對音樂、體育的狂熱是源自一種發(fā)自內(nèi)心不能自已的喜愛，而對英語的狂熱卻是另一番風(fēng)景，這是一種源自求生好勝本能的瘋狂。請看TED2009年度大會上JayWalker對亞洲人學(xué)英語熱潮的分析。Jay Walker解釋了為什么全世界20億人在學(xué)英語。他展示了一些圖片和一些令人激動的錄像，展示了成千上萬的中國學(xué)生練習(xí)“世界第二語言”英語的場面。
Jay Walker explainswhy two billion people around the world are trying to learn English. He sharesphotos and spine-tingling audio of Chinese students rehearsing English -'the world's second language' - by the thousands.
Let's talk about manias. Let's start with Beatle mania. Hystericalteenagers, crying, screaming, pandemonium. Sports mania. Deafening crowds.All for one idea. Get the ball in the net. Okay, religious mania. There'srapture. There's weeping. There's visions. Manias can be good. Manias canbe alarming. Or manias can be deadly.
讓我們來談?wù)効駸?，先從甲殼蟲熱說起。歇斯底里的少年們，高呼、尖叫、喧囂的場面。體育熱震耳欲聾的人群，都是為了一個目標(biāo)，要球進(jìn)網(wǎng)。還有，宗教熱，有歡笑，也有淚水。還有夢想?？駸峥梢允羌檬拢駸嵋部梢允谷藫?dān)心，有時(shí)狂熱也可以是致命的。
The world has a new mania. A mania for learning English. Listen as Chinesestudents practice their English by screaming it.
現(xiàn)在世界上有一種新的狂熱。學(xué)習(xí)英語的狂熱。聽，中國學(xué)生在練習(xí)講英語，用高聲叫喊的方式練習(xí)英語。
Teacher: ... change my life!
老師：……改變我的生活!
Students: I will change my life.
學(xué)生：我要改變我的命運(yùn)。
T: I don't want to let my parents down.
老師：我不想讓父母失望。
S: I don't want to let my parents down.
學(xué)生：我不想讓父母失望。
T: I don't ever want to let my country down.
老師：我從不想讓國家失望。
S: I don't ever want to let my country down.
學(xué)生：我從不想讓國家失望。
T: Most importantly ...
S: Most importantly ...
老師：最重要的……
學(xué)生：最重要的……
T: I don't want to let myself down.
老師：我不想讓我自己失望。
S: I don't want to let myself down.
學(xué)生：我不想讓我自己失望。
Jay Walker: How many people are trying to learn English worldwide? Twobillion of them.
Jay Walker: 全世界現(xiàn)在有多少人學(xué)習(xí)英語? 20億。
Students: A T-shirt. A dress.
學(xué)生：一件襯衫。一條裙子。
JW: In Latin America, in India,in Southeast Asia, and most of all in China. If you are a Chinesestudent, you start learning English in the third grade, by law. That's why thisyear Chinawill become the world'slargest English speaking country. (Laughter) Why English? In a single word: Opportunity. Opportunityfor a better life, a job, to be able to pay for school, or put better food onthe table. Imagine a student taking a giant test for three full days. Her score on thisone test literally determines her future. She studies 12 hours a day for three yearsto prepare. 25 percent of her grade is based on English. It's called theGaokao. And 80 million high school Chinese students have already taken thisgrueling test. The intensity to learn English isalmost unimaginable. Unless you witness it.
JW：在拉丁美洲，在印度，在東南亞, 甚至在幾乎整個中國。如果你是個中國學(xué)生，根據(jù)法律，在小學(xué)三年級你得開始學(xué)習(xí)英語。這就是為什么今年中國會成為全世界最大的講英語的國家。(笑聲)為什么是英語?用一個詞來回答：機(jī)會。一個獲得更好生活，工作的機(jī)會。可以上得起學(xué)，可以吃更好的食物。想象一個學(xué)生用整整三天時(shí)間參加一次大考。她的這個考試的成績真正地決定了她的前途。她每天學(xué)習(xí)12個小時(shí)，三年間都是如此，就是為了準(zhǔn)備這個考試。其中25%的成績是由英語決定的，這個考試叫做高考。有8000萬的中國高中生都已經(jīng)參加過這個“獨(dú)木橋”考試。學(xué)習(xí)英語的強(qiáng)度幾乎不可想象。除非你親自見證過。
Teacher: Perfect!
Students: Perfect!
老師：完美!
學(xué)生：完美!
T: Perfect!
S: Perfect!
老師：完美!
學(xué)生：完美!
T: I want to speak perfect English.
老師：我想講完美的英語。
S: I want to speak perfect English.
學(xué)生：我想講完美的英語。
T: I want to speak …
S: I want to speak …
老師：我想說…….
學(xué)生：我想說……
T: perfect English.
S: perfect English.
學(xué)生：完美的英語。
學(xué)生：完美的英語。
T: I want to change my life!
老師：我要改變我的命運(yùn)!
S: I want to change my life!
學(xué)生：我要改變我的命運(yùn)!
JW: So is English mania good or bad? Is English a tsunami, washing away other languages?Not likely. English is the world's second language. Your native language isyour life. But with English you can become part of a widerconversation. A global conversation about global problems. Like climate changeor poverty. Or hunger or disease. The world has other universal languages.Mathematics is the language of science. Music is the language of emotions. Andnow English is becoming the language of problem solving. Not because America ispushing it. But because the world is pulling it. So English mania is a turningpoint. Like the harnessing of electricity in ourcities, or the fall of the Berlin Wall, English represents hope for a betterfuture. A future where the world has a common language to solve its commonproblems.
JW：那么這股英語熱是好還是壞呢?英語是海嘯嗎?席卷其他所有的語言?未必。英語是世界第二大語言。你的母語是你的生活，但是英語可以讓你參與更大范圍的討論。一個全世界范圍的關(guān)于全球問題的討論。比如，氣候改變或者貧窮，或者饑餓，或是疾病。這個世界上還有其他的全球性語言。數(shù)學(xué)是科學(xué)的語言，音樂是感情的語言?，F(xiàn)在，英語正在成為解決問題的語言。并不是因?yàn)槊绹偈蛊淙绱?。而是因?yàn)槿澜绲男枰Ｋ杂⒄Z熱是一個轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn)。就像我們城市里的供電系統(tǒng)，或者柏林墻的倒塌，英語代表著希望，擁有一個更好的未來的希望。未來全世界將用共同語言去解決共同的問題。
Thank you very much. (Applause)
非常感謝。(掌聲)
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