新概念第二册 Lesson 25 Do the English speak English?

　　Lesson 25 Do the English speak English?

　　英国人讲的是英语吗？

　　First listen and then answer the question.

　　听录音，然后回答以下问题。

　　Why does the writer not understand the porter?

　　I arrived in London at last. The railway station was big, black and dark. I did not know the way to my hotel, so I asked a porter. I not only spoke English very carefully, but very clearly as well. The porter, however, could not understand me. I repeated my question several times and at last he understood. He answered me, but he spoke neither slowly nor clearly. “I am a foreigner,” I said. Then he spoke slowly, but I could not understand him. My teacher never spoke English like that! The porter and I looked at each other and smiled. Then he said something and I understood it. “You'll soon learn English!” he said. I wonder. In England, each person speaks a different language. The English understand each other, but I don't understand them! Do they speak English?

　　New words and expressions 生词和短语

　　railway n. 铁路

　　porter n. 搬运工

　　several quantifier 几个

　　foreigner n. 外国人

　　wonder v. 感到奇怪

　　参考译文

　　我终于到了伦敦。火车站很大，又黑又暗。我不知道去饭店的路该怎么走，于是向一个搬运工打听。我的英语讲得不但非常认真，而且咬字也非常清楚。然而搬运工却不明白我的话。我把问话重复了很多遍。他终于听懂了。他回答了，但他讲得既不慢也不清楚。“我是个外国人，”我说。于是他说得慢了，可我还是听不懂。我的老师从来不那样讲英语！我和搬运工相视一笑。接着，他说了点什么，这回我听懂了。“您会很快学会英语的！”他说。我感到奇怪。在英国，人们各自说着一种不同的语言。英国人之间相互听得懂，可我却不懂他们的话！他们说的是英语吗？