On Learning Spoken English

　　话题讨论疯狂示范
　　达标要求：对各种场景所能谈论的话题，运用自如地表达自已认识。
短评：这是一篇非常典型的有关英语学习的讨论，希望大家能够举一反三，争取起码在英语学习探讨方面说一口流利的英文。学习外语是一个全世界的话题！愿你尽早在"外语学习"这个话题带给周围的同学、朋友和外国朋友一个大惊讶
话题讨论疯狂示范
达标要求：对各种场景所能谈论的话题，运用自如地表达自已认识。
短评：这是一篇非常典型的有关英语学习的讨论，希望大家能够举一反三，争取起码在英语学习探讨方面说一口流利的英文。学习外语是一个全世界的话题！愿你尽早在"外语学习"这个话题带给周围的同学、朋友和外国朋友一个大惊讶！
On Learning Spoken English，
关于学习英语口语
A: How long have you studied English?
你学英文多长时间了？
B: Quite a few years. But if you mean the study this time, I have been studying for nearly three months.
好多年了。但是如果你是指这次的话，我已经学了将近三个月了。
A: I don't quite follow you. What do you mean by that?
我不是十分明白你的意思。你的意思是指什么？
B: Well, like all Chinese students I studied English in my school days. We learned how to read and translate from English into Chinese and vice versa, but we weren't given enough practice in English speaking. So recently I began to take a course in spoken English.
嗯，象所有的中国学生，我在学校时曾学过英文。我们学习如何阅读以及将英文译成中文或将中文译成英文。但我们并未充分地练习英文会话。所以最近我开始上英语会话课程。
A: I see. Now I understand what you mean.
原来如此。现在我了解你的意思。
B: Since I've read quite a few English books, I know a good many words and phrases. The trouble is I can't use them in conversation because speaking was entirely neglected at school. I'm suffering from it now.
因为我曾阅读不少的英文书，所以我知道很多的单词和短词。问题是我不会把它们应用到会话上，因为学校完全忽略了会话的课程。现在我正在因此而受苦（因为学校忽略口语训练造成不良后果，受害者不得不面对这种后果）。
A: That seems to be the trouble with many people. However, it's no use crying over spilt milk. You're not the only one who had a bad start.
那似乎是很多人的苦恼。然而，烦恼是没有用的。基础没有打好的不只是你一个人。
B: Now that I'm expecting to go abroad shortly, naturally I am very anxious to learn enough to get along with. It must be awful to visit a foreign country without being able to use the language. Half of the pleasure would be gone if one had to live like a deaf-mute.
既然我预定不久将要出国，自然我非常渴望能把英语学到足以应付的程度。到外国去而不能使用当地的语言是非常糟糕的。如果一个人活得象聋哑人一样，那么一半的乐趣就没有了。
A: I quite agree with you. A great many people imagine that conversational English can only be learned on a mother's knee, but that isn't quite true. You can still get busy and learn to speak it.
我十分同意。很多人认为英语会话必须从小学起，但这不完全正确，你仍然可以开始把英语会话学好。
B：Is there any short-cut, I wonder?
我想知道有什么捷径吗？
A: I'm afraid not. You see, a language art is mainly a skill just as piano playing or automobile driving. We learned to play the piano by playing and drive a car by driving. The same is true with learning a language. There is no other way. The more we practise the better we become. Try to learn useful sentences by heart, and make other sentences after such models. Anyone who has the ability to learn can learn to speak English. Of course a person who has a good memory will make better progress.
恐怕没有。你知道，一种语言主要的就是要熟练，就如同弹钢琴或驾驶一样。我们以弹来学习弹钢琴，以驾驶来学习驾驶汽车。学习语言也是同样的道理。没有别的方法。我们练习得越多，进步就越快。努力记住有用的句子，并且仿照着例子，造出其它的句子。任何人只要具有学习的能力，就可以学会说英语。当然，一个人的记忆力强的人，将进步更快。
B: What about grammar?
语法这方面如何？
A: Grammar is useful, but it is wrong to imagine that one can learn to speak a foreign language by rules of grammar.
语法是有用的，但是以为按照语法的规则就能学习使用外国语言，那就错了。
B: Maybe, but many people feel they need some kind of guide and claim that grammar is it.
或许是的，但是许多人觉得他们需要某种准绳（或指导），而语法就是。
A: Of course, grammar is of help, but it isn't everything. You've got to bear in mind that learning to speak a language is a matter of habit forming. Therefore, constant practice is essential.
当然语法是有帮助的，便它并不是一切。你要牢记在心，学习说语言就是养成习惯的过程。所以不断地练习是非常重要的。
B: What you mean is that practice makes perfect.
你的意思是说熟能生巧。
A: That's exactly it.
正是这个意思。
疯狂的信念：英语是给中国青年带来最丰厚的外语，只要你现在多花一分精力去精通它，将来英语一定会十分百分地报答你，英语将助你在未来的国际竞争中永扮一流角色！