Does grammar matter? - Andreea S. Calude

譯者: Wei Chang 審譯者: Max Chern

You're telling a friend an amazing story,

你告訴朋友一個精彩的故事

and you just get to the best part when suddenly he interrupts,

而且你正要說到高潮處， 卻突然被他打斷了

"The alien and I," not "Me and the alien."

「外星人和我 (I) 」， 不是「我 (Me) 和外星人」

Most of us would probably be annoyed,

大多數人可能會感到煩躁

but aside from the rude interruption,

但摒除掉他無禮打斷你的這件事

does your friend have a point?

你朋友是否言之有理？

Was your sentence actually grammatically incorrect?

你所說的句子是否 真的犯了文法上的錯誤？

And if he still understood it, why does it even matter?

但如果他還是能理解你說的話， 為什麼還需要在意文法？

From the point of view of linguistics,

根據語言學家的看法

grammar is a set of patterns for how words are put together

文法是一種模式， 讓文字得以組成片語或子句

to form phrases or clauses,

whether spoken or in writing.

無論是口語或寫作

Different languages have different patterns.

不同語言有著不同的模式

In English, the subject normally comes first,

以英文來說，主詞通常排第一

followed by the verb,

緊接著是動詞

and then the object,

再來是受詞

while in Japanese and many other languages,

但如果是日文或很多其他的語言

the order is subject, object, verb.

順序會變成主詞、受詞、動詞

Some scholars have tried to identify patterns common to all languages,

有些學者嘗試要找出 所有語言共通的模式

but apart from some basic features,

但除了一些基本的架構

like having nouns or verbs,

像是一樣有名詞或動詞

few of these so-called linguistic universals have been found.

語言學上的共通點很難被找到

And while any language needs consistent patterns to function,

雖然所有語言 都需要固定的模式才能運作

the study of these patterns opens up an ongoing debate between two positions

可是這些模式的研究 會展開兩方面不斷地辯論

known as prescriptivism and descriptivism.

分別是 指示論 (prescriptivism) 和 描述論 (descriptivism)

Grossly simplified,

簡單來說

prescriptivists think a given language should follow consistent rules,

「指示論」認為既定語言 應該服從固定規則

while descriptivists see variation and adaptation as a natural

「描述論」則認為 多元性和適應性是常態

and necessary part of language.

是語言中必要的一環

For much of history, the vast majority of language was spoken.

在歷史中，絕大多數語言是以口語傳遞的

But as people became more interconnected and writing gained importance,

但隨著人們關係越來越緊密， 及文字越來越重要

written language was standardized to allow broader communication

為了更廣泛的溝通，語言書寫被標準化

and ensure that people in different parts of a realm could understand each other.

以確保不同領域的人們能互相理解

In many languages, this standard form came to be considered the only proper one,

許多語言中，標準格式 常被視為唯一正確的格式

despite being derived from just one of many spoken varieties,

儘管這其實是 眾多口語格式中的一種

usually that of the people in power.

且通常是擁有權力者所使用的

Language purists worked to establish and propagate this standard

語言純正論者嘗試建立 並推廣標準格式

by detailing a set of rules that reflected the established grammar of their times.

詳細編列一套 表現當時既有文法的規則

And rules for written grammar were applied to spoken language, as well.

書寫的文法也被應用到口語中

Speech patterns that deviated from the written rules were considered corruptions,

與書寫文法相悖的口語模式 被認為是錯誤的

or signs of low social status,

或是社會階級較低的徵象

and many people who had grown up speaking in these ways

許多在成長過程中 使用這種說話方式的人

were forced to adopt the standardized form.

會被迫學習標準格式

More recently, however,

然而，近年來

linguists have understood that speech is a separate phenomenon from writing

語言學家意識到口語和寫作 是各自獨立的事物

with its own regularities and patterns.

有著自己的規律與模式

Most of us learn to speak at such an early age that we don't even remember it.

雖然我們不記得了， 我們大多很小就開始學習說話

We form our spoken repertoire through unconscious habits,

我們不自覺地建立起說話習慣

not memorized rules.

而非記住規則

And because speech also uses mood and intonation for meaning,

由於口語也會運用語氣 和聲調來傳達意思

its structure is often more flexible,

它的結構常較有彈性

adapting to the needs of speakers and listeners.

會依講者和聽者的需求調整

This could mean avoiding complex clauses that are hard to parse in real time,

這可能意謂：在現實生活中 避免使用難以解析的複雜子句、

making changes to avoid awkward pronounciation,

進行調整以避免尷尬的發音、

or removing sounds to make speech faster.

或移除某些發音以加快說話速度

The linguistic approach that tries to understand and map such differences

嘗試理解並區分出這類差異， 且不會規定語言對錯的語言學方法

without dictating correct ones is known as descriptivism.

即為「描述論」

Rather than deciding how language should be used,

與其決定應該如何使用語言

it describes how people actually use it,

描述論選擇描述人們 實際運用語言的方式

and tracks the innovations they come up with in the process.

並追溯這過程中出現的新用法

But while the debate between

但即使指示論和描述論 之間的論戰仍在進行

prescriptivism and descriptivism continues,

the two are not mutually exclusive.

這兩者並非完全互斥

At its best, prescriptivism is useful for informing people

指示論頂多可以告訴人們

about the most common established patterns at a given point in time.

某個時間點 最為通用的既定模式為何

This is important, not only for formal contexts,

這件事很重要， 不只在正式場合上需要

but it also makes communication easier between non-native speakers

也能使不同背景的非母語使用者間 溝通較為容易

from different backgrounds.

Descriptivism, on the other hand,

另一方面，描述論

gives us insight into how our minds work

讓我們意識到我們的心智如何運作

and the instinctive ways in which we structure our view of the world.

以及我們如何本能地 建構出對世界的看法

Ultimately, grammar is best thought of as a set of linguistic habits

最後，文法被視為一套語言習慣

that are constantly being negotiated and reinvented

經過全體語言使用者 不斷的協商與改造而建立

by the entire group of language users.

Like language itself,

語言本身

it's a wonderful and complex fabric

是一塊精美而複雜的布織品

woven through the contributions of speakers and listeners,

經由講者與聽者、

writers and readers,

作者與讀者、

prescriptivists and descriptivists,

指示論者與描述論者

from both near and far.

由近而遠，共同編織而成

翻譯：Wei Chang