評論
打印
Lesson17 Speaking Two, But Thinking in One
說兩門語言，但用一門語言來思考
My own experience makes me think it only self-deception if any believes that he has two mother-tongues. He may think that he is equally master of each, yet it is invariable the case that he actually thinks in only one and is only in that one really free and creative.
據我自己的經驗，一個人如果認為自己有兩種母語，那他只是自欺欺人。他可以認為自己兩門語言掌握的都很好，但一成不變的事實是他只會用一門語言來思考，只有在使用這門語言時他才會輕松自如、富有創造力。
If anyone assures me that he has two languages, each as thoroughly familiar to him as the other, I immediately ask him in which of them he counts and reckons, in which he can best give me the names of kitchen utensils and tools used by carpenter or smith, and in which of them he dreams. I have not yet come across anyone who, when thus tested, had not to admit that one of the languages occupied only a second place.
如果有人很肯定地告訴我他會說兩門語言并且同樣精通，我會馬上問他用哪門語言來數數和運算，他用哪門語言能準確地給出廚房用具和木工或者鐵匠的工具的名稱，他做夢時說哪種語言。在我所遇見的人當中，在被問及這些問題時，都會承認其中一門語言是占次要地位的。
I can best describe it by saying that in French I seem to be strolling down the well-kept paths in a fine park, but in German to be wandering at will in a magnificent forest.
我可以很好地來描述這種情形，說法語時，我好像是走在美麗花園內一條被人精心照料的小路上，但在說德語時，我好像是在宏偉壯麗的森林里自由自在地漫步。
Always accustomed in French to be careful about the rhythmic arrangement of the sentence, and to strive for simplicity of expression, these things have become equally a necessity to me in German. And now through my work on the French Bach it became clear to me what literary style corresponded to my nature.
說法語時，我總是習慣于非常仔細地安排句子的節奏，總是追求表達的簡潔，而在說德語時，這些也成為了我必須要做的事情。現在，我通過研究法國巴赫的作品，清楚地知道了什么樣的文學風格適合我的本性。
words to learn
單詞句型
1.reckon
計算。需要注意的是另一個單詞reccon（浣熊）比它多了一個c
2.stroll
散步。同樣需要注意的是另一個單詞strol（出版者），與stroller同義
3.rhythmic
有節奏的，有韻律的
