综合教程2Unit7_A课文The Glorious Messiness of English(Para.3)

国际学院 大学英语教学部 大一”三个五千工程“ 背诵

Walkman is fascinating because it isn'teven English. Strictly speaking, it was invented by the Japanese manufacturerswho put two simple English words together to name their product. That doesn'tbother us, but it does bother the French. Such is the glorious messiness ofEnglish. That happy tolerance, that willingness to accept words from anywhere,explains the richness of English and why it has become, to a very real extent,the first truly global language. (From Para.3. TextA, Unit 7 Book 2TheGlorious Messiness of English)

Walkman一词非常耐人寻味，因为这个词连英语也不是。严格地说，该词是由日本制造商发明的，他们把两个简单的英语单词拼在一起来命名他们的产品。这事儿我们不介意，法国人却耿耿于怀。由此可见英语中绚丽多彩的杂乱无章现象。这种乐意包容的精神，这种不管源自何方来者不拒的精神，恰好解释了英语为什么会这么丰富，解释了英语缘何在很大程度上第一个成了真正的国际语言。