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《Bill Bryson - The Mother Tongue (1991, Harper Perennial)》由会员上传分享,免费在线阅读,更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、MORETHAN300MILLIONPEOPLEINtheworldspeakEnglishandtherest,itsometimesseems,tryto.Itwouldbecharitabletosaythattheresultsaresometimesmixed.ConsiderthisheartyannouncementinaYugoslavianhotel:"Theflatteningofunderwearwithpleasureisthejobofthechamber-maid.Turntoherstraightaway."Orthiswarningtomotorist
2、sinTokyo:"Whenapassengerofthef00theaveinsight,t00tlethehorn.Trumpetathimmelodiouslyatfirst,butifhestillobstaclesyourpassage,thentootlehimwithvigor."Ortheseinstructionsgracingapacketofconveniencef00dfromItaly:"Besmearaback-ingpan,previouslybutteredwithag00dtomatosauce,and,after,disposethecannell
3、oni,lightlydistancedbetweentheminaonlycouch."ClearlythewriterofthatmessagewasnotabouttoletalittleignoranceofEnglishstandinthewayofag00dmeal.Infact,itwouldappearthatoneofthebeautiesoftheEnglishlanguageisthatwitheventhemosttenuousgraspyoucanspeakvolumesifyoushowenoughenthusiasmawillingnesstot00tl
4、ewithvigor,asitwere.Tobefair,Englishisfullofb00bytrapsfortheunwaryforeigner.Anylanguagewheretheunassumingwordflysignifiesanannoyinginsect,ameansoftravel,andacriticalpartofagentleman'sapparelisclearlyaskingtobemangled.ImaginebeingaforeignerandhavingtolearnthatinEnglishonetellsaliebutthetruth,tha
5、tapersonwhosays"Icouldcareless"meansthesamethingassome-onewhosays"Icouldn'tcareless,"thatasigninastoresayingALLITEMSNOTONSALEdoesn'tmeanliterallywhatitsays(thatevery11THEMOTHERTONGUEitemisnotonsale)butratherthatonlysomeoftheitemsareonsale,thatwhenapersonsaystoyou,"Howdoyoudo?"hewillbetakenaback
6、ifyoureply,withimpeccablelogic,"HowdoIdowhat?"ThecomplexitiesoftheEnglishlanguagearesuchthatevennativespeakerscannotalwayscommunicateeffectively,asalmosteveryAmericanlearnsonhisfirstdayinBritain.Indeed,RobertBurchfield,editoroftheOxfordEnglishDictionary,createdastirinlinguisticcirclesonbothside
7、softheAtlanticwhenheannouncedhisbeliefthatAmericanEnglishandEnglishEnglisharedriftingapartsorapidlythatwithin200yearsthetwonationswon'tbeabletounderstandeachotheratall.Thatmaybe.ButiftheBritonandAmericanofthetwenty-secondcenturyba