英文真的是英文嗎？6分鐘英文：英語精讀講義

6 Minute English from BBCLearningEnglish.com.

來自 BBCLearningEnglish.com 的 6 Minute English。

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

大家好，這裡是 BBC Learning English 的 6 Minute English。

I'm Neil.

我是 Neil。

And I'm Georgina.

我是 Georgina。

Gōdne mergen.

Gōdne mergen。

Mé lícap pé métanne.

Mé lícap pé métanne。

I beg your pardon, Neil. 語氣意圖

你說什麼，Neil？

Is something stuck in your throat? 語氣意圖

你喉嚨裡卡東西了嗎？

Are you speaking a foreign language?

你在說外語嗎？

Ha, well, actually, Georgina,

哈，其實，Georgina，

I was saying good morning, pleased to meet you in English,

我在用英語說早安，很高興見到你，

but not the English you and I speak. 文法

但這不是你我說的現代英語。

That was Anglo-Saxon or Old English,

那是盎格魯-撒克遜語，或稱古英語，

the earliest form of English spoken in the Middle Ages, 文法

是中世紀人們使用的最早的英語形式，

so between the 5th and 15th century.

大約在5世紀到15世紀之間。

It doesn't sound anything like the way people talk nowadays. 片語搭配

聽起來完全不像現代人的說話方式。

No, but it's surprising how many of the words we use today 文法

確實不像，但令人驚訝的是，我們今天使用的許多詞彙

have survived from Old English.

都是從古英語保留下來的。

Beer, wine, drink, fish, bread, butter,

啤酒、葡萄酒、喝、魚、麵包、奶油，

eye, ear, mouth, head, hand, foot,

眼睛、耳朵、嘴巴、頭、手、腳，

life, love, laughter, mother, daughter,

生命、愛、笑聲、母親、女兒，

sister, brother, son, father, all Anglo-Saxon words.

姐妹、兄弟、兒子、父親，全都是盎格魯-撒克遜詞彙。

Wow, so many everyday words. 用詞

哇，這麼多日常詞彙啊。

But what about the classics, Latin and Greek? 語氣意圖

那拉丁語和希臘語這些古典語言呢？

I thought a lot of English vocabulary came from there.

我以為很多英語詞彙都來源於那裡。

That's also true,

那也沒錯，

but the history of English is the history of invasions, 表達脈絡

但英語的歷史就是一部入侵史，

you know, when the army of one country fights to enter and control another country.

你知道的，就是一個國家的軍隊為了進入並控制另一個國家而交戰。

Like the Roman invasion of Britain?

就像羅馬人入侵不列顛那樣？

Right, and later invasions too,

對，還有後來的入侵，

by Norse-speaking Vikings and Germanic Saxons.

包括說古諾斯語的維京人和日耳曼薩克遜人。

In fact, Georgina, that reminds me of my quiz question. 表達脈絡

事實上，Georgina，這提醒了我的小測驗問題。

Go on, then, but in modern English, 語氣意圖

那就問吧，但請用現代英語，

if you don't mind. 語氣意圖

如果你不介意的話。

Okay, well, the year 1066 is remembered for a famous battle, 片語搭配

好的，1066 年因一場著名的戰役而被銘記，

when the French-speaking Norman king, William the Conqueror, invaded England.

當時說法語的諾曼第公爵「征服者威廉」入侵了英格蘭。

But what is the name of the famous battle?

但這場著名戰役的名字是什麼？

Is it A, the Battle of Waterloo,

是 A，滑鐵盧戰役，

B, the Battle of Hastings,

B，黑斯廷斯戰役，

or C, the Battle of Trafalgar?

還是 C，特拉法加戰役？

Mm, my history's not great, Neil,

嗯，我的歷史不太好，Neil，

but I think it's B, the Battle of Hastings.

但我猜是 B，黑斯廷斯戰役。

Okay, Georgina, we'll find out later. 片語動詞

好的，Georgina，我們稍後揭曉答案。

Another Old English word there.

