【趣谈英语】吹哨也是门语言艺术-The Language Of Whistling

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

 

ancient: from a long time ago

dwelling¹: a place where someone lives

relay: to transfer from one person to another

revival²: the act of coming alive again; rebirth

compulsory³: required

convey: to make something understood

masterpiece: an amazing creation

intangible: not physically⁴ touchable

 

The Language Of Whistling

Not all languages use words. In some parts of the world, people communicate by putting whistling. Silbo Gomero is an example of a whistling language. It is an ancient form of communication used in La Gomera, one of Spain’s Canary Islands. Long ago, when dwellings⁵ were spread far apart in these valleys, whistling was developed as a form of communication. Relaying a message through whistling was easier than walking to a friend or relative’s home. Neighbours often whistled to warn each other of dangers. While the language seemed to be dying out in the 1950s and 60s, Silbo Gomero experienced a revival in the 90s when it became a compulsory subject at schools in La Gomera. The simple language, which is based on Spanish, has two whistles for vowels⁶ and four whistles for consonants⁷. The length and tone of the whistles help convey the meaning. In 2009 UNESCO declared this unique language as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

1 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

2 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

3 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

4 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

5 dwellings   

n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The development will consist of 66 dwellings and a number of offices. 新建楼区将由66栋住房和一些办公用房组成。
• The hovels which passed for dwellings are being pulled down. 过去用作住室的陋屋正在被拆除。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 vowels   

n.元音，元音字母( vowel的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Vowels possess greater sonority than consonants. 元音比辅音响亮。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Note the various sounds of vowels followed by r. 注意r跟随的各种元音的发音。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

7 consonants   

n.辅音，子音( consonant的名词复数 )；辅音字母

参考例句：

• Consonants are frequently assimilated to neighboring consonants. 辅音往往被其邻近的辅音同化。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Vowels possess greater sonority than consonants. 元音比辅音响亮。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》