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MartinHilpert_LanguageVersusDialect_2021E-_是什么让语言成为语言？_
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| The distinct forms of speech heard around Bremen, Germany and Interlaken, Switzerland are considered regional dialects of the German language. |
我们听到的不同的语音 在德国的不来梅以及瑞士的因特拉肯 被认为是德语的地区方言。 |
| And yet, when someone from Bremen is visiting the Swiss Alps, the conversations they hear between locals will likely be incomprehensible to them. |
然而,当来自不来梅的游客 游览瑞士的阿尔卑斯山时, 当地人的交流,他们可能完全无法理解。 |
| Similarly , outside of China, |
同样的,在中国之外, |
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distinct:adj.明显的;独特的;清楚的;有区别的; regional:adj.地区的;局部的;整个地区的; dialects:n.乡土语言,方言; incomprehensible:adj.费解的;不可思议的;无限的; Similarly:adv.同样地;类似于;
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| Mandarin and Cantonese are often referred to as Chinese dialects. |
普通话和粤语常被作为中文的方言, |
| But they’re even more dissimilar than Spanish and Italian. |
但他们之间的差别 比西班牙语和意大利语的差别还大。 |
| On the other hand , speakers of Danish , Norwegian , and Swedish , which are recognized as three distinct languages, can usually communicate in their native tongues with little difficulty. |
同时,说丹麦语、挪威语和瑞典语的人 尽管这些是被认为三种截然不同的语言, 却可以毫不费力的用母语交流。 |
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Mandarin:n.(中国)普通话;国语;官话;满清官吏;柑橘;adj.紧身马褂的; Cantonese:n.广东话;广东人;adj.广州的,广州人的; referred:v.提到;引用;认为;指示;涉及;(refer的过去式和过去分词) dissimilar:adj.不同的; On the other hand:另一方面; Danish:adj.丹麦的;丹麦人的;丹麦语(文)的;n.丹麦语; Norwegian:adj.挪威的;挪威人的;挪威语的;n.挪威人;挪威语; Swedish:adj.瑞典的;瑞典语的;瑞典人的;n.瑞典语;瑞典人; recognized:v.认识;认出;辨别出;承认;意识到;(recognize的过去分词和过去式) native:adj.本国的;土著的;天然的;与生俱来的;天赋的;n.本地人;土产;当地居民;
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| And Turkish language soap operas , broadcast without dubbing or subtitles , are some of the most popular shows in Azeri-speaking Azerbaijan. |
若干土耳其语的肥皂剧, 在播放时没有配音或字幕, 竟然是阿塞拜疆语观众最喜爱的节目。 |
| So, when is a form of speech considered a dialect versus a language? |
那么,我们是怎么将一种语音 判定为语言或方言呢？ |
| It seems reasonable that the degree of mutual intelligibility would determine whether two ways of speaking are classified as separate languages or as dialects of the same language. |
以能够互相理解的程度 来定义看起来比较合理, 用这种标准,可以 将两个不同的语音定义为语言, 或是将其定义为同一语言下的方言。 |
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Turkish:adj.土耳其的;土耳其人的,土耳其语的;突厥诸语言的;n.土耳其语; operas:n.歌剧(opera的复数); broadcast:v.广播; n.广播节目; adj.[无线]播音的; dubbing:n.配音; v.配音; subtitles:n.[图情]副标题(subtitle的复数); v.给…加副标题; versus:prep.对;与...相对;对抗; reasonable:adj.合理的,公道的;通情达理的; mutual:adj.共同的;相互的,彼此的; intelligibility:n.[通信]可懂度;可理解性;可理解的事物; determine:v.决定;确定;测定;查明;形成;影响;裁决;安排; classified:adj.机密的; v.将…分类; (classify的过去分词和过去式)
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| But as we've seen, there are many occasions where this is not the case. |
但正如我们所见,往往并非如此。 |
| Perhaps surprisingly , the distinction between a language and a dialect usually has nothing to do with pronunciation, vocabulary, or any other linguistic features. |
也许,令人惊讶的是, 语言和方言的区分 通常和发音、词汇毫无关联, 和其他语言学特征也没有关系。 |
| However, it’s not coincidental , either. |
然而,这也并非巧合。 |
| It’s a matter of politics . |
这是一个政治问题。 |
| The basis for what’s officially deemed a language was shaped by the emergence of a European nation states beginning around the 1500s. |
正式认定一种语言的依据 始于1500年代,是随着欧洲 各个民族国家出现而形成的。 |
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surprisingly:adv.令人惊讶地;出乎意料地 distinction:n.区别;区分;差别;卓越; linguistic:adj.语言的;语言学的; coincidental:adj.巧合的;符合的;暗合的;一致的; politics:n.政治;钩心斗角;政治观点;v.(贬)从事政治活动;(politic的第三人称单数) deemed:v.认为;视为;相信;(deem的过去分词和过去式) emergence:n.出现,浮现;发生;露头;
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| In order to establish and maintain centralized governments, clear territorial boundaries , and state-sponsored education systems, many nation states promoted a standardized language. |
