Mother-tongue的原文及翻译

MotherTongue(母语)byAmyTanMotherTongue(母语)AmyTan[1]Iamawriter.Andbythatdefinition,Iamsomeonewhohasalwayslovedlanguage.Iamfascinatedbylanguageindailylife.Ispendagreatdealofmytimethinkingaboutthepoweroflanguage—thewayitcanevokeanemotion,avisualimage,acomplexidea,orasimpletruth.Languageisthetoolofmytrade.AndIusethemall—alltheEnglishesIgrewupwith.[2]Recently,IwasmadekeenlyawareofthedifferentEnglishesIdouse.Iwasgivingatalktoalargegroupofpeople,thesametalkIhadalreadygiventohalfadozenothergroups.Thenatureofthetalkwasaboutmywriting,mylife,andmybook,TheJoyLuckClub.ThetalkwasgoingalongwellenoughuntilIrememberedonemajordifferencethatmadethewholetalksoundwrong.Mymotherwasintheroom.Anditwasperhapsthefirsttimeshehadheardmegivealengthyspeech,usingthekindofEnglishIhaveneverusedwithher—aspeechfilledwithcarefullyconstructedgrammaticalphrases,burdened,itsuddenlyseemedtome,withnominalizedforms,pastperfecttenses,conditionalphrases,alltheformsofstandardEnglishthatIhadlearnedinschoolandthroughbooks,theformsofEnglishIdidnotuseathomewithmymother.[3]Justlastweek,Iwaswalkingdownthestreetwithmymother,andIagainfoundmyselfconsciousoftheEnglishIwasusing,theEnglishIdousewithher.WeweretalkingaboutthepriceofnewandusedfurnitureandIheardmyselfsayingthis:Notwastemoneythatway.Myhusbandwaswithusaswell,andhedidn'tnoticeanyswitchinmyEnglish.AndthenIrealizedwhy.It'sbecauseoverthetwentyyearsthatwehavebeentogetherI'veoftenusedthesamekindofEnglishwithhim,andsometimesheevenusesitwithme.Ithasbecomeourlanguageofintimacy,adifferentsortofEnglishthatrelatestofamilytalk,thelanguageIgrewupwith.[4]Youshouldknowthatmymother'sexpressivecommandofEnglishdoesn'treflecthowmuchsheactuallyunderstands[N].Shereadsfinancialreports,listenstoWallStreetWeek(aTVfinancialnewsprogram),conversesdailywithherstockbroker,andreadsmanytypesofbookswithease.Yetsomeofmyfriendstellmetheyonlyunderstand50percentofwhatmymothersays.Somesaytheyunderstand80to90percent.Somesaytheyunderstandnoneofit,asifshewerespeakingpureChinese.Buttome,mymother'sEnglishisperfectlyclear,perfectlynatural.It'smymothertongue.Herlanguage,asIhearit,isvivid,direct,fullofobservationandimagery.ThatwasthelanguagethathelpedshapethewayIsawthings,expressedthings,madesenseoftheworld.[5]Lately,I'vebeengivingmorethoughttothekindofEnglishmymotherspeaks.Likeothers,IhavedescribedittootherpeopleasbrokenEnglish.ButIshrinkwithpainwhenIsaythat.ItalwaysbotheredmethatIcanthinkofnowaytodescribeitotherthanbroken,asifitweredamagedandneededtobefixed,asifitlackedcertainwholenessandsoundness.I'veheardothertermsused,limitedEnglish,forexample.Buttheyseemjustasbad,asifeverythingislimited,includingpeople'sperceptionsofthelimitedEnglishspeaker.[6]Iknowthisforafact[N],becausewhenIwasgrowingup,mymother'slimitedEnglishlimitedmyperceptionofher.IwasashamedofherEnglish.IbelievedthatherEnglishreflectedthequalityofwhatshehadtosay.Thatis,becausesheexpressedthemimperfectlyherthoughtswereimperfect.AndIhadplentyofempiricalevidencetosupportme:thefactthatpeopleindepartmentstores,atbanks,andatrestaurantsdidnottakeherseriously,didnotgivehergoodservice,pretendednottounderstandher,orevenactedasiftheydidnothearher.[7]MymotherhaslongrealizedthelimitationsofherEnglishaswell.WhenIwasfifteen,sheusedtoaskmetocallpeopleonthephonetopretendIwasshe.Inthisguise,Iwasforcedtoaskforinformationorevencomplainandyellatpeoplewhohadbeenrudetoher.OnetimeitwasacalltoherstockbrokerinNewYork.Shehadcashedouthersmallstockportfolio[N]anditjustsohappenedweweregoingtogotoNewYorkthenextweek,ourveryfirsttripoutsideCalifornia.Ihadtogetonthephoneandsayinanadolescentvoicethatwasnotveryconvincing,ThisisMrs.Tan.[8]Andmymotherwasstandinginthebackwhispering,Whyhedon'tsendmecheck,alreadytwoweekslate.Somadhelietome,losingmemoney.[9]AndthenIsaidinperfectEnglish,Yes,I'mgettingratherconcerned.Youhadagreedtosendthechecktwoweeksago,butithasn'tarrived.[10]Thenshebegantotalkmoreloudly,whathewant,IcometoNewYorktellhimfrontofhisboss,youcheatingme?AndIwastryingtocalmherdown,makeherbequiet,whiletellingthestockbroker,Ican'ttolerateanymoreexcuses.IfIdon'treceivethecheckimmediately,IamgoingtospeaktoyourmanagerwhenI'minNewYorknextweek.[11]WhyweretherenotmoreAsianAmericansrepresented[N]inAmericanliterature?WhyaretherefewAsianAmericansenrolledincreativewritingprograms?WhydosomanyChinesestudentsgointoengineering?Well,thesearebroadsociologicalquestionsIcan'tbegintoanswer.ButIhavenoticedinsurveysthatAsianstudents,asawhole,alwaysdosignificantlybetteronmathachievementteststhaninEnglish.AndthismakesmethinkthatthereareotherAsian-AmericanstudentswhoseEnglishspokeninthehomemightalsobedescribedasbrokenorlimited.Andperhapstheyalsohaveteacherswhoaresteeringthemawayfromwritingandintomathandscience,whichiswhathappenedtome.Fortunately,Ihappentoberebelliousinnatureandenjoythechallengeofdisprovingassumptionsmadeaboutme[N].IbecameanEnglishmajormyfirstyearincollege,afterbeingenrolledasapre-med.(1079words)我是个作家。顾名思义，我是那种一直喜爱语言的人。我对日常生活中的语言着迷。我用大量的时间来思考语言的力量——它是如何唤起情感、描绘视觉图像、阐述复杂的观点或者展示简单的事实的。语言是我的谋生工具。我使用所有的英语——在我成长过程中接触过的各种英语。最近，（有件事）使我强