2. 外语
  3. 1 But if language habits do not represent classes, a social stratification into something as bygone as "aristocracy" and "co

1 But if language habits do not represent classes, a social stratification into something as bygone as "aristocracy" and "co

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问题 1     But if language habits do not represent classes, a social stratification into something as bygone as "aristocracy" and "commons", they do still of course serve to identify social groups. This is something that seems fundamental in the use of language. As we see in relation to political and national movements, language is used as a badge or a barrier depending on which way we look at it. The new boy at school feels out of it at first because he does not know the right words for things, and awe-inspiring pundits of six or seven look down on him for not being aware that racksy means "dilapidated", or hairy "out first ball". The miner takes a certain pride in being "one up" on the visitor or novice who calls the cage a "lift"or who thinks that men working in a warm seam are in their "underpants" when anyone ought to know that the garments are called hoggers.  The "insider"is seldom displeased that his language distinguishes him from the "outsider".
2     Quite apart from specialized terms of this kind in groups, trades and professions, there are all kinds of standards of correctness at which most of us feel more or less obliged to aim, because we know that certain kinds of English invite irritation or downright condemnation. On the other hand, we know that other kinds convey some kind of prestige and bear a welcome cachet.
3     In relation to the social aspects of language, it may well be suggested that English speakers fall into three categories: the assured, the anxious and the indifferent. At one’s end of this scale, we have the people who have "position" and "status", and who therefore do not feel they need worry much about their use of English. Their education and occupation make them confident of speaking an unimpeachable form of English. no fear of being criticized or corrected is likely to cross their minds,  and this gives their speech that characteristically unselfconscious and easy flow which is often envied.
4     At the other end of the scale, we have an equally imperturbable band, speaking with a similar degree of careless ease, because even if they are aware that their English is condemned by others, they are supremely indifferent to the fact. The Mrs. Mops of this world have active and efficient tongues in their heads, and if we happened not to like their ways of saying things, well, we "can lump it". That is their attitude. Curiously enough, writers are inclined to represent the speech of both these extreme parties with -in’ for lng. On the one hand. "We’re goin’ huntin’, my dear sir;"on the other, "We’re goin’ racin’, mate."
5     In between, according to this view we have a far less fortunate group, the anxious. These actively try to suppress what they believe to be bad English and assiduously cultivate what they hope to be good English. They live their lives in some degree of nervousness over their grammar, their pronunciation, and their choice of words, sensitive, and fearful of betraying themselves. Keeping up with the Joneses is measured not only in houses, furniture, refrigerators, cars, and clothes, but also in speech.
6     And the misfortune of the "anxious" does not end with their inner anxiety. Their lot is also the open or veiled contempt of the "assured" on one side of them and of the "indifferent" on the other.
7     It is all too easy to raise an unworthy laugh at the anxious. The people thus uncomfortably stilted on linguistic highheels so often form part of what is, in many ways, the most admirable section of any society, the ambitious, tense, inner-driven people, who are bent on "going places and doing things". The greater the pity, then, if a disproportionate amount of their energy goes into what Mr. Sharpless called "this shabby obsession" with variant forms of English -- especially if the net result is (as so often) merely to sound affected and ridiculous. "Here", according to Bacon, "is the first distemper of learning, when men study words and not matter... It seems to me that Pygmalion’s frenzy is a good emblem... of this vanity, for words are but the images of matter; and except they have life of reason and invention, to fall in love with them is to fall in love with a picture."
选项 A、critical.
B、anxious.
C、self-conscious.
D、nonchalant.
答案D
解析 <1>a social stratification into something as bygone as “aristocracy”and“commons”将社会阶层分成“贵族”和“平民百姓”这样过时的东西
<2>...Ianguage is used as a badge or a barrier depending on which way we look at it．语言可用来当作一种标记，也可以用来当作一种壁垒，取决于我们如何去看待它。
<3>pundit专家，学者，大师
<4>...racksy means “dilapidated”，or hairy "out first ball"．racksy表示“倾坍的，损坏的，破烂的”，hairy表示“令人不快的，粗野的，没礼貌的”。
<5>cachet标记，威望
<6>imperturbable不易激动的，沉着的
<7>lump此处表示“勉强忍受”。
<8>Their lot is also the open or veiled contempt of the“assured” on one side of them and of the“indifferent” on the other．他们的命运或明或暗地成为身边那些人鄙视的对象，一边是自信者，一边是漠不关心者。
<9>The people thus uncomfortably stilted on linguistic high heels...因此不舒适地踩着语言高跷的那些人。此处为比喻用法，表示焦虑者由于刻意追寻语言使用的标准性而感到不适和尴尬。
<10>“shabby obsession”with variant forms of English这里作者引用了Mr. Sharpless的话，所谓shabby obsession，即一种不太体面的强迫症，这里指那些焦虑者迷恋英语的不同变化形式。
<11>distemper of language语言失调(症)。此处为比喻用法，这里指焦虑者只关注语言形式而非表达内容。
<12>emblem象征，标志
<13>...to fall in love with them is to fall in love with a picture．爱上词语本身(而不是指表示的内容)，就等于爱上一张照片(而非照片的主人)。

此题为细节理解题。据第3段第2句、第3句可知。nonchalant的意思是“无动于衷的”，“漠不关心的”。
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