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美式英语走红香港

Hong Kong was a British colony for 156 years before reverting¹ to Chinese control in 1997. English is still widely spoken and taught today, but many are now opting² to learn American English instead of the British variety.

香港作了156年的英国殖民地之后才于1997年回到了中国。在这个城市里，人们仍然在广泛讲英语和学英语，现在很多人都选择学美式英语。VOA记者霍克探讨了香港人选择学美式英语的一些原因。

Hong Kong resident Victor Chan’s children, who attend an English class on weekends, are learning to pronounce words the American way. Chan feels this is most advantageous³ for their future.

这些儿童在他们的周末英语课堂。他们正在学习用美式发音念单词。陈先生的孩子们在这里上课。

“I intend to send my sons to America for further study, so I choose American accent. American accent is better for their employment in Western countries,” explained Chan.

学生家长陈先生说：“我打算送我儿子到美国深造，所以我选择美国口音。对于他们在西方国家就业来说，美国口音更好。 “

Nature EQ is one of a growing number of schools in Hong Kong offering American English classes.  When Frankie Ng opened the school 17 years ago, he had only 40 students. Today, the school works at maximum capacity with 350 attending.

自然EQ是香港越来越多的提供美式英语课的学校之一。当弗兰基.吴17年前开办这个学校时，他只有40名学生。如今，已有350名学生，达到学校的最大容量。

“The sound of American English is so defined and clear, and easy to teach and to be understood,” said Ng.

自然EQ创始人兼共同所有人弗兰基.吴说：“美式英语的声音定义明确，发音清楚，容易教，也容易理解。”

However, the pupils seem to be less concerned with what is clear and more so with which style will be more useful.

但是，这不是这些孩子所担心的。

"I think [American English] is getting more and more important, and is maybe taking over the dominance of British English, so I'm willing to learn," said Sam Yu, a student at Nature EQ.

自然E.Q的学生山姆.于说：“我认为美国英语越来越重要，也许正在取代英式英语的统治地位，所以我愿意学习。”

In Hong Kong's Tseung Kwan O district, the "American English Workshop" has grown from 20 students a week when it opened a year ago to more than 180 today.

在香港将军澳区， “美式英语工作坊”已经从一年前开张时的每周20名学生，到今天的180多。

Public schools still primarily teach British English, but private language schools offering American English are growing in the former British colony.

提供美式英语的私立语言学校在这个前英国殖民地蓬勃增长，香港的公立学校仍在很大程度上教授英式英语。

Observers say American English is taking over across the world as the language of international business. The rise of American idiomatic⁴ expressions and the American accent in other areas is often ascribed to the world's increased exposure to American culture, especially through movies, videos, computer games and the Internet.

观察家们说，美式英语在世界各地正在接手成为国际商业的通用语言。美国的惯用表达语汇和口音在其他领域的崛起，往往被归因于世界更多地接触美国文化，特别是电影、视频、电脑游戏和互联网。

Language teachers in Hong Kong say wealthy Chinese mainlanders also help fuel the demand, crossing into Hong Kong for a wider choice of educational opportunities.

在香港的语言教师们说，有钱的中国内地人助长了市场需求，他们过境进入香港来寻求更广泛的选择受教育的机会。

But in the streets of Hong Kong, traditional British English still prevails.

不过，在香港一些街道，传统的英式英语仍然盛行。

"We can understand both, but for what we speak, we speak [with] the British accent," said one local woman.

“我们能听懂两种口音，但我们所讲的是，我们讲英国口音” 。

"The British is better I think," commented a local man.

“英国口音更好，我觉得。”

Meanwhile, as young people decide which style to study, a growing number want to learn American English.

与此同时，越来越多的香港年轻人要学习美式英语。