Throughout much of history, the English language has borrowed words from other languages to become the intermixed language that we know today. Yet in recent times it has become more of a lender than a borrower, says Philip Durkin, deputy chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, in an article for the BBC website.
縱覽歷史，英語(yǔ)借用了很多舶來(lái)詞，演變成了今天我們所熟悉的“大雜燴”語(yǔ)言。然而，《牛津英語(yǔ)大辭典》副主編菲利普？？杜爾金在一篇發(fā)表在BBC網(wǎng)站上的文章中表示，近些年來(lái)，英語(yǔ)已經(jīng)由“舶來(lái)”轉(zhuǎn)成“輸出”。
English is actually a mixture of other languages that has evolved over time based on contact with other cultures. Linguists refer to English as a chain of borrowings that was the result of conquests by foreign invaders. Its adoption of words from so many different languages, known as loanwords, has resulted in it being one of most diverse languages on the planet.
通過(guò)文化交流，英語(yǔ)逐步演變成一種融合了其他語(yǔ)言的大雜燴。語(yǔ)言學(xué)家認(rèn)為，這一連串的舶來(lái)行為的原因在于外來(lái)者的侵占。英語(yǔ)吸收了各種不同語(yǔ)言的詞匯，這些詞匯通常被稱(chēng)為“舶來(lái)語(yǔ)”，這也使得英語(yǔ)成為世界上最多樣化的語(yǔ)言之一。
From about 450 AD until the 11th century, various foreigners invaded England, bringing their language with them. Britain adapted its language with each invasion, mixing words to create a blended version of many different languages. The most influential languages were: West Germanic after the invasion in 700 AD; Old Norse from the Scandinavian Viking invaders in the 8th and 9th centuries; and most importantly, French and Latin through the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
從公元450年左右到11世紀(jì)，英格蘭遭遇了不同外來(lái)侵略者的入侵，這些侵略者將本國(guó)語(yǔ)言帶到了這里。英國(guó)吸收了每一個(gè)侵略國(guó)的語(yǔ)言，將他們的語(yǔ)言與英語(yǔ)混合，創(chuàng)造出了一種多語(yǔ)言融合體。其中，對(duì)英語(yǔ)影響最深的語(yǔ)言包括：公元700年入侵者帶來(lái)的西日耳曼語(yǔ)；8、9世紀(jì)斯堪的納維亞入侵者帶來(lái)的古挪威語(yǔ)；以及1066年諾曼底征服英格蘭時(shí)所帶來(lái)的法語(yǔ)和拉丁語(yǔ)。
Professor and author Anatoly Liberman describes loanwords as “a result of language contact in a certain place at a certain time”。 For example, English started adopting Asian words （such as “jungle” and “yoga”） during the period of colonialism, when it had increased contact with this region.
教授兼作家安托里？？李伯曼將舶來(lái)語(yǔ)描述為“在特定時(shí)間、特定地點(diǎn)，因語(yǔ)言交流而產(chǎn)生的結(jié)果”。例如：在殖民統(tǒng)治時(shí)期，隨著英國(guó)與亞洲之間的交流日益頻繁，英語(yǔ)中融入了許多亞洲詞匯（如“叢林”、“瑜伽”）。
The continued prevalence of borrowing words across languages demonstrates the close connections different cultures have with one another in our globalized world. The rise of global media, particularly online, and enhanced international communication has led to a greater need for a common language.
舶來(lái)語(yǔ)的經(jīng)久不衰說(shuō)明了在全球化背景下，不同文化之間交流的緊密。全球化傳媒，尤其是網(wǎng)絡(luò)媒體的崛起，以及國(guó)際交流的日益加深，提升了人們對(duì)通用語(yǔ)言的需求。
In their recent book, Globally Speaking: Motives for Adopting English Vocabulary in Other Languages, Judith Rosenhouse and Rotem Kowner hail English as “the lingua franca of the modern world, the common language used for science, international business and for communication”。 They report that English is the official language of more than 75 states and territories across the globe and it is the world’s most popular choice of second language.
