Lesson17 Speaking Two, But Thinking in One
My own experience makes me think it only self-deception if any believes that he has two mother-tongues. He may think that he is equally master of each, yet it is invariable the case that he actually thinks in only one and is only in that one really free and creative.
If anyone assures me that he has two languages, each as thoroughly familiar to him as the other, I immediately ask him in which of them he counts and reckons, in which he can best give me the names of kitchen utensils and tools used by carpenter or smith, and in which of them he dreams. I have not yet come across anyone who, when thus tested, had not to admit that one of the languages occupied only a second place.
I can best describe it by saying that in French I seem to be strolling down the well-kept paths in a fine park, but in German to be wandering at will in a magnificent forest.
Always accustomed in French to be careful about the rhythmic arrangement of the sentence, and to strive for simplicity of expression, these things have become equally a necessity to me in German. And now through my work on the French Bach it became clear to me what literary style corresponded to my nature.
reckon 计算
stroll 散步
rhythmic 有节奏的，有韵律的
说两门语言，但用一门语言来思考
据我自己的经验，一个人如果认为自己有两种母语，那他只是自欺欺人。他可以认为自己两门语言掌握的都很好，但一成不变的事实是他只会用一门语言来思考，只有在使用这门语言时他才会轻松自如、富有创造力。
如果有人很肯定地告诉我他会说两门语言并且同样精通，我会马上问他用哪门语言来数数和运算，他用哪门语言能准确地给出厨房用具和木工或者铁匠的工具的名称，他做梦时说哪种语言。在我所遇见的人当中，在被问及这些问题时，都会承认其中一门语言是占次要地位的。
我可以很好地来描述这种情形，说法语时，我好像是走在美丽花园内一条被人精心照料的小路上，但在说德语时，我好像是在宏伟壮丽的森林里自由自在地漫步。
说法语时，我总是习惯于非常仔细地安排句子的节奏，总是追求表达的简洁，而在说德语时，这些也成为了我必须要做的事情。现在，我通过研究法国巴赫的作品，清楚地知道了什么样的文学风格适合我的本性。 |