'妈妈'是小孩说的第一个词吗？

婴儿呱呱坠地时会寻求抚慰，所以他们发出的第一个词往往是“妈妈”。

双语精读

The babble and the beyond

咿呀学语之外

Babies come into the world seeking out comfort, so their first word is often "mama". It is easy to say and reflects the bond of mother and child.

婴儿呱呱坠地时会寻求抚慰，所以他们发出的第一个词往往是“妈妈”。这个词很容易发音，也反映了母亲和孩子之间的纽带。

Meanwhile those leaving this world often make a philosophical statement, reveal a long-hidden truth or even utter a witticism. "Either those curtains go or I do," Oscar Wilde supposedly said on his deathbed.

与此同时，即将离开这个世界的人常常会发表一些富有哲理的言论，揭示一个隐藏已久的真理，甚至说出一句俏皮话。“要么这窗帘去死，要么我去死。”据说奥斯卡·王尔德临终时这样说。

All this, including Mr. Wilde's quip, is dubious, argues Michael Erard, an American journalist who has written several books about language. In "Bye Bye I Love You" he dismantles many long-held beliefs about utterances at both the beginning and end of life.

美国调查记者迈克尔·埃拉德著有几本关于语言的书，他认为所有这些，包括王尔德的这句俏皮话，都是可疑的。在《拜拜我爱你》中，他打破了许多关于生命开始和结束时人们所说的话的长期认识。

He finds first and last words to be similar in many ways-such as how they are created by expectant listeners as much as by their speakers.

他发现人们的第一句话和最后一句话在很多方面都很相似——比如这些话既由说话人，也由心怀期待的倾听人共同创造。

Sounds like mama and dada or papa recur in many of the world's words for "mother" and "father". But about as many parental words lack these common sounds; in some languages the word for "mother" features rare consonants that children master only later.

在世界上许多表示“母亲”和“父亲”的词中，“妈妈”和“大大”或“爸爸”的发音反复出现。但是也有几乎同样多的表示父母的词没有这些常见的发音，在一些语言中，“母亲”这个词具有罕见的辅音，孩子们只有在以后才能掌握。

"Mama" is what Mr Erard calls a "cultural first word", fussed over by those who have learned to look out for it or even elicit it from little ones.

埃拉德把“妈妈”称为“文化第一词”，一些人很留意这个词，甚至从小孩口中引出这个词，并对此大做文章。

Medical advances in wealthy countries have led to more protracted declines and deaths at older ages; in earlier centuries violence, accidents and catastrophic illnesses claimed many young, otherwise healthy people.

富裕国家的医学进步延长了老年人的衰老期、推迟了死亡年龄，在之前的几个世纪里，暴力、事故和灾难性疾病夺走了许多年轻、原本健康的人的生命。

That has had an effect on last words. Popular culture has conditioned loved ones to expect some final truth or profundity in the last utterance of the dying. But moments of sudden lucidity, with clear, meaningful and memorable last words, are very much the exception in those who die today (and offer reason to be sceptical of many of the famous last words collected in anthologies).

这对临终遗言产生了影响。流行文化使亲人们期望临终者的最后遗言中包含一些终极真理或深刻的见解。但是在如今去世的人们之中，那些突然清醒、留下清晰、有意义、令人难忘的遗言的时刻是例外情况（这也让人们有理由怀疑收录在选集里的许多著名遗言）。

By far the most common process by which people die in the modern rich world is a slow breakdown of physical and mental faculties, "neurochemical commotion" that gradually robs people of the ability to say anything at all.

到目前为止，在现代富裕世界中，人们最常见的死亡过程是身体和精神功能的缓慢崩溃，这种“神经化学物质混乱”逐渐剥夺了人们说话的能力。

Indeed, in another link between first and last words, Mr Erard argues that dying people lose their verbal faculties in a way resembling the child's language learning but in reverse.

的确，埃拉德认为，第一句话和最后一句话之间的另一个联系是，垂死之人失去语言能力的方式类似于孩子学习语言的方式，但方向相反。

A book ending with so much death may sound like a hard read. Instead, it is a beautiful and even strangely comforting one, with Mr Erard as a pensive, patient guide. The end must come; unrealistic expectations about final messages need not.

