背誦為王第四冊第11課
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英語拼寫
英語拼寫對以英語為母語的人和不以英語為母語的人來說一樣令人頭痛。我的一位學(xué)生曾經(jīng)說，英語的拼寫肯定是魔鬼的幫手發(fā)明的。
我們是不是需要一次拼寫改革？乍一看，肯定的回答才合乎情理。改革將使每個人學(xué)英語更容易，使在現(xiàn)代英語誕生之前就已經(jīng)標準化的、早已過時的英語拼寫更適應(yīng)現(xiàn)代需要。
拼寫的改革并非易事。首先，花費會很高。其次，如果單詞的拼寫要反映其發(fā)音，那么我們應(yīng)該采用何種發(fā)音呢，英國標準發(fā)音、美國發(fā)音還是兩者的折中？一旦做出了決定，是否所有說英語的人都能接受這些改變呢？拼寫改革可能會引發(fā)一場有關(guān)語言的大爭論。
最后還有很重要的一點要考慮。語言的演變是適用所有語言的自然法則，口頭語比書面語的演變發(fā)生的更快。書面語比口頭語趨于保守，能減慢演變的速度，書面語在不同的口頭語之間起著連接統(tǒng)一的作用。
拼寫改革將削弱書面語的穩(wěn)定性，從而破壞其統(tǒng)一性。如果這樣的話，英語將不再是國際間交流的語言了。
Lesson11 English Spelling
English spelling is a "headache" for native and non-native speakers alike. As a student of mine once commented, English spelling must have been invented by one of the devil's helpers.
Do we need a spelling reform? At first, the logical answer is yes. A reform would make the language easier for everybody. It would modernize the old-fashioned spelling which was standardized before Modern English was "born".
A spelling reform is not a simple matter. First of all, it would be very expensive. Second, if spelling is supposed to reflect pronunciation, then what pronunciation should we use - R.P., American English, or some compromise? Once the decision is made, will all the speakers accept the changes? A spelling reform could start a linguistic war!
Finally there is another important consideration. Change is the natural law for all languages. It occurs more rapidly in speech than in writing. Writing slows down the speed of change, because it is more conservative than speech. Writing also acts as a unifying link among the spoken varieties.
A spelling reform would weaken the stability of the written language and thus undermine its unity. If this happened, English would no longer be a language for international communication.
conservative 保守的, 守舊的
English spelling is a "headache" for native and non-native speakers alike. As a student of mine once commented, English spelling must have been invented by one of the devil's helpers.
Do we need a spelling reform? At first, the logical answer is yes. A reform would make the language easier for everybody. It would modernize the old-fashioned spelling which was standardized before Modern English was "born".
A spelling reform is not a simple matter. First of all, it would be very expensive. Second, if spelling is supposed to reflect pronunciation, then what pronunciation should we use - R.P., American English, or some compromise? Once the decision is made, will all the speakers accept the changes? A spelling reform could start a linguistic war!
Finally there is another important consideration. Change is the natural law for all languages. It occurs more rapidly in speech than in writing. Writing slows down the speed of change, because it is more conservative than speech. Writing also acts as a unifying link among the spoken varieties.
A spelling reform would weaken the stability of the written language and thus undermine its unity. If this happened, English would no longer be a language for international communication.
conservative 保守的, 守舊的
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