評論
打印
M1U2 Using Language
使用語言
Reading
閱讀
Standard English and Dialects
標準英語和方言
What is standard English?
什么是標準英語？
Is it spoken in Britain, the US, Canada, Australia, India and New Zealand?
是在英國、美國、加拿大、澳大利亞、印度、新西蘭所說的英語嗎？
Believe it or not, there is no such thing as standard English.
信不信由你，（世界上）沒有什么標準英語。
Many people believe the English spoken on TV and the radio is standard English.
許多人認為，電視和收音機里所說的英語就是標準英語，
This is because in the early days of radio, those who reported the news were expected to speak excellent English.
這是因為在早期的電臺節目里，人們期望新聞播音員所說的英語是最好的英語。
However, on TV and the radio, you will hear differences in the way people speak.
然而，在電視和收音機里，你也會聽出人們在說話時的差異。
When people use words and expressions different from "standard language", it is called a dialect.
當人們使用不同于“標準語言”的詞語和表達時，那就叫做方言。
American English has many dialects, especially the midwestern, southern, African American and Spanish dialects.
美國英語有許多方言，特別是中西部地區和南部地區的方言，以及美國黑人和西班牙人的方言。
Even in some parts of the USA, two people from neighbouring towns speak a little differently.
即使在美國有些地區，兩個相鄰城鎮的人所說的方言也可能稍有不同。
American English has so many dialects because people have come from all over the world.
美國英語之所以有這么多的方言是因為美國人是來自世界各地的緣故。
Geography also plays a part in making dialects.
地理位置對方言的形成也有所影響。
Some people who live in the mountains of the eastern USA speak with an older kind of English dialect.
住在美國東部山區的一些人說著比較古老的英語方言。
When Americans moved from one place to another, they took their dialects with them.
當美國人從一個地方搬到另一個地方時，他們也就把他們的方言隨著帶去了。
So people from the mountains in the southeastern USA speak with almost the same dialect as people in the northwestern USA.
因此，美國東南部山區的人同美國西北部的人所說的方言就幾乎相同。
The USA is a large country in which many different dialects are spoken.
美國是一個大國，有著許許多多彼此不同的方言。
Although many Americans move a lot, they still recognize and understand each other's dialects.
雖然許多美國人經常搬家，但是他們仍然能夠辨別和理解彼此的方言。
