2020年经济学人 约翰逊语言专栏--如何在家学习一门外语(1)

Living in lockdownhas led many people to undertake some self-improvement.

隔离在家让许多人开始进行自我提升。

Alongside baking or cramped¹ fitness regimes, some have chosen intellectual projects—such as picking up or mastering a foreign language.

除了烘焙或居家健身计划外，一些人选择了学习项目——比如学习或掌握一门外语。

This interactive² skill might not seem to be one that is best honed alone. But learning a language in isolation³ is much easier than it used to be.

这种互动技能可能不适合独自磨炼。但在隔离期间学习一门语言要比过去容易得多。

One summer many years ago, as he spent many hours driving alone to work,

很多年前的一个夏天，当时本刊专栏作家还需要花很多时间独自开车去上班，

your columnist⁴ learned French with the help of an ancient course developed to train American diplomats⁵.

他参加了一门课程，学会了法语，该课程是为培训美国外交官而开设。

Not only were its text basic and cassettes low-tech; it was also low-concept. Exercises seemed to have much more repetition than was necessary:

课本很简单，磁带的技术含量也很低；课程概念设置不高。练习中，不必要的重复也很多：

Mon frere va bien. Mon pere va bien. Mon fils va bien.

Mon frere va bien. Mon pere va bien. Mon fils va bien.

Mon ami va bien, murmured the tape, with pauses for repetition. (My brother is doing well. My father is doing well…)

Mon ami va bien, 磁带有间隔地重复着。（哥哥很好。我父亲很好……）

There was method in this drudgery⁶. The skeleton of the sentence was drummed in, with just one word changing: Mon X va bien.

做这种沉闷的工作是有方法的。反复灌输句子的框架结构，只改变句子中的一个单词：Mon X va bien。

Next, another variable was altered. A new list of six sentences cited feminine nouns instead: Ma Z va bien.

接下来，另一个变量被改变了。新的六个句子中名词换成了阴性名词：Ma Z va bien。

With little instruction, the variation between feminine and masculine was pounded home.

在没有指导的情况下，反复强调阴性和阳性名词。

It was slow, not much fun—and incredibly effective. (Many of these old courses are now free online at www.fsi-language-courses.net.)

这种模式，进展缓慢又无趣——但却非常有效。（许多这样的老课程现在都可以在www.fsi-langua-courses.net上免费在线学习。）

That primitive⁷ method has since been replaced by whizzy programmes promising⁸ easier progress.

从那以后，这种老方法就被承诺更容易取得进展的新奇项目所取代。

In the end, though, language is a skill more than a body of knowledge, acquired not so much by learning as by doing.

然而，说到底，语言与其说是一种知识体系，不如说是一种技能，与其说是通过学习获得，不如说是通过实践习得。

Put another way, learning a language with an app is a bit like getting fit with one. The device can guide you, but you still have to work.

换句话说，用一款应用学习一门语言有点像是适应一门语言。这个应用可以指导你，但你仍然要努力。

Duolingo, a popular "freemium" app, has bite-sized lessons and gamified exercises.

多领国是一款很受欢迎的“免费增值”应用程序，它提供小课程和游戏化的练习。

Babbel, an inexpensive subscription⁹ service, offers more structured lessons and useful real-world material.

Babbel是一个价格便宜的订阅服务，它提供更结构化的课程和更贴近现实的材料。

Busuu, another subscription, focuses on networking with other users.

另一款订阅服务，Busuu则专注于与其他用户建立网络。

The best thing such apps can do is get you away from your screen, and talking.

这类应用程序能最棒的部分就是让你远离屏幕，开始交谈。

Learn a bit, then try to escape family or roommates and articulate your thoughts about your day and your life:

学一点，然后试着避开家人或室友，清晰地表达你对这一天生活的想法：

J'aime la beurre. J'aime le pain. J'aime mon mari. Je n'aime pas le lockdown… It is better to repeat a formula to death than to move on too soon.

J'aime la beurre. J'aime le pain. J'aime mon mari. Je n'aime pas le lockdown......与其过早进行下一课的学习，还不如重复一个句型。

1 cramped   

a.狭窄的

参考例句：

• The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤，但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
• working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作

2 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

3 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

4 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

5 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 drudgery   

n.苦工，重活，单调乏味的工作

参考例句：

• People want to get away from the drudgery of their everyday lives.人们想摆脱日常生活中单调乏味的工作。
• He spent his life in pointlessly tiresome drudgery.他的一生都在做毫无意义的烦人的苦差事。

7 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

8 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

9 subscription   

n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方）

参考例句：

• We paid a subscription of 5 pounds yearly.我们按年度缴纳5英镑的订阅费。
• Subscription selling bloomed splendidly.订阅销售量激增。