为了建立并维持中央集权的政府, 明确领土边界, 以及建立国有教育系统, 各个国家开始推行单一标准语言。 |
| Which form of speech was chosen to be the standard language was usually based on what people spoke in the capital. |
选择哪种语音作为标准语言, 通常取决于该国首都人们所说的话。 |
| And while other forms of speech persisted , they were often treated as inferior . |
尽管其他形式的语音依然存在, 它们常常被视为低等语言。 |
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establish:v.创立;设立;建立;确立;使立足;查实; maintain:v.维持;保持;维修;保养;坚持(意见); centralized:adj.集中的;中央集权的;v.集中(centralize的过去分词); territorial:adj.领土的;区域的;土地的;地方的;n.地方自卫队士兵; boundaries:n.边界;分界线;(boundary的复数) state-sponsored:国家支持;国家所发起或资助的;国家操纵的; promoted:v.促进:促销:提升:(promote的过去分词和过去式) standardized:adj.标准的; v.使合乎标准; persisted:v.持续(persist的过去分词);坚持不懈; treated:v.以…态度对待;把…看作;(treat的过去分词和过去式) inferior:adj.较差的; n.不如别人的人;
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| This tradition extended across the globe with European colonization and into modern times. |
这一传统随着欧洲的 殖民进程遍布全球, 并一直持续到现在。 |
| Italy, for example, has at least 15 of what might be called regional dialects. |
例如,在意大利至少有 所谓的15种地方方言。 |
| One of them, the Florentine dialect, became known as Standard Italian when the country politically unified in 1861. |
其中之一,佛罗伦萨方言, 在1861年统一意大利全境时, 曾作为标准意大利语。 |
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extended:adj.延长了的;扩展了的;v.使伸长;扩大;扩展;(extend的过去式和过去分词) colonization:n.殖民;殖民地化; Florentine:adj.意大利佛罗伦萨的;佛罗伦萨画派的;n.佛罗伦萨人; politically:adv.政治上; unified:adj.统一的;一致标准的;v.统一;使一致(unify的过去分词);
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| It was selected because legendary authors like Dante and Machiavelli used it in their original works, |
它入选是因为传奇作家, 如但丁、马基雅维利 创作手稿时,使用这一语言。 |
| And it came to represent an image of Italian national identity that some found particularly desirable . |
进而把它作为意大利民族形象的代表, 也让一些人觉得非常合适。 |
| Later on, in his attempt to establish a unified, fascist state, |
后来为了建立一个统一的法西斯国家, |
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legendary:adj.传说的,传奇的;n.传说集;圣徒传; Dante:n.但丁(意大利诗人); original:n.原件;原作;原物;原型;adj.原始的;最初的;独创的;新颖的; represent:v.代表;表现;描绘;回忆;再赠送; identity:n.身份;同一性,一致;特性;恒等式; particularly:adv.特别地,独特地;详细地,具体地;明确地,细致地; desirable:adj.令人满意的;值得要的;n.合意的人或事物; attempt:n.企图,试图;攻击;v.企图,试图;尝试; fascist:n.法西斯主义者;法西斯党员;adj.法西斯主义的,法西斯党的;
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| Italian dictator Benito Mussolini saw language standardization as an important objective . |
意大利独裁者贝尼托墨索里尼 将语言标准化 作为一个重要的目标。 |
| His government promoted standard Italian while prohibiting other forms of speech from the public sphere , framing them as backward and unsophisticated . |
墨索里尼政府推行标准意大利语, 同时严令禁止其他意大利的语音, 特别是在公共领域, 将这些语音形式 塑造为愚昧落后的代表。 |
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dictator:n.独裁者;命令者; Benito:n.[航]飞机导航装置; standardization:n.标准化;[数]规格化;校准; objective:n.目标; adj.客观的; prohibiting:v.禁止(prohibit的ing形式); sphere:n.球;领域;球体;球形;v.使成球形;包围;把…放在球内;使处于天体之间; framing:v.给…做框;作伪证陷害;制订;拟订;n.框架;结构;骨骼;(frame的现在分词) backward:adj.向后的;反向的;发展迟缓的;adv.向后地;相反地; unsophisticated:adj.纯洁的;不懂世故的;不精细的;天真无邪的;质朴无华的;
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| In everything from job applications to court testimonies , standard languages act as gatekeepers around the world. |
生活中的一切, 从工作申请到法庭证词, 标准语言在世界各地 扮演者守门员的角色。 |
| For instance , one 1999 study showed that landlords responded to apartment inquiries based on what form of speech their prospective tenants used. |
例如,1999年的一项研究表明, 房东对于租客的选择 取决于准租客所使用的语音。 |
| When callers spoke African-American Vernacular English, or AAVE, landlords were more likely to reject their inquiries. |
当准租客说非洲英语、土话英语 或者非洲裔土话英语（AAVE）时, 房东倾向于拒绝他们的租房申请。 |
