2. 考研
  3. Language exists to communicate whatever it can communicate. Some things it communicates so badly that we never attempt to commun

Language exists to communicate whatever it can communicate. Some things it communicates so badly that we never attempt to commun

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问题 Language exists to communicate whatever it can communicate. Some things it communicates so badly that we never attempt to communicate them by words if any other medium is available. Those who think they are testing a boy’ s "elementary" command of English by asking him to describe in words how one ties one’ s tie or what a pair of scissors is like, are far astray. For precisely what language can hardly do at all, and never does well, is to inform us about complex physical shapes and movements. Hence descriptions of such things in the ancient writers are nearly always unintelligible. Hence we never in real life voluntarily use language for this purpose; we draw a diagram or go through pantomimic gestures. The exercises which such examiners set are no more a test of "elementary" linguistic competence than the most difficult bit of trick—riding from the circus ring is a test of elementary horsemanship.
Another grave limitation of language is that it cannot, like music or gesture, do more than one thing at once. However the words in a great poet’ s phrase interanimate one other and strike the mind as quasi-instantaneous chord, yet, strictly speaking, each word must be read or heard before the next. That way, language is as unilinear as time. Hence, in narrative, the great difficulty of presenting a very complicated change which happens suddenly. If we do justice to the complexity, the time the reader must take over the passage will destroy the feeling of suddenness. If we get in the suddenness we shall not be able to get in the complexity.
One of the most important and effective uses of language is the emotional. It is also, of course, wholly legitimate. We do not talk only in order to reason or to inform. We have to make love and quarrel, to propitiate and pardon, to rebuke, to console, intercede, and a rouse. " He that complains ," said Johnson, " acts like a man, like a social being. " The real objection lies not against the language of emotion as such, but against language which, being in reality emotional, masquerades—whether by plain hypocrisy or subtle self-deceit—as being something else.
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答案 语言的存在就是用来表达它所能表达的一切。有些事情用语言表达效果太糟，所以如果有其他的媒介，我们从不用语言去表达。有人认为，让小孩用语言描述怎样系领带，或者描述一把剪刀的样子，就能测出他语言的“基本”水平，这种看法是完全错误的。语言做不到，也从来做不好的事，恰恰就是描述复杂的物体形状和动作。因此，古代作家对这类事情的描述，几乎总是让人看不懂。因此，我们在现实生活中，从来不会主动用语言来做这些事；我们会画一个图，或者用手势表示。这种语言测试设计，考的不是语言的“基本”能力，这就像用马戏团花样骑马表演中最难的部分，去考一个人的基本骑术。 语言的另一大局限就是它无法像音乐或手势那样，一次能做不止一件事。一个伟大的诗人，即使他的词句那样相互辉映，一瞬间好像和弦一样打动了我们，但是，严格来说，每一个字都是一个接一个地读到或听到的。这么说，语言就和时间一样，是单线前进的。因此，在叙事时，要描述瞬间发生的复杂变化，就十分困难。如果我们要把复杂性适当描述出来，读者阅读这一段语言所花的时间就会破坏瞬间感。如果我们要体现这件事的瞬间感，我们就无法表现其复杂性。 语言最重要、最有效的一种用途就是表达感情。这当然也完全是合情合理的。我们说话不止是为了讲道理、说事情。我们还要表达爱情、与人争吵、劝解抚慰、宽恕原谅，还要指责、安慰、调解、激发他人。约翰逊说过：“会抱怨的人行动起来才像一个人，才像一个社会的人。”我们真正要反对的并不是这种表达感情的语言，而是那种实质是表达感情，但却通过十足的虚伪或者是巧妙的自欺，伪装成别的东西的语言。
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