以如此多的死亡结尾的书可能听起来很难读下去。相反，这本书很优美，甚至莫名给人慰藉，埃拉德也是一个沉思、耐心的向导。最终的死亡必会到来，但对最终遗言的不切实际的期望则不必出现。

词汇预习

• breakdown [高考]
  美[ˈbreɪkdaʊn] | 英[ˈbreɪkdaʊn]
  n. 崩溃；故障；衰弱；分类，明细；跺脚曳步舞
• parental [高考]
  美[pəˈrentl] | 英[pəˈrentl]
  adj. 父母的
• Oscar [高考]
  美['ɑskər] | 英['ɒskə(r)]
  n. 奥斯卡(男子名)；奥斯卡金像奖
• exception [高考]
  美[ɪkˈsepʃn] | 英[ɪkˈsepʃn]
  n. 例外；不合规则；反对；[律]异议
• memorable [高考]
  美[ˈmemərəbl] | 英[ˈmemərəbl]
  adj. 值得纪念的；难忘的
• verbal [高考]
  美[ˈvɜːrbl] | 英[ˈvɜːbl]
  adj. 口头的；用言语的；用文字的；逐字的；动词的
  n. 动名词
• reverse [高考]
  美[rɪˈvɜːrs] | 英[rɪˈvɜːs]
  v. 逆转；倒退；互换；改变
  adj. 相反的；反面的；颠倒的
  n. 相反；背面；失败；倒档
• utter [高考]
  美[ˈʌtər] | 英[ˈʌtə(r)]
  adj. 完全的；全然的；绝对的
  v. 说；发出；表达
• lack [高考]
  美[læk] | 英[læk]
  n. 缺乏；无
  v. 缺乏；不足
• otherwise [高考]
  美[ˈʌðərwaɪz] | 英[ˈʌðəwaɪz]
  adv. 否则；不同地；在不同方面
  adj. 不同的
• mental [高考]
  美[ˈmentl] | 英[ˈmentl]
  adj. 思想的；心理的；精神的；脑力的
  n. 精神病患者
• rare [高考]
  美[rer] | 英[reə(r)]
  adj. 罕见的；珍贵的；煎得嫩的
• violence [高考]
  美[ˈvaɪələns] | 英[ˈvaɪələns]
  n. 猛烈；暴力；暴行；强暴
• bond [高考]
  美[bɑːnd] | 英[bɒnd]
  n. 债券；结合；协定；联系；情谊；黏合剂
  vt. 使结合；为 ... 作保
  vi. 连结；粘合
• journalist [高考]
  美[ˈdʒɜːrnəlɪst] | 英[ˈdʒɜːnəlɪst]
  n. 记者；新闻工作者
• wealthy [高考]
  美[ˈwelθi] | 英[ˈwelθi]
  adj. 富有的
  n. 富人
• sceptical [高考]
  美[ˈskeptɪkl] | 英[ˈskeptɪkl]
  adj. 怀疑的
• in a way [高考]
  美[ɪn ə weɪ] | 英[ɪn ə weɪ]
  在某种程度上； 从某一点上看
• philosophical [四级]
  美[ˌfɪləˈsɑːfɪkl] | 英[ˌfɪləˈsɒfɪkl]
  adj. 哲学的；达观的
• utterance [四级]
  美[ˈʌtərəns] | 英[ˈʌtərəns]
  n. 说话；发表；说话的方式
• supposedly [四级]
  美[səˈpoʊzɪdli] | 英[səˈpəʊzɪdli]
  adv. 推测地；大概
• unrealistic [四级]
  美[ˌʌnriːəˈlɪstɪk] | 英[ˌʌnrɪəˈlɪstɪk]
  adj. 不切实际的；不实在的
• dubious [四级]
  美[ˈduːbiəs] | 英[ˈdjuːbiəs]
  adj. 怀疑的；可疑的；不确定的
• strangely [四级]
  美[ˈstrendʒlɪ] | 英[ˈstreɪndʒli]
  adv. 奇妙地；奇怪地；不可思议地
• elicit [四级]
  美[iˈlɪsɪt] | 英[iˈlɪsɪt]
  vt. 引出；诱出；探出
• effect on [四级]
  美[ɪˈfɛkt ɑn] | 英[iˈfekt ɔn]
  对 ... 的作用
• look out for [四级]
  美[lʊk aʊt fɔr] | 英[luk aut fɔ:]
  密切注意； 提防；小心，留神
• dying [四级]
  美[ˈdaɪɪŋ] | 英[ˈdaɪɪŋ]
  adj. 垂死的；临终的
  n. 死；死亡
• learned [四级]
  美[lɜːrnd , ˈlɜːrnɪd] | 英[lɜːnd , ˈlɜːnɪd]
  adj. 有学问的；博学的
• catastrophic [六级]
  美[ ˌkætəˈstrɑːfɪk] | 英[ ˌkætəˈstrɒfɪk]
  adj. 灾难的；灾难性的
• recur [六级]
  美[rɪˈkɜːr] | 英[rɪˈkɜː(r)]
  vi. 重现；再发生
• profundity [专四]
  美[prəˈfʌndɪti, pro-] | 英[prəˈfʌndəti]
  n. 深奥；深刻；深厚；渊博
• learning [专八]
  美[ˈlɜːrnɪŋ] | 英[ˈlɜːnɪŋ]
  n. 学问；学识；学习
• quip [专八]
  美[kwɪp] | 英[kwɪp]
  v. 说俏皮话；托辞
  n. 妙语；讽刺
• expectant [专八]
  美[ɪkˈspɛktənt] | 英[ɪkˈspektənt]
  adj. 期待的；怀孕的
  n. 预期者；期待者
• babble [专八]
  美[ˈbæbl] | 英[ˈbæbl]
  v. 含糊不清地说；喋喋不休；潺潺作声
  n. 含糊不清的声音；潺潺声
• protracted [专八]
  美[ proˈtræktɪd] | 英[prəˈtræktɪd]
  adj. [书]延长的；拖延的

重点讲解

The babble and the beyond

咿呀学语之外

bond  n. & v.

