VOA慢速英语--澳大利亚拯救濒危语言

Saving a Critically Endangered Language in Australia

People in Australia are leading efforts to save a critically endangered language.

At one time, an estimated 300 indigenous¹ languages were spoken on the continent. Only about 90 are still spoken today.

Language is a central part of the culture of Australia’s indigenous peoples, called Aborigines. Language helps Aboriginal³ communities understand their tribal⁴ roots, history and customs. It also gives them a strong sense of identity.

European settlers arrived in Australia in the late 1700s. Experts say that colonization⁵ had a harmful effect on indigenous languages. Now, only about 60 of those languages are considered “alive” and in daily use. As older members of tribes⁶ die, other languages are likely to pass away.

In the central Australian desert near Alice Springs, only 20 people are fluent in Pertame, a language native to the area. But now, children are being taught its ancient words in hopes that it will not die out.

Kathleen Bradshaw and Christobel Swan are among the indigenous elders working to keep the Pertame language alive. Swan is one of the last remaining fluent speakers of Pertame. She is also founder⁷ of the Pertame School, which opened in Alice Springs two years ago. Bradshaw is a teacher at the school.

At Pertame School, children not only learn the language, but also cook traditional food, learn history and visit places that the community considers holy.

“I want to teach my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren our language and show our country to them so they can think and talk in Pertame,” she told the Alice Springs News.

“Our old people, poor things, have all passed away now. There are only a few of us left to teach our kid how our old people used to live.”

Swan, an expert on languages, has worked for many years at the Institute of Aboriginal Development. With the group’s help, she has published language books on Pertame.

Forbidden to speak their language

Community leaders say that, for many years, white teachers refused to let them speak their native language. But they spoke² Pertame in secret to help it survive.

Bradshaw recalls one of her experiences as a child.

“This teacher walked past and said do not speak that lingo⁸ at school and we promised ourselves that we would talk it in secret and just keep it going and, you know, talk amongst ourselves in secret. I think a lot of non-Indigenous people they do not understand how important it is for Aboriginal people to have their language and to keep it strong.”

In some schools in Australia’s Northern Territory, students learn in both English and an Aboriginal language. Many communities speak what is called “Aboriginal English” – a language that makes use of indigenous terms and culture. Its keeps some structures of standard English and includes words from Aboriginal languages.

Kriol is a north Australian creole language. A lot of children whose parents were fluent in different tribal languages speak Kriol.

Many non-indigenous Australians mistake indigenous languages for dialects of one larger language. However, the estimated 300 indigenous Australian languages were about as different from one another as, say, Russian and French.

Aboriginal Australians now make up about just 3 percent of Australia’s population. They suffer high rates of poverty, poor health and imprisonment⁹.

Historical evidence has suggested that Aboriginal people have been living in Australia for at least 65,000 years.

I’m Phil Dierking.

Words in This Story

creole – adj. a language formed from the contact of two languages

critically – adj. relating to or involving a serious condition

dialect – n. a form of a language that is spoken in a area and that uses some of its own words, grammar, and pronunciations

elder – n. a person who is older or a leader

fluent – adj. able to speak a language easily and very well

indigenous – adj. produced or living in a given area

lingo – n. a language

1 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

4 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

5 colonization   

殖民地的开拓，殖民，殖民地化； 移殖

参考例句：

• Colonization took place during the Habsburg dynasty. 开拓殖民地在哈布斯堡王朝就进行过。
• These countries took part in the colonization of Africa. 这些国家参与非洲殖民地的开发。

6 tribes   

n.部落( tribe的名词复数 )；（动、植物的）族；（一）帮；大群

参考例句：

• tribes living in remote areas of the Amazonian rainforest 居住在亚马孙河雨林偏远地区的部落
• In Africa the snake is still sacred with many tribes. 非洲许多部落仍认为蛇是不可冒犯的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

8 lingo   

n.语言不知所云，外国话，隐语

参考例句：

• If you live abroad it helps to know the local lingo.住在国外，学一点当地的语言自有好处。
• Don't use all that technical lingo try and explain in plain English.别尽用那种专门术语，用普通的词语解释吧。

9 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。