評(píng)論
打印
Today, we will keep talking about the idea of a language evolving. Last week, I talked about how war changes a language because one culture can dominate another and infuse aspects of its language into a new language. Today, I will talk about another way a language can be changed. It is... can anyone guess? Yes, it's technology.
今天，我們會(huì)繼續(xù)討論語言的演變。上周，我已經(jīng)說過戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)會(huì)如何改變一門語言，因?yàn)橐环N文化會(huì)統(tǒng)治另一種文化并浸透它語言的方方面面，從而產(chǎn)生一種新語言。今天，我會(huì)講到另一種改變語言的方式。它是...有人能猜猜嗎？是的，是技術(shù)。
My example will be, hmm, a cell phone. Cell phones have changed and are currently changing the way we communicate with each other. Only 50 years ago, phone conversations were considered private affairs. For example, if I was at your house, and your phone rang, I would leave the room so that you could have a private conversation. With cell phones, people have conversations everywhere, at restaurants, on dates, umm, even on public transportation you can see people chatting away.
我的例子會(huì)是，嗯，一部手機(jī)。手機(jī)已經(jīng)改變并且依然在影響著我們的交流方式。50年前，電話通話還是一件很私密的事。比如，如果我在你家，你的電話響了，我得離開房間，方便你進(jìn)行私人通話。有了手機(jī)以后，人們隨地都在打著電話，在飯店、約會(huì)時(shí)，嗯，甚至在公共交通工具上你也能看到人們?cè)谟秒娫捔奶臁?/div>
Now people are talking about what was considered private in public. We will talk about work, people we hate, our relationships, and plans in front of complete strangers. The things we now talk about on the phone would have been considered extremely rude to say in public 50 years ago. Back then, you would be slapped by someone for talking about your boyfriend or girlfriend or a party you went to the night before.
現(xiàn)在人們?cè)诠矆?chǎng)合會(huì)討論曾經(jīng)被認(rèn)為是很私密的話題。我們會(huì)在陌生人面前談?wù)摴ぷ鳌⒂憛挼娜恕⑶楦嘘P(guān)系以及計(jì)劃。我們現(xiàn)在在公共場(chǎng)合用電話談?wù)摰膬?nèi)容在五十年前看來會(huì)是十分不禮貌的。那時(shí)候，如果你在公共場(chǎng)合下談?wù)撃愕呐笥鸦蚰信笥鸦蛘吣闱耙惶焱砩先⒓拥木蹠?huì)，你會(huì)被別人抽耳光。
Umm, what else? We are changing how we talk as well. We all get phone bills, so talking on the phone means you are using money. So, the faster you talk the less money you use. This means we often start and end our phone conversations quickly. Before, we would take our time on the phone, ask someone how they are doing, chit chat for a bit, and then get to the point. We would slowly end the conversation, often saying bye two or three times. Now, we just say the point then maybe a goodbye, and the conversation is over. That would have been so rude only years ago.
嗯，還有什么呢？我們的說話方式也在改變。我們都有電話費(fèi)，所以在電話上聊天意味著你在花錢。所以，你說的越快你花的錢就越少。這就意味著我們要快速地開始和結(jié)束電話通話。以前，我們會(huì)慢慢打電話，問別人過得怎樣，隨便聊聊天，然后才轉(zhuǎn)到正題。我們結(jié)束對(duì)話也很慢，通常會(huì)說兩三遍再見。現(xiàn)在，我們會(huì)直奔主題，然后一句再見，電話就掛了。幾年以前如果你這樣做，會(huì)顯得極其不禮貌。
Question 20. What did the speaker talk about last week?
問題20 發(fā)言人上一周討論的話題是什么？
Question 21. What would the people living 50 years ago think of today's phone conversations?
問題21 50年以前的人們會(huì)如何看待今天的電話通話？
Question 22. Why do we often start and end our phone conversations quickly?
問題22 為什么我們打電話開始的快結(jié)束也快？
譯文屬可可原創(chuàng)，僅供學(xué)習(xí)和交流使用，未經(jīng)允許不得轉(zhuǎn)載
