4 reasons to learn a new language | John McWhorter

譯者: jonathan oleg 審譯者: Regina Chu

The language I'm speaking right now

我正在講的這種語言，

is on its way to becoming the world's universal language,

快要變成全世界的通用語言，

for better or for worse.

無論好壞，

我們都要面對它，

Let's face it,

it's the language of the internet,

它是網際網路的語言，

it's the language of finance,

是金融界的語言，

it's the language of air traffic control,

是空中交通管制的語言，

of popular music,

是流行音樂的語言，

是外交的語言，

diplomacy --

English is everywhere.

英語無處不在。

Now, Mandarin Chinese is spoken by more people,

講中文的人更多，

but more Chinese people are learning English

但是中國人學英語的也很多，

than English speakers are learning Chinese.

比講英語的人學中文還多。

Last I heard,

上次我聽說

there are two dozen universities in China right now

如今在中國有 24 所大學

teaching all in English.

採用全英文教學。

English is taking over.

英語已經全面起飛。

And in addition to that,

除此之外，

it's been predicted that at the end of the century

預計在本世紀末，

幾乎所有現存的語言，

almost all of the languages that exist now --

大約有 6,000 種，

there are about 6,000 --

will no longer be spoken.

將不會再被使用。

There will only be some hundreds left.

到時將會只剩下幾百種。

And on top of that,

最重要的是，

現場演講的即時翻譯

it's at the point where instant translation of live speech

is not only possible, but it gets better every year.

不僅有可能發生， 而且每一年都會越來越好。

The reason I'm reciting those things to you

我之所以舉這些例子，

是因為我感覺

is because I can tell that we're getting to the point

我們到了一個階段， 開始要問這個問題，

where a question is going to start being asked,

那就是：如果我們的母語是英語，

which is: Why should we learn foreign languages --

為什麼我們還要學習外語？

other than if English happens to be foreign to one?

為什麼當全世界快要用 同一種語言溝通時，

Why bother to learn another one when it's getting to the point

我們還要不厭其煩地 學另外一種語言？

where almost everybody in the world will be able to communicate in one?

I think there are a lot of reasons,

我想有很多原因，

但我想首先說出 大家最有可能聽到的一種，

but I first want to address

the one that you're probably most likely to have heard of,

because actually it's more dangerous than you might think.

因為實際上它比你認為的要危險，

那就是語言能引導你思想的形成。

And that is the idea

that a language channels your thoughts,

that the vocabulary and the grammar of different languages

不同語言的詞彙和語法，

gives everybody a different kind of acid trip,

可以說能提供每個人 不同的迷幻之旅。

so to speak.

這是一種非常誘人的想法，

That is a marvelously enticing idea,

卻有點誤導。

but it's kind of fraught.

So it's not that it's untrue completely.

它不是完全不對。

比如說，在法語和西班牙語中，

So for example, in French and Spanish

the word for table is, for some reason, marked as feminine.

由於某些原因， 桌子對應的單詞是陰性的。

So, "la table," "la mesa," you just have to deal with it.

因此你不得不用 "la table" 和 "la mesa"。

據表明

It has been shown

that if you are a speaker of one of those languages

如果你的母語是上述語言，

並且你碰巧被問到

and you happen to be asked

how you would imagine a table talking,

你想像桌子怎麼說話，

then much more often than could possibly be an accident,

得到的結果絕不是巧合，

a French or a Spanish speaker

法國人或者西班牙人

says that the table would talk with a high and feminine voice.

會說桌子會用高聲調、 女性的聲音來說話。

So if you're French or Spanish, to you, a table is kind of a girl,

因此，如果你是法國人或西班牙人， 你會認為桌子有點像女孩。

as opposed to if you are an English speaker.

如果你是說英語的人， 則與這個相反。

It's hard not to love data like that,

很難讓人不愛上像這樣的數據，

and many people will tell you that that means

並且許多人會告訴你那意味著

that there's a worldview that you have if you speak one of those languages.

如果你說這些語言， 就會有這種世界觀。

But you have to watch out,

但是你要保持警覺，

because imagine if somebody put us under the microscope,

因為想像一下，如果有人 把我們放在顯微鏡下面。

the us being those of us who speak English natively.

「我們」是指英語為母語的人。

What is the worldview from English?

來自於英語的世界觀是什麽呢？

So for example, let's take an English speaker.

我們拿一位說英語的人來舉例子。

Up on the screen, that is Bono.

螢幕上的人是波諾。

He speaks English.

他說英語。

I presume he has a worldview.

我假設他有某種世界觀。

Now, that is Donald Trump.

現在，這是唐納·川普。

他也以他的方式說英語。

In his way,

he speaks English as well.

(Laughter)

And here is Ms. Kardashian,

然後，這是金·卡達夏女士。

and she is an English speaker, too.

她也說英語。

So here are three speakers of the English language.

這是三位以英文為母語的人。

What worldview do those three people have in common?

這三位的世界觀 有什麼相同的地方呢？

What worldview is shaped through the English language that unites them?

