2015语言世界杯：世界人民最爱哪种语言？

 　　似乎每个人都最爱的一门语言。Bab.la是牛津字典网的姐妹网站，2013年举办了bab.la语言世界杯，看看语言爱好者社区最爱的语言有哪些。前两届比赛有32门参赛语言。冠军花落谁家？2013年是英语，2014年是波兰语。2015年bab.la语言世界杯始于9月1日，参赛语言头一回增至64门。每天都有两国语言在友谊赛里互相挑战，票数高的语言晋级下一轮。结果……

　　German

　　德语

　　German is the language of law, psychology¹, and science. No other languages can form words more precisely² than German can do. Although its grammar can be somewhat off-putting at first, its rigour and accuracy will soon help you steer³ the language in the direction you wish, expressing the subtle differences. German is a game of interlocking bricks; you can juxtapose as many words as you want. In spite of the strict rules German has, its morphology is like playing with dough⁴.

　　德语是法律、心理和科学的语言。没有一门语言的构词可以像德语一样精确。尽管德语语法一开始让人却步，但其活力与精确性很快可以助你驾驭语言，表达出细微的差异。德语是环环相扣的积木砖块，无论你想搭多少词都可以将它们并列起来。尽管德语规则严谨，但其构词有如捏橡皮泥。

　　French

　　法语

　　French is the language of love, of beauty. The appeal of French resides in its multiple meanings. There are so many ways to write one sound in French; vers, verre, vert, vair are all pronounced the same and still have very differentiated⁵ meanings. This allows heartfelt rhymes but also very witty⁶ puns.

　　法语是爱与美的语言。法语的吸引力在于其多重意义。法语中一个音可以有很多种写法；vers, verre, vert, vair发音一致，但其意义大不一样。这便有了触动心弦的小诗和诙谐的双关语。

　　Spanish

　　西班牙语

　　When travelling the globe you may run into tons of people who speak Spanish as their mother tongue. Spanish is all over the world and despite some slight differences among regions everybody would understand you if you say mi casa es tu casa, bienvenido, amigo or ?bailamos?

　　你环球旅行的时候也许会撞见无数以西班牙语为母语的人。满世界都是西班牙语，尽管有细微地域差异。你要是说casa es tu casa, bienvenido, amigo or ?bailamos?（”我的家就是你的家”、“欢迎”、“朋友”、“我们跳舞吗？“），大家都能懂的。

　　Italian

　　意大利语

　　Despite being barely spoken outside Italy, Italian is among the most studied foreign languages because of its melodic⁷ sounds and the cultural heritage attached to it. Every area has its sounds, its words, and sometimes also its syntax. When Italian people are abroad, they don’t learn the local language but they teach Italian to the locals.

　　尽管意大利外鲜有人说，但意大利发音美妙、文化遗产丰富，是人们学的最多的外语。每一个地区都有其音、词甚至是句法。意大利人去国外时，他们不学当地语言，他们教当地人意大利语。

　　English

　　英语

　　English is a truly global language. Apart from International English, if you have the chance to speak with English native speakers, you will discover a new world full of idioms and slang vocabulary.

　　英语真是门全球性语言。除却国际英语，你若有机会和本土英国人说话，你会发觉一个充满习语和俚语的新世界。

1 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

2 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

3 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

4 dough   

n.生面团；钱，现款

参考例句：

• She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
• The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。

5 differentiated   

区分，区别，辨别( differentiate的过去式和过去分词 )； 区别对待； 表明…间的差别，构成…间差别的特征

参考例句：

• The development of mouse kidney tubules requires two kinds of differentiated cells. 小鼠肾小管的发育需要有两种分化的细胞。
• In this enlargement, barley, alfalfa, and sugar beets can be differentiated. 在这张放大的照片上，大麦，苜蓿和甜菜都能被区分开。

6 witty   

adj.机智的，风趣的

参考例句：

• Her witty remarks added a little salt to the conversation.她的妙语使谈话增添了一些风趣。
• He scored a bull's-eye in their argument with that witty retort.在他们的辩论中他那一句机智的反驳击中了要害。

7 melodic   

adj.有旋律的，调子美妙的

参考例句：

• His voice had a rich melodic quality.他的音色浑厚而优美。
• He spoke with a soft husky voice in a melodic accent.他微微沙哑的声音带着一种悠扬的口音。