Passage Two
短文二
The US has already lost more than a third of the native languages that existed before European colonization and the remaining 192 are classed by the UNESCO as ranging between unsafe and extinct.
美国本土语言在欧洲殖民以前就已经存在,现在美国已经丢失了超过1/3的本土语言。剩下的192种语言被联合国教科文组织列为濒临灭绝的语言。
"We need more funding and more effort to return these languages to everyday use,"
“我们需要更多的资金并付出更多的努力来让这些濒危语言重新回到日常使用中来,”
says Fred Nahwooksy of the National museum of the American Indian, "we are making progress,
国家博物馆的美国原住民Fred Nahwooksy说:“我们正在这方面取得进展,
but money needs to be spent on revitalizing languages, not just documenting them."
我们需要资金来复活这些语言,而不仅仅是把它们记录下来。”
Some 40 languages mainly in California and Oklahoma where thousands of Indians were forced to relocate in the 19th century have fewer than 10 native speakers.
有40多种语言主要存在于加利福尼亚州和俄克拉荷马州,但在19世纪,这两个州中成千上万的印第安人被迫迁徙,所以目前以这些语言为母语的人已经不足10人。
Part of the issue is that tribal groups themselves don't always believe their languages are endangered until they are down to the last handful of speakers.
出现这个问题的部分原因是很多部落总是不相信他们的语言濒临灭绝,直到他们成了最后几个说本族语的人。
"But progress is being made through immersion schools,
“但是浸润式语言学校的实施已经缓解了上述问题,
because if you teach children when they are young, it will stay with them as adults and that's the future." says Mr Nahwooksy, a Comanche Indian.
因为如果在孩子们小时候就教他们说这种语言,那么他们长大后直到未来会一直说这种语言。”科曼奇族的印第安人Nahwooksy先生说。
Such schools have become a model in Hawaii, but the islanders' local language is still classed by the UNESCO as critically endangered because only 1000 people speak it.
在夏威夷,这样的学校已经成了典范,但是岛民的本土语言仍旧被联合国教科文组织归为极度濒危语言,因为目前只有1000人在说这种语言。
The decline in the American Indian languages has historical roots: In the mid-19th century,
美国印第安语言的衰落有其历史根源:在19世纪中叶,
the US government adopted a policy of Americanizing Indian children by removing them from their homes and culture.
美国政府采取了美国化印第安儿童的政策,即将印第安人的孩子们赶出他们的家园,将他们与其文化隔绝。
Within a few generations most had forgotten their native tongues.
他们繁衍几代之后,大部分人就已经忘记了自己的母语。
Another challenge to language survival is television.
电视是语言生存的另一个挑战。
It has brought English into homes, and pushed out traditional storytelling and family time together, accelerating the extinction of native languages.
电视把英语带入到家庭里,挤掉了传统的家庭讲故事的时间,从而加速了本土语言的灭绝。
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.
问题12到15是基于刚刚你所听到的那篇短文。
Question12. What do we learn from the report?
问题12:我们从这篇报道中学到了什么?
Question13. For what purpose does Fred Nahwooksy appeal for more funding?
问题13:Fred Nahwooksy需要更多的资金来做什么?
Question14. What is the historical cause of the decline in the American Indian Languages?
问题14:美国印第安语言衰落的历史根源是什么?
Question15. What does the speaker say about television?
问题15:关于电视,说话者都说了什么?
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