在新書(shū)《全球視角：其他語(yǔ)言使用英語(yǔ)舶來(lái)詞的動(dòng)機(jī)》中，朱迪斯？？羅森豪斯和洛特姆？？科內(nèi)爾稱(chēng)英語(yǔ)為“現(xiàn)代世界的通用語(yǔ)，是科學(xué)研究、國(guó)際商務(wù)及交流方面的通用語(yǔ)言”。他們表示，全球超過(guò)75個(gè)國(guó)家和地區(qū)將英語(yǔ)作為官方語(yǔ)言；英語(yǔ)是全球最受歡迎的第二語(yǔ)言。
The ascendancy of English as a global language has drastically increased the number of words it now lends to other languages. Whether it is a French news reporter using the words “kidnapping” or “l(fā)eader”； the development of the Chinese word kafei from the English word coffee; or the near widespread use of “Internet”， “computer”， and “meeting” in most parts of the world — it is easy to see the drastic influence English now has on other languages.
英語(yǔ)憑借其世界語(yǔ)言的優(yōu)勢(shì)，大大增加了向其他語(yǔ)言輸出詞匯的數(shù)量。無(wú)論是法國(guó)新聞報(bào)道中所使用的“kidnapping（綁架）”或“l(fā)eader（領(lǐng)導(dǎo)）”，還是漢語(yǔ)中從英文“coffee”音譯過(guò)來(lái)的“咖啡”一詞，亦或是在全球多數(shù)地方普遍使用的“Internet（網(wǎng)絡(luò)）”、“computer（電腦）”和“meeting（會(huì)議）”，英語(yǔ)對(duì)其他語(yǔ)言的巨大影響顯而易見(jiàn)。
In contrast, says Durkin, the number of new borrowed words finding their way into the shared international vocabulary is on a long downward trend. Although English is now borrowing from other languages with a worldwide range, new borrowings into English today tend to cluster much more closely in a few subject areas, especially names of food and drink.
杜爾金表示，相比之下，英語(yǔ)中，稱(chēng)得上“國(guó)際通用”的舶來(lái)詞數(shù)量卻一直呈遞減趨勢(shì)。盡管英語(yǔ)現(xiàn)在仍然大范圍地吸收外來(lái)語(yǔ)言，但是這些新舶來(lái)詞往往更集中在少數(shù)幾個(gè)特定的領(lǐng)域，尤以食物和飲料的名字最為明顯。
Unique vocabulary
專(zhuān)有詞匯
Here are a few examples of untranslatable words from other cultures:
以下列舉了一些源自不同文化的不可譯詞：
Waldeinsamkeit （German）
Waldeinsamkeit（德語(yǔ)）
A feeling of solitude, being alone in the woods, and a connectedness to nature. US poet Ralph Waldo Emerson even wrote a whole poem about it.
詞匯含義：這個(gè)詞語(yǔ)描繪了一種感覺(jué)，一種孤獨(dú)的感覺(jué)，一種獨(dú)處在樹(shù)林中并且和大自然產(chǎn)生溝通和共鳴的感覺(jué)。美國(guó)詩(shī)人拉爾夫？？瓦爾多？？愛(ài)默生甚至還寫(xiě)了一首詩(shī)來(lái)解釋這種感覺(jué)。
Pochemuchka （Russian）
Pochemuchka（俄語(yǔ)）
Someone who asks a lot of questions. We all know a few people like that.
詞匯含義：指那些問(wèn)很多問(wèn)題的人，準(zhǔn)確地說(shuō)，是那些問(wèn)了太多問(wèn)題的人。我們身邊都會(huì)有一些這樣的人。
Sobremesa （Spanish）
Sobremesa （西班牙語(yǔ)）
Spaniards are laid-back and sociable, and this word describes the period of time after a meal when you have food-induced conversations with the people you have shared the meal with.
詞匯含義：西班牙人悠閑自在、善于交際。這個(gè)詞語(yǔ)描述的是一段時(shí)間。這段時(shí)間里，你要與剛剛一起吃完飯的朋友就剛剛吃過(guò)的食物展開(kāi)熱烈的討論。
Mangata （Swedish）
Mangata（瑞典語(yǔ)）
It means the glimmering, road-like reflection that the moon creates on water.
詞匯含義：這個(gè)詞指的是月亮倒映在水面上閃閃發(fā)光，宛若小路一樣的倒影。
Depaysement （French）
Depaysement（法語(yǔ)）
The feeling that comes from not being in one’s home country — of being a foreigner, or an immigrant, of being somewhat displaced from your origin.
詞匯含義：身處異國(guó)他鄉(xiāng)的感覺(jué)，適用于外國(guó)人、移民者以及那些從故鄉(xiāng)遷徙的人。