1. 作名词：密切的关系；情感纽带

【例】The agreement strengthened the bonds between the two countries. 

这份协议加强了两国之间的联系。

2. 作动词：建立关系

【例】The dog bonded with its master immediately.

小狗立刻就和主人变得很亲。

Babies come into the world seeking out comfort, so their first word is often “mama”. It is easy to say and reflects the bond of mother and child.

婴儿呱呱坠地时会寻求抚慰，所以他们发出的第一个词往往是“妈妈”。这个词很容易发音，也反映了母亲和孩子之间的纽带。

bond  n. & v.

1. 作名词：密切的关系；情感纽带

【例】The agreement strengthened the bonds between the two countries. 

这份协议加强了两国之间的联系。

2. 作动词：建立关系

【例】The dog bonded with its master immediately.

小狗立刻就和主人变得很亲。

Meanwhile those leaving this world often make a philosophical statement, reveal a long-hidden truth or even utter a witticism. “Either those curtains go or I do,” Oscar Wilde supposedly said on his deathbed.

与此同时，即将离开这个世界的人常常会发表一些富有哲理的言论，揭示一个隐藏已久的真理，甚至说出一句俏皮话。“要么这窗帘去死，要么我去死。”据说奥斯卡·王尔德临终时这样说。

bond  n. & v.

1. 作名词：密切的关系；情感纽带

【例】The agreement strengthened the bonds between the two countries. 

这份协议加强了两国之间的联系。

2. 作动词：建立关系

【例】The dog bonded with its master immediately.

小狗立刻就和主人变得很亲。

All this, including Mr. Wilde’s quip, is dubious, argues Michael Erard, an American journalist who has written several books about language. In “Bye Bye I Love You” he dismantles many long-held beliefs about utterances at both the beginning and end of life.

美国调查记者迈克尔·埃拉德著有几本关于语言的书，他认为所有这些，包括王尔德的这句俏皮话，都是可疑的。在《拜拜我爱你》中，他打破了许多关于生命开始和结束时人们所说的话的长期认识。

dubious  adj. 可疑的；不一定好的

【例】He runs a dubious business. 

他做着某种不清不白的生意。

They consider the plan to be of dubious benefit to most families. 

他们认为这项计划对大多数家庭不一定有好处。

【近义词】doubtful/suspicious  adj. 可疑的；不确定的

He finds first and last words to be similar in many ways—such as how they are created by expectant listeners as much as by their speakers.

他发现人们的第一句话和最后一句话在很多方面都很相似——比如这些话既由说话人，也由心怀期待的倾听人共同创造。

feature  n. & v.

1. 作名词：特点；特征

【例】The feature of the car is advanced artificial intelligence system.

这辆车的特色就是配有先进的人工智能系统。

【近义词】characteristic  n. 特征；特点

2. 作动词：有……的特点

【例】The car features advanced artificial intelligence system.

这辆车的特色就是配有先进的人工智能系统。

Sounds like mama and dada or papa recur in many of the world’s words for “mother” and “father”. But about as many parental words lack these common sounds; in some languages the word for “mother” features rare consonants that children master only later.

在世界上许多表示“母亲”和“父亲”的词中，“妈妈”和“大大”或“爸爸”的发音反复出现。但是也有几乎同样多的表示父母的词没有这些常见的发音，在一些语言中，“母亲”这个词具有罕见的辅音，孩子们只有在以后才能掌握。

feature  n. & v.

1. 作名词：特点；特征

【例】The feature of the car is advanced artificial intelligence system.

这辆车的特色就是配有先进的人工智能系统。

【近义词】characteristic  n. 特征；特点

2. 作动词：有……的特点

【例】The car features advanced artificial intelligence system.

这辆车的特色就是配有先进的人工智能系统。

“Mama” is what Mr Erard calls a “cultural first word”, fussed over by those who have learned to look out for it or even elicit it from little ones.

埃拉德把“妈妈”称为“文化第一词”，一些人很留意这个词，甚至从小孩口中引出这个词，并对此大做文章。

fuss over sth  过分关心小事；大惊小怪

【例】Don’t fuss over an ordinary cold. 

