新西兰英语 636 Maori Language Week

 　　This week is Maori language week. The theme this year is Arohatia te Reo, which means¹ cherish² te Reo (the Maori language): love it, honour it and speak it.

　　Why should we honour te Reo? This year celebrates 25 years since te Reo became the second official language in New Zealand. We hear more and more te Reo on radio and TV these days. Children in pre-schools and primary schools learn the basic words like greetings, parts of the body, days of the week and numbers. It is part of our culture.

　　Watch this video to learn the colour words in te Reo.

　　In the 1970s, older Maori people began to worry that native speakers of te Reo were dying³ and something needed to be done to keep the language alive. In the 1980s, immersion⁴ pre-schools began – kohanga reo – where little children could learn te Reo. Some kura kaupapa primary schools gave these children the chance to continue their education in te Reo. Now we have a number of Maori radio stations and a Maori TV station.

　　There is a lot of interest in learning⁵ te Reo but like all minority languages, it is struggling to become an every day language. Only one quarter of Maori people between the ages of 15 and 64 can hold a conversation, one half of those over 65 and only one in six of those under 15 can hold a conversation about every day things in te Reo. This language is only spoken in New Zealand. It could easily disappear forever.

　　If you have a smartphone with Vodofone, you can download a free English / te Reo app called Hika, to help you learn te Reo.

　　Type ‘Maori language’ in the search box to listen to other items⁶ on Maori Language week.

　　Vocabulary

　　?cherish – love

　　?honour – respect

　　?immersion – only te Reo is spoken

　　?minority language – not the main language

　　?struggling – having a lot of difficulty⁷

　　Questions

　　1.Why is English called a “killer” language?

　　2.Is it enough to be able to hold a conversation about everyday things?

　　3.What are the advantages of being bi-lingual?

　　4.What are some of the ways to keep a minority language alive?

　　5.Does it matter if a minority language like te Reo disappears?

1 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

2 cherish   

vt.抱有，怀有（希望等），爱护，抚育，珍爱

参考例句：

• I cherish for you the liveliest feeling of affection and gratitude.我对你怀有最强烈的爱和感激之情。
• We must cherish experience acquired at the cost of blood.我们必须珍惜用鲜血换来的经验。

3 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。

4 immersion   

n.沉浸；专心

参考例句：

• The dirt on the bottom of the bath didn't encourage total immersion.浴缸底有污垢，不宜全身浸泡于其中。
• The wood had become swollen from prolonged immersion.因长时间浸泡，木头发胀了。

5 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

6 items   

n.物料项目 （任何一种自制或采购的零部件或组装件，如最终产品、部件、子部件、零件或原材料）；条( item的名词复数 )；一项；一则；一件商品（或物品）

参考例句：

• Bulky items will be collected separately. 大件物品将分开收集。
• Customers with ten items or less can use the express lane. 购买十件商品以内的顾客可使用快速购物通道。

7 difficulty   

n.困难，费劲；难事，难题；麻烦，困境

参考例句：

• If there is any difficulty,please let us know promptly.倘有困难，请迅速通知我们。
• A little difficulty like this is nothing to us.这点困难算不了什么。