剛剛那裡又是一個古英語詞彙。

But it's not just words that survive from Anglo-Saxon, 文法

不過，從盎格魯-撒克遜語保留下來的不僅是詞彙，

it's word endings too.

還有詞尾。

The suffix, or letters added to the end of a word to modify its meaning. 用詞

也就是後綴，或者說加在詞尾以改變其含義的字母。

Right, like adding S to make something plural,

對，比如加上 S 變成複數，

as in one bird, two birds. 片語搭配

就像一隻鳥（bird），兩隻鳥（birds）。

Or the ness in goodness and happiness,

或者像 goodness（善良）和 happiness（幸福）中的 ness，

and dom, as in freedom and kingdom.

以及 freedom（自由）和 kingdom（王國）中的 dom。

Poet Michael Rosen is fascinated by Old English.

詩人 Michael Rosen 對古英語非常著迷。

Here he is talking about word suffixes to Oxford University Professor Andy Orchard

下面是他與牛津大學教授 Andy Orchard 討論詞彙後綴的片段，

for BBC Radio 4's program Word of Mouth.

摘自 BBC Radio 4 的節目《Word of Mouth》。

Listen out for the proportion of modern English that comes from Anglo-Saxon. 片語動詞

留意聽現代英語中有多少比例源自盎格魯-撒克遜語。

I walked that walked the et bit on the end. Yeah, the -ed ending. 用詞

I walked 裡的 walked，結尾有 et 這個發音。對，就是 -ed 詞尾。

Most modern verbs, if we were to say, you know, 文法

大多數現代動詞，如果我們要說，你知道，

I texted my daughter, 文法

我給女兒發了簡訊（texted），

I mean text obviously comes from Latin,

我是說 text 顯然源自拉丁語，

I tweeted.

我發了推文（tweeted）。

We still lapse to the Anglo-Saxon. 用詞

我們仍然會回歸到盎格魯-撒克遜的構詞法。

And generally, when I'm speaking,

一般來說，當我說話的時候，

just let's do it in mathematical terms, 表達脈絡

我們就用數學術語來說吧，

what proportion can we say is Old English?

我們可以說古英語佔多大比例？

Can we say like about 80% in common parlance, 用詞

我們可以說在日常用語（in common parlance）中大約有 80% 嗎，

sorry to use a French word there? 文化背景

抱歉這裡用了一個源自法語的詞？

In speech, it would be something like that. 語氣意圖

在口語中，大概是這樣。

In the written language, less.

在書面語中，要少一些。

They're the basic building blocks of who we are and what we think. 慣用語

它們構成了我們是誰以及我們如何思考的基本基石。

Professor Orchard estimates that 80% of spoken English

Orchard 教授估計，有 80% 的口頭英語，

in common parlance comes from Anglo-Saxon.

在日常用語中，源自盎格魯-撒克遜語。

In common parlance means the words and vocabulary that most people use

in common parlance 的意思是大多數人在

in ordinary everyday conversation.

普通日常對話中使用的詞彙。

So, Anglo-Saxon words are the building blocks of English,

所以，盎格魯-撒克遜詞彙是英語的建構基石（building blocks），

the basic parts that are put together to make something.

也就是組合在一起構成某物的基本部件。

He also thinks that the languages we speak shape the way we see the world. 慣用語

他還認為，我們所說的語言塑造了我們看待世界的方式。

Here's Michael Rosen and Professor Andy Orchard

這是 Michael Rosen 和 Andy Orchard 教授

discussing this idea on BBC Radio 4 program Word of Mouth.

在 BBC Radio 4 節目《Word of Mouth》中討論這個觀點的片段。

Can we say that English speakers today,

我們可以說，今天的英語使用者，

as I'm speaking to you now,

就像我現在和你說話一樣，

view the world through Anglo-Saxon eyes, 慣用語

是透過盎格魯-撒克遜的眼睛來看待世界，

through Anglo-Saxon words?

透過盎格魯-撒克遜的詞彙來看待嗎？

Can we say that?

