研究生英语阅读教程(基础级第二版)1-10课文及课后习题答案翻译Word下载.docx

研究生英语阅读教程(基础级第二版)1-10课文及课后习题答案翻译Word下载.docx

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WorldEnglish:

ABlessingoraCurse?

Universallanguage

ByTomMcArthur

[1]Intheyear2000,thelanguagescholarGlanvillePrice,aWelshman,madethefollowingassertionaseditorofthebookLanguagesinBritainandIreland:

ForEnglishisakiller.ItisEnglishthathaskilledoffCumbric,Cornish,NornandManx.TherearestillpartsoftheseislandswheresizeablecommunitiesspeaklanguagesthatweretherebeforeEnglish.YetEnglishiseverywhereineverydayuseandunderstoodbyallorvirtuallyall,constitutingsuchathreattothethreeremainingCelticlanguages,Irish,ScottishGaelic,andWelsh...thattheirlong-termfuturemustbeconsidered...verygreatlyatrisk.（p141）

Someyearsearlier,in1992,RobertPhillipson,EnglishacademicwhocurrentlyworksinDenmark,publishedwithOxfordabookentitledLinguisticImperialism.Init,hearguedthatthemajorEnglish-speakingcountries,theworldwideEnglish-languageteachingindustry,andnotablytheBritishCouncilpursuepoliciesoflinguisticaggrandisement.Healsoassociatedsuchpolicieswithaprejudicewhichhecallslinguicism（aconditionparallelto（equalto/similarto）racismandsexism）.AsPhillipsonseesit,leadinginstitutionsandindividualswithinthepredominantly"

white"

English-speakingworld,have[bydesign（=deliberate）ordefault（=mistake）]encouragedoratleasttolerated—andcertainlyhavenotopposed—thehegemonicspreadofEnglish,aspreadwhichbegansomethreecenturiesagoaseconomicandcolonialexpansion.

[2]PhillipsonhimselfworkedforsomeyearsfortheBritishCouncil,andheisnotaloneamongAnglophoneacademicswhohavesoughttopointupthedangersofEnglishasaworldlanguage.TheinternationalizationofEnglishhasinthelastfewdecadesbeenwidelydiscussedintermsofthreegroups:

first,theENLcountries,whereEnglishisanativelanguage（thisgroupalsobeingknownasthe"

innercircle"

）;

second,theESLcountries,whereEnglishisasecondlanguage（the"

outercircle"

andthird,theEFLcountries,whereEnglishisaforeignlanguage（the"

expandingcircle"

）.Sincethe1980s,whensuchtermsbecamecommon,thisthirdcirclehasinfactexpandedtotakeintheentireplanet.

[3]Forgoodorforill,therehasneverbeenalanguagequitelikeEnglish.Therehavebeenmany"

worldlanguages"

suchasArabic,Chinese,Greek,Latin,andSanskrit.Byandlarge,wenowviewthemasmoreorlessbenign,andoftentalkwithadmirationandappreciationabouttheculturesassociatedwiththemandwhattheyhavegiventotheworld.Anditisfairlysafetodothis,becausenoneofthemnowposesmuchofathreat.

[4]Englishhoweverisprobablytoocloseforustobeabletoanalyzeandjudgeitasdispassionately,aswemaynowdiscusstheinfluenceofClassicalChineseonEastAsiaorofClassicalLatinonWesternEurope.ThejuryisstilloutinthetrialoftheEnglishlanguage,andmaytakeseveralcenturiestoproduceitsverdict,butevensowecanask,inthisEuropeanYearofLanguages,whetherPriceandPhillipsonarerighttowarnusallaboutthelanguagethatIamusingatthisverymoment.

[5]Itcertainlyisn'

thardtolookforsituationswherepeoplemightcallEnglishacurse.AnexampleisAustralia,whichisroutinelyregardedasastraightforwardEnglish-speakingcountry.ThefirstEuropeanswhowentthereoftenusedLatintodescribeanddiscusstheplace.ThewordAustraliaitselfisLatin;

evidentlynooneatthetimethoughtofsimplycallingit"

Southland"

（whichiswhatAustraliameans）.Inaddition,inSouthAustraliathereisawidestretchoflandcalledtheNullarborPlains,thefirstwordofwhichsoundsAboriginal,butnullarborisLatinandmeans"

notrees"

.Andmostsignificantlyofall,theearlysettlerscalledthecontinentaterranullius.AccordingtotheEncartaWorldEnglishDictionary（1999）theLatinphraseterranulliusmeans:

...theideaandlegalconceptthatwhenthefirstEuropeansarrivedinAustraliathelandwasownedbynooneandthereforeopentosettlement.Ithasbeenjudgednottobelegallyvalid.

Butthatjudgmentwasmadeonlyrecently.WhentheEuropeansarrived,Australiawasthinlypopulated—butpopulatednonetheless—fromcoasttocoastineverydirection.Therewerehundredsofcommunitiesandlanguages.Manyoftheselanguageshavediedout,manymoreareintheprocessofdyingout,andthesedeadanddyinglanguageshavebeenlargelyreplacedbyeitherkindsofpidginEnglishorgeneralAustralianEnglish.Dependingonyourpointofview,thisiseitheratragiclossorthepriceofprogress.

[6]Atthesametime,however,cantheblamefortheextinctionofAboriginallanguagesbelaidspecificallyatthedoorofEnglish?

ThefirstEuropeanstodiscoverAustraliawereDutch,andtheirlanguagemighthavebecomethelanguageofcolonizationandsettlement.An