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本帖最后由 Alyosha 于 2009-2-21 00:09 编辑
標題:語言競爭開啟
網址:http://sheinchina.blogspot.com/2009/02/language-competition-is-on.html
譯者: Alyosha
Yesterday when I was having lunch, a western guy and a Chinese man came in and sat down some tables away from me. I couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying, but one thing did I grasp, and that was that the western guy spoke PERFECT Chinese. I was so impressed I could barely eat. I almost considered going up to him and just telling him how inspiring it was to listen to him. Then I realized that If I did, I would (more or less) come across like some sort of ‘Chinese language groupie.’ So, instead of continuing eavesdropping, I straightened my back, plugged in my computer, and got on with my own stuff.
昨天當我吃午餐時,一個外國男生和一個中國男人走過來,坐在離我不遠的桌子那邊.我不能很清楚地聽明白他們在說什麼,但是有一件事我能明白,那就是那位外國男生能講流利的中文.我很記得我幾乎沒有吃東西.我差不多想走過去告訴他,聽他說話是多麼能激勵人心.但是我相信如果我做了,我或多或少就像那種仰慕追隨中國語言的少女 (粉絲吧大概).所以,為了不繼續偷聽,我挺直後背,接通電腦,然後做自己的東西.
I find westerner who can speak Chinese well very impressive/inspiring, because you know that they must have spent a loooot of time learning it, and that they (unless they are some sort of language geniuses) must have at least gone through SOME of the ups and downs of learning Chinese that I am currently going through.
我發現能說中文的外國人是很讓人佩服/,因為你知道他們必須花費很多很多時間去學習,同時他們在學習中文的時候肯定是經過很多沈浮的(除非他們是少的語言天才),就像我現在正在經歷的.
Unfortunately, there are also an annoying group of Chinese speaking laowais, who not only love showing off their skills, but who are also ‘competing’ with other Chinese learners.
不幸地,也有一群很討厭的會說中文的老外,他們不止喜歡炫耀自己的知識技能,而且還喜歡和其他中文學習者比拼.
My friend Anna (who speaks Chinese quite well, but who is quite humble about her skills) bumped into one of those guys in a bar. She was standing in the bar, and said something in Chinese to the bargirl. The western guy standing next to her picked up on what she said and asked her (in Chinese) if she could speak Chinese.
我的朋友Anna (她中文說的挺好,但是她對於她的能力是很謙虛的),在一個酒吧裏遇見一群人.她站在吧台前正在用中文和酒吧女服務員說話.幾個外國人站在她旁邊注意著她說話,然後問她(用中文)是不是能說中文.
-Yeah, I am studying, Anna answered (in English)
- 是的,我在學習. Anna 回答(用英文)
-So where are you from? (In Chinese?)
- 那你來自哪里?(用中文)
-Finland (In English). And you?
- 芬蘭 (英文), 你呢?
-England (in Chinese).
- 英國(中文)
Anna was starting to feel a bit weird. Why was this English guy chatting her up, IN CHINESE at a bar? However, the guy just kept doing his ‘thing,’ and went on by telling Anna (in Chinese) about his studies in economics, and how he was in China to ‘do business’ (aren’t they all?).
Anna 開始覺得有少許奇怪.為什麼這個英國男人在酒吧用中文和她聊天?但是,這個男人繼續做他自己的’事’,同時告訴Anna(用中文)關於他在經濟方面的研究,以及他如何在中國做他的’生意’(不是他們全部?)
Once he finished he gave her a questioning look.
當他說完時,他給她一個詢問的表情.
-Am I speaking too fast? Is my language too hard for you? Do you understand everything I am saying? He said, in a very slow, condescending way (still in Chinese).
- 是否我說的太快?是否我的語言文字對你來說太難?你能明白我說的所有東西嗎?他說的很慢,一種高傲的姿態.(用中文)
-I understand. Sounds great, and good luck with your business, (way too polite) Anna replied, obviously fed up with his one-way-conversation.
- 我明白.看似很好,你的生意也很幸運.(太有禮貌) Anna 回應,明顯厭惡他的單向交流.
-But really, do you understand the word 經濟 (jing ji –economics)?
- 但是,真的? 你真的明白詞語’經濟’?
-Yes.
- 是的.
-So what does it mean?
- 那這是什麼意思?
-Economics.
-經濟.
-Wow, I am impressed! Most foreign Chinese speakers don’t understand hard words like ‘economics.’ You must really understand Chinese. Why don’t you speak a little so that I can listen to you?
