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学英文是一辈子的事

    

大多數中國人學英文的過程都有一種「磨難」之感。也許有極少數的人自幼即得天獨厚,沒有体验到背生字、記文法、苦練發音等等是一樁苦事,信任那絕對是少數。

F*** most of us, learn***g Eng***sh was an endur***g experience. Except f*** the gift*** few, we all suffer***. We all h**e had a lot of trial and tribulation *** the process. We all went through the dreadful ch***es of ***m***iz***g w***ds and study***g grammar. And, of ***urse, there was always that awful pronunciation drills.

我沒有研讨過別的國家的年輕人正在學外國語文時會不會跟我們學英文一樣苦,可是我認識幾位必須修推丁文的英國同學,其苦況和我正在大學讀楚辭僧人書時的体验十分之相像 -笔墨既看不懂;內容也非常生疏。

I h**en’t do*** any research and don’t know if young people *** other ***untries suffer as much when they learn a f***eign language. But I do know a few British friends who h**e *** take Lat***. It isn’t a ti*** of joy and ***mf***t f*** them – the language is archa*** and ***ntent exot***. I feel f*** them f*** I went through the sa*** th***g when I was study***g "Poetry of the South" and “The book of His***ry” *** ***llege.

若從這個视角來看問題,凡學一種外國語文,起首必須看清它的應用層面有2︰

(一)它是一種器具-一種認知其余「實體內容」的一種器具或方法,也能够說,它是本國語文之外的另外一種專供傳播用的「符號」。

(2)它是一種「內容實體」。比方讀英文版的「低溫自然科学學」、「神經心理學」,笔墨與語言所占的职责是非常主要的。

The suffer***g can be mitigat*** if, at the outset, a lear***r understands that a f***eign language serves two functions:
1. It is a ***ol, a ***ans *** learn the “***ntent” of the material o*** is read***g. In other w***ds, a f***eign langue, just ***ke o***’s mother ***ngue, is a system of symbols f*** ***mmun***ation.
2. It f***ms the ***ntent itself, ***ke Eng***sh ***ition of “Low-Temperature Phys***s” *** “Nerve Physiology.” In this case, the role of language and style is o***y se***ndary.

偶尔也有第3種層面出現-比方兩位对外关系官正在密商一件條約;或兩位劇作家正在討論一個劇本(當然是國籍分歧,而一方或雙方都必須利用其母語之外的語文時),這時候,被利用的那種外國笔墨就必須正在第一和第2兩個層面都能發生效用才行。這是第一與第2兩種層面的重疊利用,是「外文」的地步。
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可惱的是︰當我們做學生,開始學英文時,從來未曾有老師給過我們這麼清晰的導向。絕大多數的大學2年級的學生,雖然從月朔到大一業已苦讀了7年英文,但是既不克不及流畅的講,更談不上寫。能讀的也未几。假如有少數幾個能夠把他所「熟知的內容」翻譯成中文的,那就非常了不得了。我之以是特別提出「熟知的內容」,因為他實正在沒有实力翻譯他所不熟知的內容。

What irks *** is that, when we start*** learn***g Eng***sh *** school, we were ***ver given such clear guidance. We all lab****** f*** a ***tal of seven years – from grade seven *** freshman year *** ***llege. But we can ***ither speak fluently n*** write effectively. A few h**e lear***d *** read. It’s a marvel that so*** can translate a few fami***ar Eng***sh frag***nts. I want *** emphasize the w***d “fami***ar” f*** it’d be otherwise beyond their capabi***ty.

這種現象多年以來已引发廣泛的討論-眾信我們的英文教學手法大概有了問題。照說,教學的宗旨應該不難厘定-最少從初中到高中這6年,學英文應該「首重」其「器具價值」-易言之,便是教學生學習怎樣去利用「英文」這個器具。至於這個器具正在學習的當時能夠表達什麼樣的「內容實體」,那是主要的問題。

This pheno***non has already stirr*** up extensive discussions and debates. And many be***eve that there may be problems *** Eng***sh teach***g. It doesn’t seem *** be that diff***u*** *** set firm ***als f*** Eng***sh teach***g. I be***eve high school Eng***sh ***uld emphasize primarily its app***cation as a ***ol. In other w***ds, teach students how *** use Eng***sh *** learn and *** acquire ***w “***ntents.” How well a student can use the language *** create “***ntents” ***uld be of se***ndary imp***tance.

事實上,問題並不這麼單純。因為任一語言笔墨都會「同時」顯露一種「意義」。假如课本中容蓄的內容過於肤浅或格外深奧,都會挫败學生的學習興趣。學英文不克不及像聲樂,老師能够強迫學生每天練唱一些毫無意義的音階,用來磨練發聲。因而,不論讀英文會話或文選,其「內容」(也便是课本)也相當紧要。否則學生不僅沒有樂趣學,便是年年考一百分的學生,到頭來他還是不克不及「利用」英文。這正好像今日的初高中國文課本中不乏許多經典之作的白话文,學生正在考國文時都背得滾瓜爛熟,而一切背誦的文章無不辭章雅麗,內容精邃,或大氣磅礡。但是,一般大多數的高中畢業生,不僅作文水平欠佳,有些連一封信都寫欠亨。這即是中國國文的课本和教學上有了問題。其實,英文也是一樣。
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除「课本」(也便是「內容實體」)的問題外,教學法也是能够研讨的重點之一。例如說︰英文老師如果用中文上課、講解,正在5格外鐘一節課中有4格外鐘說中文,格外鐘說英文。這時候,英文就「被」變成为了「內容實體」,就大自然而然成為一種所要表達的东西。假如老師從頭到尾5格外鐘都用英文來講,這時候的英文才會成為一種表達的器具。這便是為什麼一些教會中學,由外籍教士擔任月朔英文的學生通常英文水平好過一样平常中學的基础缘故。
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學英文的功能有4︰讀、講、譯、寫。我把「讀」放正在第一名,大体上是根據國內一样平常情况而定的。對大多數學過英文的人來說,能夠讀-熟讀英文書報雜志、相關資料的人,受害。因為英語全球中的出书品不僅種類单一,水準高的也非常多。一個人要想寻求較多、較深,乃至較快的知識資訊,不從先進國家的出书品中去發挖是不可的。其次是「講」,這仅有對某些特別必要以語言為溝通器具的人,才顯得紧要,其情況和「譯」與「寫」差未几。拿我個人來說,泰半生學英文,說、寫、講俱不夠格,也受害未几;唯獨正在「讀」這方面,確實獲益匪浅,它擴大了我的知識采擷領域;也讓我有機會經常打仗失去最高级人物的才智與筆鋒。

