評論
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So for example, let's take an English speaker.
拿一個母語是英語的人來舉例。
Up on the screen, that is Bono. He speaks English. I presume he has a worldview.
這是波諾。他說英文，他有一個世界觀。
Now, that is Donald Trump. In his way, he speaks English as well.
現在這個人是唐納德·特朗普。他同樣也說英文。
And here is Ms. Kardashian, and she is an English speaker, too.
這是卡戴珊，她也說英文。
So here are three speakers of the English language.
現在這里有三位說英文的人。
What worldview do those three people have in common?
他們的世界觀有什么共同點嗎？
What worldview is shaped through the English language that unites them?
英語塑造了什么樣的世界觀讓他們有共同之處？
It's a highly fraught concept.
這個問題很難說。
And so gradual consensus is becoming that language can shape thought,
逐漸達成的共識認為語言能塑造思維，
but it tends to be in rather darling, obscure psychological flutters.
但只是非常模糊的一種心理暗示。
It's not a matter of giving you a different pair of glasses on the world.
它并不是能讓你用不同的態度來看待世界。
Now, if that's the case, then why learn languages?
如果這個想法不成立，那么我們為什么要學習外語？
If it isn't going to change the way you think, what would the other reasons be? There are some.
如果外語并不能改變你的思維方式，那么我們學習的原因是什么？有幾個理由。
One of them is that if you want to imbibe a culture,
首先，如果你想學習一個文化，
if you want to drink it in, if you want to become part of it,
如果你想吸收并讓自己融入這個文化，
then whether or not the language channels the culture
那么不論如何，這個語言是否為此文化的載體，
and that seems doubtful -- if you want to imbibe the culture,
或許有人會質疑，如果你想汲取這個文化，
you have to control to some degree the language that the culture happens to be conducted in. There's no other way.
你就必須對這個文化使用的語言有一定程度的掌握。沒有捷徑。
