必修一Unit2 THE ROAD TO MODERN ENGLISH.docx

Four short words sum up what has lifted most successful individuals above the crowd: a little bit more.-author-date必修一Unit2 THE ROAD TO MODERN ENGLISH必修一Unit2 THE ROAD TO MODERN ENGLISH1. 必修一Unit2 THE ROAD TO MODERN ENGLISH通向现代英语之路At the end of the 16th century, about five to seven million people spoke English. 16世纪末期大约有5百万到7百万人说英语. Nearly all of them lived in England.几乎所有这些人都生活在英国。Later in the next century, people from England made voyages to conquer other parts of the world and because of that, English began to be spoken in many other countries.后来，在17世纪英国人开始航海征服了世界其它地区。于是，许多别的国家开始说英语了。Today, more people speak English as their first, second or foreign language than ever before.如今说英语的人比以往任何时候都多，他们有的是作为第一语言来说，有的是作为第二语言或外语。Native English speakers can understand each other even if they dont speak the same kind of English. Look at this example:以英语作为母语的人，即使他们所讲的语言不尽相同，也可以互相交流。请看以下例子：British Betty: Would you like to see my flat?英国人贝蒂：“请到我的公寓（flat）里来看看，好吗？”American Amy: Yes, Id like to come up to your apartment.美国人艾米：“好的。我很乐意到你的公寓（apartment）去。”So why has English changed over time?那么，英语在一段时间里为什么会起变化呢？Actually all languages change and develop when cultures meet and communicate with each other.事实上，当不同文化互相交流渗透时，所有的语言都会有所发展，有所变化。At first the English spoken in England between about AD 450 and 1150 was very different from the English spoken today.首先，在公元450年到1150年间，人们所说的英语跟今天所说的英语就很不一样。It was based more on German than the English we speak at present.当时的英语更多地是以德语为基础的，而现代英语不是。Then gradually between about AD 800 and 1150, English became less like German because those who ruled England spoke first Danish and later French.然后，渐渐地，大约在公元800年到1150年期间，英语不那么像德语了。因为那时的英国的统治者起初讲丹麦语后来讲法语。These new settlers enriched the English language and especially its vocabulary.这些新的定居者大大丰富了英语语言，特别是在词汇方面。So by the 1600s Shakespeare was able to make use of a wider vocabulary than ever before.所以到17世纪，莎士比亚所用的词汇量比以前任何时期都大。In 1620 some British settlers moved to America.在1620年，一些英国人搬迁到美洲定居。Later in the 18th century some British people were taken to Australia too. English began to be spoken in both countries. 后来，到了19世纪，有些英国人也被送往澳大利亚，两个国家的人都开始说英语了。Finally by the 19th century the language was settled.最后，到19世纪，英语才真正定形。At that time two big changes in English spelling happened: first Samuel Johnson wrote his dictionary and later Noah Webster wrote The American Dictionary of the English Language.那时，英语在拼写上发生了两大变化：首先，塞缪尔·约翰逊编写了词典，后来，诺厄·韦伯斯特编纂了美国英语词典，The latter gave a separate identity to American English spelling.后者体现了美国英语拼写的不同特色。English now is also spoken as a foreign or second language in South Asia.现在，英语在南亚也被当作外语或第二语言来说。For example, India has a very large number of fluent English speakers because Britain ruled India from 1765 to 1947.比如说，印度拥有众多讲英语很流利的人，这是因为英国于1765年到1947年统治过印度。During that time English became the language for government and education.在那期间，英语成了官方语言和教育用语。English is also spoken in Singapore and Malaysia and countries in Africa such as South Africa.在新加坡、马来西亚和非洲其它国家，比如南非，人们也说英语。Today the number of people learning English in China is increasing rapidly.目前在中国学习英语的人数正在迅速增长。In fact, China may have the largest number of English learners.事实上，中国可能拥有世界上最多的英语学习者。Will Chinese English develop its own identity? Only time will tell.中国英语会发展出自己的特色吗？这只能由时间来回答了。2. 必修一Unit2  STANDARD ENGLISH AND DIALECTS标准英语和方言What is standard English?什么是标准英语？Is it spoken in Britain, the US, Canada, Australia, India and New Zealand?是在英国、美国、加拿大、澳大利亚、印度、新西兰所说的英语吗？Believe it or not, there is no such thing as standard English.信不信由你，（世界上）没有什么标准英语。Many people believe the English spoken on TV and the radio is standard English.许多人认为，电视和收音机里所说的就是标准英语。This is because in the early days of radio, those who reported the news were expected to speak excellent English.这是因为在早期的电台节目里，人们期望新闻播音员所说的英语是最好的英语。However, on TV and the radio you will hear differences in the way people speak.然而，在电视和收音机里，你也会听出人们在说话时的差异。When people use words and expressions different from “standard language”, it is called a dialect.当人们用不同于“标准语言”的词语时，那就叫做方言。American English has many dialects, especially the midwestern, southern, African American and Spanish dialects.美国英语有许多方言，特别是中西部和南部地区的方言，以及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.在美国有些地区，即使是相邻城镇的两个人所说的语言都可能稍有不同。American English has so many dialects because people have come from all over the world.美国英语之所以有这么多的方言是因为美国人是来自世界各地的缘故。Geography also plays a part in making dialects.地理位置对方言的产生也有影响。Some people who live in the mountains of the eastern USA speak with an older kind of English dialect.住在美国东部山区的一些人说着比较古老的英语方言。When Americans moved from one place to another, they took their dialects with them.当美国人从一个地方搬到另一个地方时，他们也就把他们的方言随着带去了。So people from the mountains in the southeastern USA speak with almost the same dialect as people in the northwestern USA.因此，美国东南部山区的人同美国西北部的人所说的方言就几乎相同。The USA is a large country in which many different dialects are spoken.美国是一个使用多种方言的大国。Although many Americans move a lot, they still recognize and understand each others dialects.虽然许多美国人经常搬迁，但是他们仍然能够辨别、理解彼此的方言。-