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testimonies:证据; gatekeepers:n.门卫;信息传递者(gatekeeper的复数); instance:n.实例;情况;建议;v.举...为例; landlords:[租赁]房东;地主;老板;(酒吧或招待所的)店主(landlord的复数); responded:v.回答,回应;作出反应;响应;反应灵敏;(respond的过去式和过去分词) inquiries:n.询问;查询;打听;调查;(inquiry的复数) prospective:adj.未来的;预期的;n.预期;展望; tenants:n.房客;居住者(tenant的复数形式);v.租借(tenant的第三人称单数); callers:n.访客;[通信]呼叫者;打电话者;召集员;adj.新鲜的; African-American:非洲裔美国人(指美国黑人); Vernacular:adj.本国的;地方的;用本地语写成的;n.本地话,方言;动植物的俗名; reject:v.排斥;拒收;拒绝接受;不予考虑;n.废品;次品;不合格者;被剔除者;
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| When they spoke so-called Standard American English, which is often associated with whiteness , landlords responded more positively . |
当准租客使用所谓的标准美式英语时, 通常被认为是白人, 房东的反应则通常会比较积极。 |
| Both of these forms of speech are considered English dialects. |
以上这些语音都被认作是英语的方言。 |
| In the United States, some people have cast AAVE as an incorrect or simplified version of mainstream US English. |
在美国,有些人会将非洲裔土话英语（AAVE） 认为是主流美式英语的 简化或错误的版本。 |
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so-called:adj.所谓的;号称的; associated:adj.有关联的; v.联想; (associate的过去分词和过去式) whiteness:n.白,洁白,苍白;[矿业]白度; positively:adv.肯定地;明确地;断然地; United:adj.联合的; v.联合,团结; (unite的过去分词和过去式) simplified:v.简化; (simplify的过去式) mainstream:n.主流;
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| But AAVE follows consistent grammatical rules every bit as sophisticated as other forms of English. |
但是,非洲裔土话英语（AAVE） 遵循相同的语法规则, 样样与其他形式的英语一样复杂。 |
| Linguists tend to avoid the term dialect altogether. |
语言学家倾向于避免使用方言一词。 |
| Instead, many opt to call different forms of speech “varieties.” |
取而代之,很多人选择称其为 不同“变异”的语音形式。 |
| This way, languages are seen as groups of varieties. |
这样一来,语言被看作是 不同组别的变异。 |
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consistent:adj.始终如一的,一致的;坚持的; grammatical:adj.文法的;符合语法规则的; Linguists:[语]语言学家(linguist的复数); opt:vi.选择;
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| So the English language is made up of varieties including Standard British and American English, AAVE, |
所以,英语由以下变异组成, 包括英式英语、美式英语, 非洲裔土话英语（AAVE）、 |
| Nigerian English, Malaysian English, and many others. |
尼日利亚英语、马来西亚英语等... |
| Each has its own unique history and characteristic pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammatical structures . |
各有自己独特的历史、特色的发音、 词汇以及语法结构。 |
| But the dividing line between varieties is murky . |
但不同变异间的界限是模糊的。 |
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made up of:由…组成,由…构成; unique:adj.独特的,稀罕的;[数]唯一的;n.独一无二的人或物; characteristic:n.特征;特点;品质;adj.典型的;独特的;特有的; structures:n.结构; v.建造(structure的第三人称单数形式); dividing line:n.分界线;界限; murky:adj.黑暗的;朦胧的;阴郁的;
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| Human language, in all its cross-pollinating, ever-evolving glory, naturally resists the impulse to sort it into neat buckets . |
人类语言的美妙之处 就在于相互交融、自我进化, 自然拒绝将其标准化并整齐排列。 |
| Oftentimes , forms of speech exist on a kind of linguistic continuum where they overlap with others, and the differences between them are gradual— not clear cut. |
多数情况下,语言形式 存在于语言的连续体中, 并在其中相互交叠嵌套, 使得他们之间的区别 逐渐模糊,不是一切两半。 |
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ever-evolving:循环的;旋转的,轮转式的; naturally:adv.自然地;自然而然地;轻而易举;天生地;大方地; resists:v.抵制;阻挡;反抗;回击;n.防腐剂;防染剂; impulse:n.冲动;[电子]脉冲;刺激;神经冲动;推动力;v.推动; neat:adj.整洁的;整齐的;有序的;有条理的; buckets:n.大桶状物; v.拼命划桨; (bucket的第三人称单数和复数) Oftentimes:adv.时常地; continuum:n.[数]连续统;[经]连续统一体;闭联集; overlap:n.重叠;重复;v.部分重叠;与…同时发生;
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| And that’s the confounding beauty of the dynamic , diverse , and dazzling universe of human communication . |
这就是语言的精妙之处: 动感,多元 并闪耀在人类交流的宇宙之中。 |
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confounding:v.使困惑惊讶;使惊疑;证明…有错;战胜;(confound的现在分词) dynamic:n.动力; adj.充满活力的; diverse:adj.不同的;多种多样的;变化多的; dazzling:adj.耀眼的; v.(强光等)使目眩; (dazzle的现在分词) human communication:人际交往;
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