普通感冒，别大惊小怪。

【近义词】make a fuss about sth 为某事大惊小怪

【搭配】fuss over sb  过分关心某人

【例】The old lay always fusses over her grandchild.

老奶奶把孙子看得很金贵。

Medical advances in wealthy countries have led to more protracted declines and deaths at older ages; in earlier centuries violence, accidents and catastrophic illnesses claimed many young, otherwise healthy people.

富裕国家的医学进步延长了老年人的衰老期、推迟了死亡年龄，在之前的几个世纪里，暴力、事故和灾难性疾病夺走了许多年轻、原本健康的人的生命。

otherwise  adv. 以其他方式；在其他情况下

【例】You know what this is about. Why pretend otherwise? 

你明明知道这是怎么回事，为什么装作不知道？

He couldn’t come to the party. He was otherwise engaged.

他没法来参加派对，他有别的事。

That has had an effect on last words. Popular culture has conditioned loved ones to expect some final truth or profundity in the last utterance of the dying. But moments of sudden lucidity, with clear, meaningful and memorable last words, are very much the exception in those who die today (and offer reason to be sceptical of many of the famous last words collected in anthologies).

这对临终遗言产生了影响。流行文化使亲人们期望临终者的最后遗言中包含一些终极真理或深刻的见解。但是在如今去世的人们之中，那些突然清醒、留下清晰、有意义、令人难忘的遗言的时刻是例外情况（这也让人们有理由怀疑收录在选集里的许多著名遗言）。

condition sb to do  训练某人做某事；使某人有特定行为

【例】The rats had been conditioned to ring a bell when they wanted food. 

这些老鼠已经过训练，想吃食物时就会按铃。

Women were conditioned to expect lower wages than men.

女性曾被规训得习惯获得比男性更低的工资。

【拓展】condition  n. 条件；情况

By far the most common process by which people die in the modern rich world is a slow breakdown of physical and mental faculties, “neurochemical commotion” that gradually robs people of the ability to say anything at all.

到目前为止，在现代富裕世界中，人们最常见的死亡过程是身体和精神功能的缓慢崩溃，这种“神经化学物质混乱”逐渐剥夺了人们说话的能力。

rob sb of sth  夺走某人的某物

【例】The masked man robbed him of his money.

戴面具的男人抢走了他的钱。

A last-minute goal robbed the team of victory. 

最后一分钟的进球夺去了这支球队胜利的机会。

【拓展】deprive sb of sth/strip sb of sth 剥夺某人的某物

Indeed, in another link between first and last words, Mr Erard argues that dying people lose their verbal faculties in a way resembling the child’s language learning but in reverse.

的确，埃拉德认为，第一句话和最后一句话之间的另一个联系是，垂死之人失去语言能力的方式类似于孩子学习语言的方式，但方向相反。

in reverse  相反；反向

【例】We did a similar trip to you, but in reverse. 

我们走了和你相似的旅程，但方向相反。

【搭配】the reverse is true 实际情况正好相反

【例】I thought he would love the gift, but the reverse is true.

我以为他会喜欢这个礼物，但恰恰相反。

A book ending with so much death may sound like a hard read. Instead, it is a beautiful and even strangely comforting one, with Mr Erard as a pensive, patient guide. The end must come; unrealistic expectations about final messages need not.

以如此多的死亡结尾的书可能听起来很难读下去。相反，这本书很优美，甚至莫名给人慰藉，埃拉德也是一个沉思、耐心的向导。最终的死亡必会到来，但对最终遗言的不切实际的期望则不必出现。

in reverse  相反；反向

【例】We did a similar trip to you, but in reverse. 

我们走了和你相似的旅程，但方向相反。

【搭配】the reverse is true 实际情况正好相反

【例】I thought he would love the gift, but the reverse is true.

我以为他会喜欢这个礼物，但恰恰相反。

课后练习

• What can be learned about "Bye Bye I Love You"?

  A. It proves the long-held beliefs about the first and last words.
  B. It is a collection of interesting first words and famous last words.
  C. It challenges many common beliefs about the first and last words.
  D. It tells a fascinating story based on the last days of Oscar Wilde.

• What does Erard think about the word "mama"?

  A. It is the easiest word for babies to pronounce.
  B. It is a universal word for “mother” in all languages.
  C. It is the first word that all babies will say without exception.
  D. It is a "cultural first word" influenced by people's expectations.

• What are last words actually like?

  A. They are always profound and meaningful.
  B. They are usually moments of sudden lucidity.
  C. They are expressions of love for the family members.
  D. They are confused words due to the inability to speak.

• The author believes that unrealistic expectations about last words are ____.

  A. unnecessary as they are not the fact
  B. understandable as they give people hope
  C. comforting as they make the end less scary
  D. beneficial as they make life more meaningful