- 哦,我很感動!很多說中文的外國人不明白一些比較難的詞比如’經濟’.你必須真的懂中文.為什麼你不說幾句,那樣我可以聽你說.
-Eh… no… I’d rather not…like, my Chinese is not that good.
- 呃…不是…更確切地說,不喜歡,我的中文不是很好.
Triumphant smile from him before he proceeded by telling her about his business in China, about how he had learned Chinese and nowadays relied on it completely… After 5 minutes of monologue he suddenly asked: do you want to go out sometime?
他的臉上浮現出自豪的笑容,接著他繼續對她談起他在中國的生意和關於他如何學習中文,直至今日完全掌握…5分鐘滔滔不絕的自言自語之後,他突然問起：“你想出去兜風嗎？”
-NO! said Anna. And left.
Anna甩下 “NO！” 緊接著就離開了
When Anna shared this story with me I was laughing out loud. Seriously, what sort of person does something like that? Sure, you are happy that you can speak Chinese, but come on… there’s a time and a place for everything, and I don’t believe that trying to chat up a fellow loawai, IN CHINESE, is going to make you lucky. Also, I personally have a bit of a problem with people that are so eager to show off their skills that they don’t even wait for the right moment. (Maybe that’s because I am so humble about my own Chinese –I would never dream of trying to chat to another foreigner in Chinese if we could both speak English and if no other Chinese/non-English speakers were around).
在Anna告訴我這個故事的時候 我大聲的笑了出來。 說真的，哪有像這樣子的人？ 當然 你會覺的很開心也很幸運，因為你會講中文，不過也得找對地點 對事對人才行。 我不認為跟一個不會中文的老外聊中文會讓你很自豪。 另外，我本人也不太喜歡那些不管時間場合，喜歡炫耀自己能力的人.（也許那是因為我對我的中文太沒信心-我不會想著跟那些外國人講中文如果我們都會英文的話 或者是在那裏沒有中國人和不會英文的人的時候）
I have noticed that there can be a bit of a ‘competition’ between fellow Chinese studying laowais, especially at a place like the university where everybody are learning. People want to know ‘how good you are/how your pronunciation is/how many characters you can read and write’ and compare themselves. It’s easy to get sucked into it all and start comparing yourself to others, however, I try not to since I am not learning to get a high score, but rather, learning for life.
我知道在學習中文的老外中,他們朋友之間會有一些競爭,尤其是某些地方如任何人都可以去學習的大學.他們想知道'你有多好/你的發音如何/有多字附你會讀和會寫',然後再進行彼此比較.這是很容易捲入這些然後開始把自己和別人進行比較,但是,我從沒試過,因為我學中文不是為了拿高分數,確切地說,是為生活.
Also, I find the whole ‘comparing yourself with fellow laowais’ kind of useless. For starters, I feel that laowai-Chinese and Chinese-Chinese isn’t the same thing (it is like some months ago when the Koreans in my class made a joke in Chinese and only the other Koreans and the teacher laughed. Me and my Japanese classmates looked at each other, completely confused as we didn’t get it. “Don’t worry,” the Korean student then said. “Remember that we speak Chinese with a Korean accent! Only Koreans understand!” And then we all laughed), and secondly, at this point of learning the language, I still feel that my pronunciation gets worse when I speak to non-native Chinese speakers (like my classmates). I don’t know why exactly, but it is the same when I speak English. I believe that I sound much better when I speak English to native English speakers than I do when I speak English to… let’s say Finns or Germans. I think I subconsciously concentrate a bit more, and also aim for sounding less ‘Swedish’ and more ‘English’ than as usual.
同樣的,我發現這些'與同行進行比較的老外"有點兒沒有價值.開始,我感覺老外的中文和中國人的中文不是一樣的東西(就像幾個月前一個和我同班的韓國人用中文襄了一個笑話,但是只有其他韓國人和老師在笑.我和我的日本同學互相對望,徹底地困惑因為我們不明白.'別擔心",那位韓國同學說,"記住我們是用韓語語氣在說中文!只有韓國人能明白."然後我們都笑了.). 第二,學習語言的另一個重點,我依然覺得我的發言是不對的,當我和非中文為母語的人(像我的同學).我不是很確切地知道原因,但是當我說英文的時候也是一樣的現像.我相信當我用英文和以英文為母語的人交談時發音會更好,好過我用英文說...我們說芬蘭語或者德語吧.我想我潛意識裏,集中關注更多的,也是平日說話發音的目標是少點'瑞典語',多點'英語'
Any Chinese-learner out there who understand what I mean?
有學中文的人知道我要講的意思嗎? |
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狗仔卡
发表于 2009-2-21 00:04
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