評論
打印
When we hear the word English, we naturally think of the language spoken by those living in the United Kingdom or of the people living in England. We also often think of their language as the international language, the one spoken as a native language in Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, countries which have had a close association with England for centuries. However, English is spoken as a native or second language in a large number of other countries which were once colonies of the British Empire.
我們聽到 English 這個(gè)字時(shí)，自然而然會(huì)想到那是住在英國的人或是那些居住在英格蘭的人所講的語言。我們也時(shí)常視他們的語言為國際語言，幾世紀(jì)以來它在和英國有密切關(guān)聯(lián)的國家如愛爾蘭、美國、加拿大、澳洲和新西蘭等國中被當(dāng)作本國語使用。然而，英語在其它許多曾經(jīng)是大英帝國殖民地的國家中也被當(dāng)作本國語或第二語言使用。
Latin America, including Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, is often thought of as a linguistically homogenous area of Latinate languages (those languages like French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish which originated from Latin). This is generally true, as the vast majority of peoples there speak Spanish or Portuguese as their mother tongue. However, a number of small Caribbean island nations were also once part of the British Empire; accordingly, their citizens even after independence speak English. These nations include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Barbados, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
包括墨西哥、中美洲、加勒比海和南美洲在內(nèi)的拉丁美洲在語言上常被視為同屬拉丁語系（法語、意大利語、葡萄牙語和西班牙語等語言皆源自于拉丁語）的地區(qū)。一般來說這是事實(shí)，因?yàn)槟切┑貐^(qū)絕大多數(shù)的民族都使用西班牙語或葡萄牙語作為母語。然而，有一些加勒比海的小島國家也曾經(jīng)是大英帝國的一部分；因此，它們的人民即使在獨(dú)立后仍繼續(xù)使用英語。這些國家包括安提瓜、巴哈馬、多米尼加、格林那達(dá)、牙買加、巴巴多斯以及特立尼達(dá)和多巴哥共和國。
Do the Caribbean English speakers speak British English? Not exactly. All over the world where English has been spoken for hundreds of years by speakers of other languages, certain special accents or dialects have arisen. India is famous for "Indian English"; "Irish English" is unmistakable, too. Likewise, Caribbean English has its own special patterns, vocabulary, and even grammatical forms different from the standard RP (received pronunciation, also referred to as Received Standard) of British English. These special features include a lilt or "sing-song" sound to the language, and plenty of local slang.
加勒比海人說的是英式英語嗎？不見得。英語在世界各地被其它語言的人使用幾百年之后，產(chǎn)生了某些特別的腔調(diào)或方言。印度的“印度式英語”很出名，“愛爾蘭式英語”也不會(huì)被搞錯(cuò)。同樣地，加勒比海式英語有它自己特殊的句型、詞匯，甚至還有和公認(rèn)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)英語發(fā)音（或稱公認(rèn)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)英語）不同的語法結(jié)構(gòu)。這些特色包括輕快的旋律或“歌唱般的”語言聲調(diào)，以及豐富的當(dāng)?shù)刭嫡Z。
As only a relatively few people live on these islands, how can we hear their special dialect or accent? One kind of pop music called reggae is the easiest way outside of befriending someone from these nations. Reggae music has been popular since the 1980s, when performers like Bob Marley of Jamaica pleasantly surprised the world with their own original reggae music as well as their interpretations of other well-known pop Anglo music. Reggae is famous for its strong, often syncopated beat, laid-back singing style, and, of course, the "island" dialect. Another perennial music favorite is calypso, which is also sung in the Caribbean island English dialect. The hit song "Yes, We Have No Bananas," is reminiscent of this drum-heavy musical style, especially from Trinidad and Tobago.
而因?yàn)榫幼≡谶@些島上的居民相當(dāng)少，我們又如何聽到他們特別的方言或腔調(diào)呢？除了和來自這些國家的人交朋友之外，聽一種叫雷蓋的流行音樂是最簡單的方法。雷蓋音樂自1980年代以來流行至今，當(dāng)時(shí)諸如牙買加人鮑伯．馬利等表演者以其獨(dú)創(chuàng)的雷蓋音樂和詮釋其它著名英國流行音樂讓全世界的人大為贊嘆稱奇。雷蓋音樂以節(jié)奏強(qiáng)烈，且通常切分音拍的輕松演唱方式，當(dāng)然還有“島上”方言而聞名。另一種長久以來受喜愛的音樂是以加勒比海島上的英語方言唱出的加力騷（特立尼達(dá)島上土人所演唱的歌曲）。暢銷曲“是的，我們沒有香蕉”令人想起這種特別是出自特立尼達(dá)和多巴哥鼓聲沉重的音樂風(fēng)格。
Given the islands' historic ties to both the United Kingdom and the United States, it is little wonder that today the peoples of these small nations continue to use English in government, academia, business, and trade. Local languages still exist alongside the Caribbean English dialect, too, but they are mostly the patois of the marketplace and home. Many of the residents of this area, also referred to as the West Indies or the Antilles, have emigrated to the U.K. or the U.S. and, because of their linguistic prowess, have done relatively well as so-called "third world" immigrants. A few writers of contemporary renown also hail from this area, as do some sports figures.
由這些島嶼與英國和美國的歷史關(guān)系看來，也難怪這些小國中的各民族至今在政府機(jī)關(guān)、學(xué)術(shù)界、商業(yè)和貿(mào)易上仍繼續(xù)使用英語。當(dāng)?shù)氐恼Z言也仍然和加勒比海式英語方言并存著，但它們大都是在市場和家里所用的土話。這地區(qū)有許多居民（又叫西印度群島人或安的利斯人）已經(jīng)移民到英國或美國，并且由于他們的語言天分，以所謂“第三世界”移民者的身分表現(xiàn)得相當(dāng)不錯(cuò)。就像某些運(yùn)動(dòng)人物一樣，當(dāng)代一些著名的作家也來自這個(gè)地區(qū)。
If you plan to visit any of the above-mentioned islands for any purpose, do not worry about your language skills. Caribbean peoples are well-known for their friendly, patient dispositions. After a few days, your ear will become attuned to the lilting cadence of the lovely Caribbean English dialects, and your stay in this tropical paradise will be all the more rewarding.
如果你計(jì)劃去拜訪上列提到的任何國家，不必?fù)?dān)心你的語言能力。加勒比海人友善和具耐心的天性是很出名的。幾天之后，你的耳朵就會(huì)習(xí)慣美妙的加勒比海式英語方言那種抑揚(yáng)頓挫的輕快節(jié)拍，而停留在這個(gè)熱帶天堂的你將獲益良多。
