Lesson11 English Spelling
English spelling is a "headache" for native and non-native speakers alike. As a student of mine once commented, English spelling must have been invented by one of the devil's helpers.
Do we need a spelling reform? At first, the logical answer is yes. A reform would make the language easier for everybody. It would modernize the old-fashioned spelling which was standardized before Modern English was "born".
A spelling reform is not a simple matter. First of all, it would be very expensive. Second, if spelling is supposed to reflect pronunciation, then what pronunciation should we use - R.P., American English, or some compromise? Once the decision is made, will all the speakers accept the changes? A spelling reform could start a linguistic war!
Finally there is another important consideration. Change is the natural law for all languages. It occurs more rapidly in speech than in writing. Writing slows down the speed of change, because it is more conservative than speech. Writing also acts as a unifying link among the spoken varieties.
A spelling reform would weaken the stability of the written language and thus undermine its unity. If this happened, English would no longer be a language for international communication.
conservative 保守的, 守旧的
英语拼写
英语拼写对以英语为母语的人和不以英语为母语的人来说一样令人头痛。我的一位学生曾经说，英语的拼写肯定是魔鬼的帮手发明的。
我们是不是需要一次拼写改革？乍一看，肯定的回答才合乎情理。改革将使每个人学英语更容易，使在现代英语诞生之前就已经标准化的、早已过时的英语拼写更适应现代需要。
拼写的改革并非易事。首先，花费会很高。其次，如果单词的拼写要反映其发音，那么我们应该采用何种发音呢，英国标准发音、美国发音还是两者的折中？一旦做出了决定，是否所有说英语的人都能接受这些改变呢？拼写改革可能会引发一场有关语言的大争论。
最后还有很重要的一点要考虑。语言的演变是适用所有语言的自然法则，口头语比书面语的演变发生的更快。书面语比口头语趋于保守，能减慢演变的速度，书面语在不同的口头语之间起着连接统一的作用。
拼写改革将削弱书面语的稳定性，从而破坏其统一性。如果这样的话，英语将不再是国际间交流的语言了。 |