研究生英语阅读教程(基础级2版)课文及翻译
may not have the last word on its influence until centuries later.
3. Why does McArthur say that English is "a curse for the indigenous peoples of Australia and something of a blessing for those in South Africa"?
When the first Europeans arrived in Australia, there were hundreds of languages. Now many of these languages have died out, many more are in the process of dying out, and these dead and dying languages have been largely replaced by either kinds of pidgin English or general Australian English. However, in South Africa the black opposition, whose members had many
languages, was at first weak and disorganized. It was English that helped opposition gain strength and organization. Instead of being a language of oppression, English became for them the key language of freedom and unity.
4. What should we do to make the most of English while avoiding the curse it may bring?
5. Do you think that teaching English to speakers of other countries is an act of linguistic imperialism?
The influence of the US and Britain on the rest of the world, past and present, cannot be denied, and the teaching of English can never be entirely neutral. Language is never a neutral vehicle for communication; the context comes with it, like it or not. English is a double-edged sword, so to speak. There is an element of cultural imperialism, given that—even if one doesn’t teach culture, per se（本质上）—culture is still nonetheless encoded in language in a very real sense.
On the other hand, the student either needs, wants or is required to learn English, and therefore learning English has some perceived benefit for the student.
Furthermore the spread of English has brought about the extinction of many minority languages. The question of whether teaching ESL or EFL can be considered linguistic imperialism is controversial.
VOCABULARY ITEMS
1.sizable: adj. fairly(very) large相当大的
2. virtually: adv. almost but not quite; nearly几乎，差不多; virture; virtual: a. ideal
3. constitute: v. to amount to; equal形成，等同于; constitution: n.
4. aggrandis(z)ment: n. increase in power or importance 扩张，增加, expansion; grand: great
5. predominantly: adv. mostly or mainly卓越地，支配地，主要地president, dominate(v)
6. default: n. failure to do sth.疏忽, default value.
7. hegemonic: adj. of the predominant influence of one nation over others 霸权的; gene; gen-; generator
8. benign: adj. tending to exert a beneficial influence; favorable有利的
9. dispassionately: adv. calmly; reasonably平心静气地，不带偏见地
10. verdict: n. decision or opinion given after testing or examining判断，裁决, verify; dictionary
11. straightforward: adj. plain; clear明确的，清清楚楚的,
12. aboriginal: adj. of races of people belonging to a region from the earliest times土著的, a man of humble origin;
13. adversely: adv. unfavorably不利地