VOA慢速英语--未来的太空旅行会如何造成语言交流问题

How Future Space Travel Could Create Language Communication Problems

Scientists and engineers are preparing for possible travel into interstellar space, the area in between stars, in the distant future.

A new report examines the possible problem of changes in language on long space trips.

Only two spacecraft from Earth have reached the mysterious area known as interstellar space. Scientists identify interstellar space as the area outside the area of particles and magnetic fields created by the sun.

Experts believe it will likely take many years before the technology and equipment are developed to send humans to this unexplored area of space. But if it does happen, massive spaceships could carry humans on long trips to distant stars.

Two American researchers have explored one possible problem with such travel. They considered the possibility that changes in human language could develop over time and lead to major communication problems with people on Earth.

The language experts are professors Andrew McKenzie from the University of Kansas, and Jeffrey Punske, of Southern Illinois University. The two recently published a paper on the subject that appears in the European Space Agency's online publication Acta Futura.

The paper considers very long trips necessary to reach interstellar space, estimated to be about 18 billion kilometers from Earth. It also examines the possibility of future colonization¹ of distant stars.

Languages naturally change as communities grow more isolated³ from each other, the researchers note in the paper. The long isolation⁴ of a community could lead to enough differences in language to make it impossible for community members back home to understand.

"If you're on this (spaceship) for 10 generations, new concepts will emerge, new social issues will come up, and people will create ways of talking about them," McKenzie said in a statement. Such vocabulary would become specific to only that spaceship.

"People on Earth might never know about these words, unless there's a reason to tell them. And the further away you get, the less you're going to talk to people back home," McKenzie said.

The researchers noted⁵ that in addition to new words being used, the language of people traveling on spaceships and living in colonies would experience many other changes.

For example, the sounds of different letters would likely change over time, affecting not only individual words, but the whole "grammatical system," the paper states.

Major changes in word and sentence structure could also create systematic⁶ language barriers over time, the researchers said. "Given more time, new grammatical forms can completely replace current ones," McKenzie said.

The paper provides examples of how languages developed on our own planet because communities became isolated over time. Examples include "the Polynesian settlement of far-flung Pacific islands, and dialect development in relatively⁷ isolated European colonies."

McKenzie identified an example of a major language change on Earth during modern times. He described a way of speaking called "uptalk," when speakers end statements with a rising tone. He said this way of speaking is often mistaken for a question tone by those who are not aware of it. "Uptalk has only been observed occurring within the last 40 years, but has spread from small groups of young Americans and Australians to most of the English-speaking world," McKenzie said.

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The researchers say one possible solution to limit communication problems would be to include language experts on spaceship crews. Another suggestion is to use sign language as a form of communication.

McKenzie added that space travelers might question whether it is even worth trying to learn how to communicate with people on Earth. But he believes there will always be a need, even if it is very limited. "You have to learn a little Earth English to send messages back, or to read the instruction manuals and information that came with the ship," he said.

I'm Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

isolate² – v. separate someone or something from other people or things

concept – n. an idea or principle

emerge – v. appear from somewhere

vocabulary – n. all the words in a particular language

dialect – n. a form of language people speak in a particular part of a country

tone – n. the quality of a sound

occur – v. to happen

manual – n. a book that contains directions for doing something

1 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。

2 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

3 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

4 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。