TED演讲:学习新语言的四个理由(3)

 So for example, let's take an English speaker. 拿一个母语是英语的人来举例。

Up on the screen, that is Bono. He speaks English. I presume he has a worldview. 这是波诺。他说英文，他有一个世界观。

Now, that is Donald Trump¹. In his way, he speaks English as well. 现在这个人是唐纳德·特朗普。他同样也说英文。

And here is Ms. Kardashian, and she is an English speaker, too. 这是卡戴珊，她也说英文。

So here are three speakers of the English language. 现在这里有三位说英文的人。

What worldview do those three people have in common? 他们的世界观有什么共同点吗？

What worldview is shaped through the English language that unites them? 英语塑造了什么样的世界观让他们有共同之处？

It's a highly fraught² concept. 这个问题很难说。

And so gradual consensus³ is becoming that language can shape thought, 逐渐达成的共识认为语言能塑造思维，

but it tends to be in rather darling, obscure psychological flutters. 但只是非常模糊的一种心理暗示。

It's not a matter of giving you a different pair of glasses on the world. 它并不是能让你用不同的态度来看待世界。

Now, if that's the case, then why learn languages? 如果这个想法不成立，那么我们为什么要学习外语？

If it isn't going to change the way you think, what would the other reasons be? There are some. 如果外语并不能改变你的思维方式，那么我们学习的原因是什么？有几个理由。

One of them is that if you want to imbibe⁴ a culture, 首先，如果你想学习一个文化，

if you want to drink it in, if you want to become part of it, 如果你想吸收并让自己融入这个文化，

then whether or not the language channels the culture 那么不论如何，这个语言是否为此文化的载体，

and that seems doubtful -- if you want to imbibe the culture, 或许有人会质疑，如果你想汲取这个文化，

you have to control to some degree the language that the culture happens to be conducted in. There's no other way. 你就必须对这个文化使用的语言有一定程度的掌握。没有捷径。

 

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

3 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

4 imbibe   

v.喝，饮；吸入，吸收

参考例句：

• Plants imbibe nourishment usually through their leaves and roots.植物通常经过叶和根吸收养分。
• I always imbibe fresh air in the woods.我经常在树林里呼吸新鲜空气。