英文作為把他們聯系在一起的語言， 讓他們塑造了什麽世界觀？

It's a highly fraught concept.

這是一個非常誤導的概念。

And so gradual consensus is becoming that language can shape thought,

語言能夠塑造思想 這種共識正在逐漸形成，

但它比較是一種迷人、 晦澀的心理悸動，

but it tends to be in rather darling, obscure psychological flutters.

It's not a matter of giving you a different pair of glasses on the world.

而不是讓你真的 從不同的眼光看世界。

Now, if that's the case,

現在，如果是這種情況，

如果它不會改變你思考的方式，

then why learn languages?

那麼為什麽學習語言？

If it isn't going to change the way you think,

what would the other reasons be?

其它的原因是什麼呢？

There are some.

有一些理由：

One of them is that if you want to imbibe a culture,

其中一個原因是 如果你想吸收某種文化，

如果你很想汲取它， 很想成為這種文化的一部分，

if you want to drink it in, if you want to become part of it,

那麼不管語言會不會塑造文化──

then whether or not the language channels the culture --

這種想法挺可疑──

and that seems doubtful --

如果你想要吸收這種文化，

if you want to imbibe the culture,

you have to control to some degree

你不得不在一定程度上

the language that the culture happens to be conducted in.

掌控這種文化根植於的語言。

There's no other way.

除此之外，没有其它的方式。

There's an interesting illustration of this.

關於這個有一個有趣的例證，

I have to go slightly obscure, but really you should seek it out.

我不得不走一點模糊路線， 但是大家真的應該認真去看它。

There's a movie by the Canadian film director Denys Arcand --

有部由加拿大導演丹尼·阿控 (Denys Arcand) 製作的電影──

他的名字用英語讀起來是 丹尼斯·阿坎德，

read out in English on the page, "Dennis Ar-cand,"

if you want to look him up.

如果你想搜尋他。

他製作了一部名叫 《蒙特婁的耶穌》的電影。

He did a film called "Jesus of Montreal."

And many of the characters

其中很多角色

are vibrant, funny, passionate, interesting French-Canadian,

是充滿生氣、好玩、熱情、 很有意思的法語區加拿大人，

French-speaking women.

說法語的女人。

There's one scene closest to the end,

在結束時有個場景，

where they have to take a friend to an Anglophone hospital.

他們帶一位朋友去說英語的醫院。

In the hospital, they have to speak English.

在醫院裡，他們不得不說英語。

Now, they speak English but it's not their native language,

現在，他們的確在說英語， 但這不是他們的母語，

they'd rather not speak English.

他們寧可不要說英語。

And they speak it more slowly,

並且他們說的很慢，

they have accents, they're not idiomatic.

而且有口音，說的怪裡怪氣。

Suddenly these characters that you've fallen in love with

突然，這些你深愛的角色

變成了沒有靈魂的軀殼， 成了自己的陰影。

become husks of themselves, they're shadows of themselves.

To go into a culture

要打進一種文化，

只透過那種薄紗來看人，

and to only ever process people through that kind of skrim curtain

從來不能真正了解該文化。

is to never truly get the culture.

And so to the extent that hundreds of languages will be left,

所以從某種程度上說 數百種語言會消失，

one reason to learn them

而學習這些語言的一個原因，

是因為語言是參與

is because they are tickets to being able to participate

in the culture of the people who speak them,

說這些語言的人的文化的方法，

因為這就是他們的密碼。

just by virtue of the fact that it is their code.

So that's one reason.

所以這是其中一個原因。

Second reason:

第二個原因：

it's been shown

有證據顯示

that if you speak two languages, dementia is less likely to set in,

如果你說兩種語言， 更不容易患失智症。

並且你可能更容易處理 同時做多件事情。

and that you are probably a better multitasker.

And these are factors that set in early,

這些因子很早發生，

and so that ought to give you some sense

因此這也應該讓你意識到

of when to give junior or juniorette lessons in another language.

什麼時候該給小朋友或小小朋友 用另外一種語言上課。

Bilingualism is healthy.

雙語是健康的。

And then, third --

還有，第三點──

languages are just an awful lot of fun.

語言就是非常有趣。

Much more fun than we're often told.

比我們經常被告知的有趣的多。

So for example, Arabic: "kataba," he wrote,

比如說，阿拉伯語： “kataba” 是指他之前寫，

"yaktubu," he writes, she writes.

"yaktubu" 是他或她寫，

"Uktub" 用命令語氣說寫。

"Uktub," write, in the imperative.

這幾個字有什麼共同點呢？

What do those things have in common?

這些字的共同點就是

All those things have in common

the consonants sitting in the middle like pillars.

子音像柱子一樣在單詞的中間。

They stay still,

他們不動，

and the vowels dance around the consonants.

母音圍繞著子音跳舞。

Who wouldn't want to roll that around in their mouths?