我們可以這麼說嗎？

Well, certainly in Old English poetry,

嗯，當然，在古英語詩歌中，

it's always raining,

總是在下雨，

and I suppose it's always raining today.

我想現在也總是在下雨。

There is a retrospective element that we're still inhabiting that worldview, 慣用語

這裡有一種追溯的元素，我們仍然居住在那個世界觀裡，

those ideas, the same words,

那些思想，同樣的詞彙，

the same simple ideas that they inhabited.

同樣簡單的思想，他們曾經生活在其中。

And what's extraordinary if you think about the history of English is,

如果你想想英語的歷史，非同尋常的是，

despite the invasions by the Norse and by the Norman, 文法

儘管遭受了古諾斯人和諾曼人的入侵，

and then despite the years of empire when we're bringing things back,

並且儘管在帝國時代我們帶回了許多外來詞，

the English that we're speaking today is still at its root, 慣用語

我們今天所說的英語從根本上來說依然是，

Old English word, at its heart,

古英語詞彙，在本質上，

Old English word, still very much English.

依然是古英語詞彙，依然非常『英語』。

Michael Rosen asks if English speakers see the world through Anglo-Saxon eyes.

Michael Rosen 問說英語的人是否透過盎格魯-撒克遜的眼睛看世界。

When we see something through someone's eyes,

當我們 through someone's eyes（透過某人的眼睛）看事物時，

we see it from their perspective,

我們是從他們的視角，

their point of view.

他們的觀點來看待的。

And Professor Orchard replies by saying that,

Orchard 教授回答說，

despite all the history of invasion and empire,

儘管經歷了所有的入侵和帝國歷史，

the English we speak today is still Old English at heart.

我們今天所說的英語本質上（at heart）依然是古英語。

A phrase used to say what something is really like.

這個短語用來表達某事物的真實面貌。

Wow, so much history crammed into 6 minutes. 用詞

哇，短短6分鐘裡塞滿了這麼多歷史。

And now, time for one more history fact.

現在，再來一個歷史事實。

Do you mean your quiz question, Neil?

你是說你的測驗問題嗎，Neil？

What's the name of the famous battle of 1066?

1066年那場著名戰役的名字是什麼？

What did you say, Georgina?

你是怎麼回答的，Georgina？

I said B, the Battle of Hastings.

我選了 B，黑斯廷斯戰役。

Which was the correct answer.

這是正確答案。

The Battle of Hastings in 1066 played a big part in the Norman Conquest 講解

1066年的黑斯廷斯戰役在諾曼征服

and mixing French words into the language.

以及將法語詞彙混入英語中發揮了重要作用。

And I also know how the English ruler, King Harold, died,

我還知道當時的英格蘭統治者哈羅德國王是怎麼死的，

shot through the eye with an arrow.

是被箭射穿了眼睛。

Ouch.

唉呦。

Okay, let's recap the vocabulary, 表達脈絡

好了，讓我們回顧一下詞彙，

some of which exists because of invasions, 文法

其中一些詞彙的存在是因為入侵（invasions），

when one country enters and controls another.

即一個國家進入並控制另一個國家。

A suffix is added to the end of a word to make a new word.

後綴（suffix）是加在單詞末尾以構成新詞的字母。

The phrase in common parlance means using ordinary everyday words.

短語 in common parlance 的意思是使用普通的日常詞彙。

Building blocks are the basic parts used to make something.

建構基石（building blocks）是用來製造某物的基本部件。

To see things through someone's eyes means from their point of view.

透過某人的眼睛看事物（to see things through someone's eyes）的意思是從他們的視角來看。

And finally, at heart is used to say what something is really like.

最後，本質上（at heart）用來表達某事物的真實面貌。

That's all for this program.

這就是本節目的全部內容。

Join us again soon at 6 Minute English,

請馬上再次加入我們的 6 Minute English，

but for now,

但現在，

far gesund.

far gesund。

That's Old English for goodbye. 片語搭配

這是古英語的再見。

Far gesund.

far gesund。

6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

來自 BBC Learning English 的 6 Minute English。