第5章 Can You Read Englishmen's English?

I have heard several people tell me that in reading English-language newspapers they find Chinese news far easier to read than foreign news,and that they are often at a loss to discover[1] the meaning of even a very short piece of news from some little town in England or America.I also feel that there are many who can read without much difficulty articles written by Chinese on Chinese subjects but cannot read those written by Englishmen on English subjects.

The trouble with such people is that while they have acquired a knowledge of the English language,they have not learnt much about the English mind[2],the English character[3],the English life,the English traditions,and so forth.They have not got,so to speak[4],the spirit of the language.Imagine a man who knows several thousand Han characters[5] and a great deal of Han syntax and yet is entirely ignorant of the Chinese mind,the Chinese character,etc.Do you think this man could read even the ordinary Han-language newspaper and general literature in Han?

Reader,do you think you are among those who know English but as a rule find great difficulty in reading Englishmen's English? I am afraid you are.I would advise you to read as much as possible in general English literature and to cultivate the habit of thinking in English.[6] I would also advise you to read some concise history of England and commit to memory[7] every bit of knowledge about English life and thought that you may find in reading or study.

NOTES

[1]are often at a loss to discover 往往不能看出

[2]mind 心理状态

[3]English character 英国的民族性格

[4]so to speak 可以这样说

[5]Han characters 汉字

[6]cultivate the habit of thinking in English 养成以英语思维的习惯

[7]commit to memory 记入心中