English is a Strange Language
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English is a Strange Language
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Let's face it:English is a strange language.
There is no egg in the eggplant,no ham in the hamburger and neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.English muffins（注:英式松饼）were not invented in England,French fries（注:油炸土豆条）were not invented in France.We sometimes take English for granted.But if we examine its paradoxes（注:
自相矛盾的说法）we find that quicksand（注:
[地]流沙(区) ）takes you down slowly,boxing, rings（注:（呈方形并由绳子拦隔的）拳击台）are square and guinea pig（注:
pig天竺鼠）is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.If writers write,how come（注:为什么）fin-gers don't fing?If the plural of tooth is teeth,shouldn't the plural of phone booth（注:（复booths）公用电话亭）be phone beeth?If the teacher taught,does it follow that the preacher praught?If a vegetarian（注:
素食者）eats vegetables,what the heck（注:到底（用来加强疑问句语气））does a humanitarian（注:
慈善家）eat?Why do people recite at a play yet play at a recital（注:
独唱会，独奏会）?Park on driveways（注:私人车道）and drive on parkways（注:风景区干道，公园大道）.You have to marvel at the unique lunacy（注:
荒谬）of a language where a house can burnup as it burns down and in which you fill in a form. by filling it out.And a bell is only heard once it goes（注:（铃）响）!English was invented by people,not computers,and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which of course isn't a race at all).That is why when the stars are out they are visible,but when the lights are ont they are invisible.And why it is that when I wind up my watch it starts but when I wind up this story it ends?
And more... Some food for"thought"（注:引人深思的事）.Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker（注:
经纪人）?Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist,but a person who drives a race car（注:赛车）not called a racist?Why are a wise man（注:哲人）and a wise guy（注:［□］自作聪明的人,自命不凡的人）opposites?Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?If horrific meansto make horrible,does terrific mean to make terrible?Why isit that if someone tells you that there are 1 billion stars in the universe you will believe them,but if they tell you a wall has wet paint you will have to touch it to be sure?If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times,does he become disoriented?If people from Poland are called "Poles,”why aren't people from Holland called "Holes?"
Let's face it:English is a strange language.
There is no egg in the eggplant,no ham in the hamburger and neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.English muffins（注:英式松饼）were not invented in England,French fries（注:油炸土豆条）were not invented in France.We sometimes take English for granted.But if we examine its paradoxes（注:
自相矛盾的说法）we find that quicksand（注:[地]流沙(区) ）takes you down slowly,boxing, rings（注:（呈方形并由绳子拦隔的）拳击台）are square and guinea pig（注:pig天竺鼠）is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.If writers write,how come（注:为什么）fin-gers don't fing?If the plural of tooth is teeth,shouldn't the plural of phone booth（注:（复booths）公用电话亭）be phone beeth?If the teacher taught,does it follow that the preacher praught?If a vegetarian（注:素食者）eats vegetables,what the heck（注:到底（用来加强疑问句语气））does a humanitarian（注:慈善家）eat?Why do people recite at a play yet play at a recital（注:独唱会，独奏会）?Park on driveways（注:私人车道）and drive on parkways（注:风景区干道，公园大道）.You have to marvel at the unique lunacy（注:荒谬）of a language where a house can burnup as it burns down and in which you fill in a form. by filling it out.And a bell is only heard once it goes（注:（铃）响）!English was invented by people,not computers,and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which of course isn't a race at all).That is why when the stars are out they are visible,but when the lights are ont they are invisible.And why it is that when I wind up my watch it starts but when I wind up this story it ends?And more... Some food for"thought"（注:引人深思的事）.Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker（注:
经纪人）?Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist,but a person who drives a race car（注:赛车）not called a racist?Why are a wise man（注:哲人）and a wise guy（注:［□］自作聪明的人,自命不凡的人）opposites?Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?If horrific meansto make horrible,does terrific mean to make terrible?Why isit that if someone tells you that there are 1 billion stars in the universe you will believe them,but if they tell you a wall has wet paint you will have to touch it to be sure?If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times,does he become disoriented?If people from Poland are called "Poles,”why aren't people from Holland called "Holes?"| 转载于<< 中学外语 |
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