誰不希望在嘴裡滾動這些音呢？

You can get that from Hebrew,

你可以從希伯來語看到這個樣子，

你也可以從衣索比亞的 主要語言阿姆哈拉語中看到。

you can get that from Ethiopia's main language, Amharic.

That's fun.

非常有趣。

有的語言有著不同的單詞順序。

Or languages have different word orders.

Learning how to speak with different word order

學習如何用不同的單詞順序說話，

is like driving on the different side of a street if you go to certain country,

就好像你去某些國家 駕駛在道路的不同側一樣，

or the feeling that you get when you put Witch Hazel around your eyes

或者像把收斂劑金縷梅放在 眼睛附近的感覺一樣，

and you feel the tingle.

你可以感覺到刺痛。

A language can do that to you.

語言可以對你做出這些。

So for example,

因此比如說，

"The Cat in the Hat Comes Back,"

《戴帽子的貓回來了》這本書

a book that I'm sure we all often return to,

我相信我們都反覆看過，

就像《白鯨記》一樣。

like "Moby Dick."

One phrase in it is, "Do you know where I found him?

其中有句話，（直翻） 「你知道哪裏我發現他嗎？

Do you know where he was? He was eating cake in the tub,

你知道哪裡他在？ 他吃蛋糕在浴缸裡，

是的，他是！」

Yes he was!"

好，現在如果你用國語來學習，

Fine. Now, if you learn that in Mandarin Chinese,

then you have to master,

那麼你就得說成

「你知道我在哪裡找到他？

"You can know, I did where him find?

He was tub inside gorging cake,

他在浴缸裡大口吃蛋糕，

No mistake gorging chewing!"

沒錯！大口嚼！」

感覺很不錯喔！

That just feels good.

Imagine being able to do that for years and years at a time.

想像一下年復一年每次都這樣說。

Or, have you ever learned any Cambodian?

或者，你曾經學過柬埔寨語嗎？

Me either, but if I did,

我也沒學過，如果我學過，

我在嘴裡滾的就不是 13 個母音，

I would get to roll around in my mouth not some baker's dozen of vowels

like English has,

像英語一樣，

but a good 30 different vowels

而是 30 個不同的母音，

scooching and oozing around in the Cambodian mouth

在柬埔寨人的嘴裡面轉來轉去，

like bees in a hive.

就像蜂巢裡的蜜蜂。

That is what a language can get you.

這就是一門語言能給你的東西。

And more to the point,

另外，

we live in an era when it's never been easier to teach yourself another language.

我們生活在一個從未像現在一樣 自學語言這麼簡單的時代。

It used to be that you had to go to a classroom,

過去你不得不去教室，

and there would be some diligent teacher --

並且教室還要有費盡心血的老師──

一些天才教師──

some genius teacher in there --

but that person was only in there at certain times

但是那個人只在特定的時間才在，

並且你還得去，

and you had to go then,

and then was not most times.

而且那只是一小段時間。

你得去教室。

You had to go to class.

If you didn't have that, you had something called a record.

如果你沒有去課堂上課， 那還有一種叫錄音的東西。

I cut my teeth on those.

我有很多這方面的經驗。

There was only so much data on a record,

在錄音上面只有這麼點數據，

or a cassette,

或者在錄音帶上，

or even that antique object known as a CD.

或者是那個叫 CD 的老骨董上。

Other than that you had books that didn't work,

除了那些，你還有沒用的書，

that's just the way it was.

過去就是這樣。

Today you can lay down --

現在你可以躺著──

lie on your living room floor,

躺在客廳的地板上，

sipping bourbon,

喝著波本威士忌，

and teach yourself any language that you want to

自學任何你想學習的語言，

with wonderful sets such as Rosetta Stone.

只要一套精彩的學習教程， 比如說 "Rosetta Stone"。

I highly recommend the lesser known Glossika as well.

我也強烈推薦 不那麼有名的 "Glossika" 。

任何時候都可以做，

You can do it any time,

therefore you can do it more and better.

因此你有更多的時間 以更好的方式學習。

You can give yourself your morning pleasures in various languages.

你可以在早晨享用不同的語言。

I take some "Dilbert" in various languages every single morning;

我每天早晨會看翻成 不同語言的呆伯特：

它能提高你的技巧。

it can increase your skills.

Couldn't have done it 20 years ago

這在 20 年前都是不能完成的，

when the idea of having any language you wanted

在那時，想要從

口袋裡的手機學任何你想學的語言，

in your pocket,

coming from your phone,

would have sounded like science fiction to very sophisticated people.

聽起來就像想像力複雜的人 寫的科幻小說。

So I highly recommend

因此我強烈推薦

that you teach yourself languages other than the one that I'm speaking,

大家去學習不同於 我正在講的其它語言，

because there's never been a better time to do it.

因為沒有比現在更好的時機了。

It's an awful lot of fun.

它非常有趣。

這不會改變你的思想，

It won't change your mind,

but it will most certainly blow your mind.

但這會使你心醉神迷。

謝謝大家。

Thank you very much.

(Applause)

（掌聲）