Of the four aspects of Eng***sh – read***g, speak***g, translat***g and writ***g -- I put read***g first. This is bas*** on my understand***g of the ge***ral do***st*** ***uations. People be***fit most when they are able *** read Eng***sh pub***cations – books, ***wspapers, journals,reference books, and the ***ke. There are a great number of high-qua***ty Eng***sh pub***cations *** various fields. O*** can pursue ***-depth ***f***mation *** many fields much faster. “Speak***g” ******s ***xt. The abi***ty *** speak Eng***sh is o***y imp***tant *** a certa*** group of people who h**e *** ***mmun***ate ***ally. “Translat***g” and “writ***g” are ***kewise special skills. I’ve been learn***g Eng***sh almost all my ***fe. It’s a sha*** that I can’t speak, write and translate well enough *** be***fit from it. Luckily I do profit greatly from my abi***ty *** read and ***mprehend. It expands the field from wh***h I gather my knowl***ge and it aff***ds *** great opp***tunities *** ****** ****** ***ntact with the w***ks and wisdom of ***p-rate people.


事實上,學「讀」也不是简便事。因為英文乾坤裡每天有新字,假如靠中笔墨典,基本無濟於事。因而,不仅要了解使用英笔墨典,并且還得悉道哪一本字典最新?和有什麼特別。未几之前,我讀到***ght-head***一個字,就正在字典上查不到,雖然料想它大概是he**y-head***的反義字,但是沒有字典便是沒有掌控。我請教英文中國日報總編輯朱良箴兄,他說沒見過這個字;再請教中心社總編輯冷若水兄,他終於正在一本一983年出书的字典裡查出來了。字典對於學英文的人,对错常紧要的。

Well, learn***g *** read may turn out not as easy after all. New w***ds ****** ****** existence everyday, often render***g an ***d***ary d***tionary useless. We h**e *** know not o***y how *** use d***tionaries but also wh***h d***tionary *** use. Not long a***, I en***unter*** the w***d “***ght-head***.” I ***uld surmise it’s the oppo***e of “he**y-head***,” but wasn't ***mf***tably until I found it *** a d***tionary. I ask Mr. Chu, the manag***g ***i***r-***-chief of the Eng***sh ***ition of Ch***a Daily, f*** help. He said he had ***ver seen the w***d bef***e. I ***nsu****** Mr. Nen who was the ***i***r-***-chief at Central News Agency. He manag*** *** f***d it *** a 1983 d***tionary. How imp***tant d***tionaries are *** lear***rs of Eng***sh!

因而,我经常感覺到︰學英文是一輩子的事。一輩子都不克不及停。因為除它的「器具」效能外,事實上它是一種「文明整合」的器具。我們中國文明和东方文明有許多不盡一样之处。有些觀念经常不是對等的。有的情况中文的形意較大;有的英文較大;正在這「巨细有別」的情況下來辨識一個字的內容,那是絕頂困難的事。因為那時候便已超过了語文的階層,而發展到「學問」的領域來了。比方Sonata這個字,無論譯成奏鳴曲大概是「朔拿大」,假如沒研讨過音樂的人,都不會懂。其余像 perspective, ***mprehensive 這些英文中的经常使用字,也都不是一個中笔墨詞所能涵蓋的。這正如外國人學中文一樣,像「太極」這個字,有人譯成 absolute,基本不克不及表達太極這個字的整個內涵。

So, I often feel that learn***g Eng***sh is a ***feti*** ende*****. And there can be no lett***g up. There are differences between Ch***ese and Western cu***ures. We often f***d ***ncepts that are similar, but not equal. Ch***ese ***ncepts are so***ti***s deeper and broader than their Western ***unterparts and ***ce versa. This cu***ural aspect is extre***ly diff***u*** *** grasp f*** it transcends ****** the realm of cu***ure. Take the w***d “sonata”, f*** example. So*** translate it as 奏鳴曲and others as朔拿大. But ***ither is ******g *** help you if you don’t know mus***. There are also w***ds, ***ke “perspective” and “***mprehensive,” whose true ***an***g cannot ***nveniently be ***ver*** *** o*** simple Ch***ese phrase. Of ***urse, f***eig***rs run ****** similar problems ***o when they try *** learn Ch***ese. F*** ***stance, the translation of太極as “absolute” simply just doesn’t ***nvey its full ***an***g.


因而,我经常自勉︰學英文是一輩子的事。每天會遇見新字,新的「內容實體」,要每天查字典,或請教拙劣。這个中,苦樂參半,不過若算總帳,勤奋的總是比較划算的。

So I often rem***d myself: learn***g Eng***sh is a ***feti*** ende*****. Daily I will run ****** ***w w***ds and ***w areas of study. Daily I will ***nsu*** d***tionaries and experts. It’s a joy and it’s an a***ny. But, *** the f***al analysis, di***gence does pay off handso***ly.




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