly by waves of Celts, Vikings, Normans and others until it became an unrecognisably different tongue.
如果你对此感到不安，请记住，本篇专栏文章就是用面目全非的盎格鲁-撒克逊语写成的，凯尔特人、维京人、诺曼人等等都学习了盎格鲁-撒克逊语，而且学得很糟糕，直到它变成了一种截然不同的语言。
mangled adj. 严重损坏的
【例】The car was mangled in the accident.
车子在事故中被严重损坏。
His words were so mangled in the translation that the original meaning was lost.
他的话在翻译过程中被搞得一团糟，原本的意思完全丢失了。
volatile adj. 动荡的；不稳定的
【例】The situation in the region remains volatile, with tensions escalating rapidly.
该地区的局势仍然不稳定，紧张局势迅速升级。
And take comfort in the fact that such changes usually happen too slowly to affect comprehension in a single lifetime. Written language is less volatile than the spoken kind and exerts a stabilising force.
令人欣慰的是，这种变化通常发生得很慢，人在一辈子中还不会受到它对理解语言的影响。书面语的变化程度比口语要小，从而能起到稳定作用。
mangled adj. 严重损坏的
【例】The car was mangled in the accident.
车子在事故中被严重损坏。
His words were so mangled in the translation that the original meaning was lost.
他的话在翻译过程中被搞得一团糟，原本的意思完全丢失了。
volatile adj. 动荡的；不稳定的
【例】The situation in the region remains volatile, with tensions escalating rapidly.
该地区的局势仍然不稳定，紧张局势迅速升级。
But if language is always evolving (true to the point of cliché), the adaptations are even more profound when they come as a result of new speakers hailing from different linguistic worlds.
但是，如果语言总是在进化(确实如此，简直是老生常谈了)，那么当来自不同语言世界人开始讲英语，从而带来语言的改变时，这种改变就会更加深远。
hail from 起源于；来自
【例】Many famous musicians in this genre hail from the southern states of the US.
这个流派的许多著名音乐家来自美国南部的各州。
【近义词】come from/originate from 来自
rule out 排除
【例】rule out the possibility of 排除……的可能性
The plan was ruled out as too expensive.
这个方案被认为花钱太多而被排除。
【近义词】exclude v. 排除
No language has ever reached more speakers than English. It is hard to predict how they will change it, but easy to rule out the notion that they will not change it at all. In the end, it will be theirs too.
再没有哪种语言像英语这样触及了如此多的人。很难预测人们将如何改变英语，但很容易排除人们完全不会改变英语这种想法。最终，英语也将属于他们。
hail from 起源于；来自
【例】Many famous musicians in this genre hail from the southern states of the US.
这个流派的许多著名音乐家来自美国南部的各州。
【近义词】come from/originate from 来自
rule out 排除
【例】rule out the possibility of 排除……的可能性
The plan was ruled out as too expensive.
这个方案被认为花钱太多而被排除。
【近义词】exclude v. 排除
课后练习
What is the purpose of the guide circulating in European Union?
A. To encourage the use of standard English language.
B. To promote the use of European languages over English.
C. To compare the difference between English and European languages.
D. To show that English is more accurate than European languages.
What does the example of Nova University's website translation illustrate?
A. The need for universities to adhere to British or American English standards.
B. The importance of using academic language in university settings.
C. The growing acceptance of "English as a lingua franca".
D. The prevalence of translation mistakes in southern Europe.
According to the author, what impact will new generations of native speakers have on English?
A. They will adhere to the established grammatical rules of English.
B. They will disrupt the language and make it incomprehensible.
C. They will enrich the language and propel it to evolve.
D. They will bring many mistakes and ambiguities to the language.
According to the text, what can be inferred about the future of English?
A. The English language will remain static and unchanged.
B. The English language will make it unnecessary to learn other languages.
C. The English language will promote the communication of the world.
D. The English language will be shaped by speakers from around the world.