1LessonOne1.Anditisanactivityonlyofhumans.Andconversationisanactivityfoundonlyamonghumanbeings.2.Conversationisnotformakingapoint.Conversationisnotforpersuadingotherstoacceptourideasorpointsofviews.3.Infact,thebestconversationalistsarethosewhoarepreparedtolose.Infact,peoplewhoaregoodatconversationwillnotarguetowinorforceotherstoaccepthisideas.4.Barfriendsarenotdeeplyinvolvedineachother’slives.Peoplewhomeeteachotherforadrinkinthebarofapubarenotclosefriendsfortheyarenotdeeplyabsorbedineachother’sprivatelives.5.....itcouldstillgoignorantlyon...Theconversationcouldgoonwithoutanybodyknowingwhowasrightorwrong.6.Therearecattleinthefields,butwesitdowntobeef.Theseanimalsarecalledcattlewhentheyarealiveandfeedinthefields,butwhenwesitdownatthetabletoeat,wecalltheirmeetbeef.7.ThenewrulingclasshadbuiltaculturalbarrieragainsthimbybuildingtheirFrenchagainsthisownlanguage.ThenewrulingclassbyusingFrenchinsteadofEnglishmadeithardfortheEnglishtoacceptorabsorbthecultureoftherulers.8.Englishhadcomeroyallyintoitsown.EnglishreceivedproperrecognitionandwasusedbytheKingoncemore.9.Thephrasehasalwaysbeenusedalittlepejorativelyandevenfacetiouslybythelowerclasses.Thephrase,theKing’sEnglish,hasalwaysbeenuseddisrespectfullyandjokinglybythelowerclasses.(Theworkingpeopleoftenmocktheproperandformallanguageoftheeducatedpeople.)10.Therebellionagainstaculturaldominanceisstillthere.AstheearlySaxonpeasants,theworkingpeoplestillhaveaspiritofoppositiontotheculturalauthorityoftherulingclass.11.Thereisalwaysagreatdangerthat“wordswillhardenintothingsforus.“Thereisalwaysagreatdanger,asCarlyleputit,thatwemightforgetthatwordsareonlysymbolsandtakethemforthingstheyaresupposedtorepresent.a.Howeverintricatethewaysinwhichanimalscommunicatewitheachother,theydonotindulgeinanythingthatdeservesthenameofconversation.不管动物之间的交流方式多么复杂,它们不能参与到称得上是交谈的任何活动中。b.Argumentmayoftenbeapartofit,butthepurposeoftheargumentisnottoconvince.Thereisnowinninginconversation.争论会经常出现于交谈中,但争论的目的不是为了说服。交谈中没有胜负之说。c.PerhapsitisbecauseofmyupbringinginEnglishpubsthatIthinkbarconversationhasacharmofitsown.或许我从小就混迹于英国酒吧缘故,我认为酒吧里的闲聊别有韵味。d.Idonotrememberwhatmadeoneofourcompanionssayit---sheclearlyhadnotcomeintothebartosayit,itwasnotsomethingthatwaspressingonhermind---butherremarkfellquitenaturallyintothetalk.我不记得是什么使得我的一个同伴说起它来的---她显然不是来酒吧说这个的,这不是她事先想好的话题----但她的话相当自然地插入到了交谈中。e.Thereisalwaysresistanceinthelowerclassestoanyattemptbyanupperclasstolaydownrulesfor“Englishasitshouldbespoken.”下层社会总会抵制上层社会企图给“标准英语”制定得规则。2f.Wordsarenotthemselvesareality,butonlyrepresentationsofit,andtheKing’sEnglish,liketheAnglo-FrenchoftheNormans,isaclassrepresentationofreality.词语本身并不是现实。正如诺曼底人讲的英格鲁--法语一样,标准英语是一个阶层用来表达现实的形式。g.Perhapsitisworthtryingtospeakit,butitshouldnotbelaiddownasanedict,andmadeimmunetochangefrombelow.或许试着去说它还是值得的,但是它不能被制定成法令,从而拒绝来自下层的变化。h.Thereisnoworseconversationalistthantheonewhopunctuateshiswordsashespeaksasifhewerewriting,orevenwhotriestousewordsasifhewerecomposingapieceofproseforprint.如果一个人说出的话就像写出来的文字,或者试图使用那些创作书面散文的文字,那么没有比这样的交谈者更糟糕的了。i.WhenE.M.Forsterwritesof“thesinistercorridorofourage,”wesitupatthevividnessofthephrase,theforceandeventerrorintheimage.当E.M.福斯特写到“我们这个时代的险恶长廊”时,其用语之生动及由其所产生的生动有力,甚至可怖的形象苦令我们拍案叫绝。j.Therewouldhavebeennoconversationtheothereveningifwehadbeenabletosettleatoncethemeetingof“theKing’sEnglish.”那天晚上如果我们立刻解决了“标准英语”的含义,就不会有第二天晚上的谈话了。LessonTwo1.Theburying-groundismerelyahugewasteofhummockyearth,likeaderelictbuilding-lot.Theburing-groundisnothingmorethanahugepieceofwastelandfullofmoundsofearthlookinglikeadesertedandabandonedpieceoflandonwhichabuildingwasgoingtobeputup.2.Allcolonialempiresareinrealityfoundeduponthatfact.Alltheimperialistsbuilduptheirempiresbytreatingthepeopleinthecolonieslikeanimals(bynottreatingthepeopleinthecoloniesashumanbeings).3.Theyriseoutoftheearth,theysweatandstarveforafewyears,andthentheysinkbackintothenamelessmoundsofthegraveyard.Theyareborn.Thenforafewyearstheywork,toilandstarve.Finallytheydieandareburiedingraveswithoutaname.4.Acarpentersitscross-leggedataprehistoriclathe,turningchair-legsatlightningspeed.Sittingwithhislegscrossedandusingaveryold-fashionedlathe,acarpenterquicklygivesaroundshapetothechair-legsheismaking.5.Instantly,fromthedarkholesallround,therewasafrenziedrushofJews.Immediatelyfromtheirdarkhole-likecellseverywhereagreatnumberofJewsrushedoutwildlyexcited.6.everyoneofthemlooksonacigaretteasamoreorlessimpossibleluxuryEveryoneofthesepoorJewslookedonthecigaretteasapieceofluxurywhichtheycouldnotpossiblyafford.7.Still,awhiteskinisalwaysfairlyconspicuous.3However,awhite-skinnedEuropeanisalwaysquitenoticeable.8.Inatropicallandscapeone'seyetakesineverythingexceptthehumanbeings.Ifyoutakealookatthenaturalsceneryinatropicalregion,youseeeverythingbutthehumanbeings.9.NoonewouldthinkofrunningcheaptripstotheDistressedAreas.Noonewouldthinkoforganizingcheaptripsforthetouriststovisitthepoorslumareas10.fornine-tenthsofthepeopletherealityoflifeisanendless,backbreakingstruggletowringalittlefoodoutofanerodedsoil.Lifeisveryhardforninetypercentofthepeople.W