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?
生词和短语
railway n. 铁路
porter n. 搬运工
foreigner n. 外国人
wonder v. 感到奇怪
课文注释
1 at last，终于。
2 the way to my hotel，去(我住的那家)饭店的路。
3 not only...but…as well，不但...而且……，与not only...but also是同样意思，所连接的前后两部分的成分必须一致。
4 neither...nor...，既不……又不……这个结构所连接的两个否定概念也必须是对等的成分。
5 like that，像那样, 介词短语作状语，修饰动词spoke。
6 the English，英国人。与定冠词连用，表示一个群体，所跟的动词用复数。
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？
