TEDxUofM
Anne Curzan: What makes a word "real"?
安.柯尔占: 是什么让词汇成为“真的”？
Filmed:
Readability: 4
1,895,764 views
One could argue that slang words like ‘hangry,’ ‘defriend’ and ‘adorkable’ fill crucial meaning gaps in the English language, even if they don't appear in the dictionary. After all, who actually decides which words make it into those pages? Language historian Anne Curzan gives a charming look at the humans behind dictionaries, and the choices they make.
Anne Curzan - Language historian
English professor Anne Curzan actually encourages her students to use slang in class. A language historian, she is fascinated by how people use words—and by how this changes. Full bio
English professor Anne Curzan actually encourages her students to use slang in class. A language historian, she is fascinated by how people use words—and by how this changes. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I need to start by telling you a little bit
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首先我需要告诉你
00:15
about my social life,
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一些关于我的社交生活。
00:16
which I know may not seem relevant,
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我知道这看起来也许没什么关联，
00:19
but it is.
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但的确是有关系的。
00:21
When people meet me at parties
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当人们在聚会的时候碰上我
00:23
and they find out that I'm an English professor
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并且发现我是一个
00:25
who specializes in language,
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专攻语言学的英文教授的时候，
00:27
they generally have one of two reactions.
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他们通常有两种反应:
00:31
One set of people look frightened. (Laughter)
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一种人表现出很害怕。（笑声）
00:36
They often say something like,
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他们通常这样说，
00:37
"Oh, I'd better be careful what I say.
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“喔，我得小心说话了。
00:41
I'm sure you'll hear every mistake I make."
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我敢肯定你能听出我说的每个错误。”
00:44
And then they stop talking. (Laughter)
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然后他们就不再说话了。（笑声）
00:48
And they wait for me to go away
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然后他们等着我走开
00:50
and talk to someone else.
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再去跟其他人说话。
00:53
The other set of people,
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另外一种人呢，
00:55
their eyes light up,
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他们的眼睛亮了起来，
00:57
and they say,
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他们说，
00:58
"You are just the person I want to talk to."
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“你正好是我想交谈的人。”
01:03
And then they tell me about whatever it is
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然后他们会告诉我他们认为
01:05
they think is going wrong with the English language.
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什么用法在英文里是错误的。
01:08
(Laughter)
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笑声
01:10
A couple of weeks ago, I was at a dinner party
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几个星期以前，在一个晚餐聚会上，
01:12
and the man to my right
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坐在我右边的男人
01:15
started telling me about all the ways
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开始告诉我英特网
01:17
that the Internet is degrading the English language.
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正在以各种方式简化着英语。
01:20
He brought up Facebook, and he said,
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他提起脸书，并且说，
01:23
"To defriend? I mean, is that even a real word?"
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“To defriend? 我的意思是，有这么个单词吗？”
01:29
I want to pause on that question:
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我想在这个问题上打住：
01:33
What makes a word real?
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到底是什么让一个单词”变真“的？
01:36
My dinner companion and I both know
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我和这位先生都知道
01:38
what the verb "defriend" means,
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动词“defriend"（取消作为朋友）是什么意思，
01:42
so when does a new word like "defriend"
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那么一个像”defriend"这样的新单词何时
01:44
become real?
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能变成真的单词？
01:46
Who has the authority to make those kinds
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究竟是谁有这种权力来
01:49
of official decisions about words, anyway?
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为这些单词做出官方的认定呢？
01:52
Those are the questions I want to talk about today.
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这些就是我今天想谈论的。
01:57
I think most people, when they say a word isn't real,
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我认为大部分人，当他们在说一个并不真实的单词时
02:00
what they mean is, it doesn't appear
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他们的意思是，它还没有出现
02:02
in a standard dictionary.
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在一本标准的字典里。
02:03
That, of course, raises a host of other questions,
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那当然还引出了许多其它的问题，
02:06
including, who writes dictionaries?
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包括，是哪些人编纂了字典？
02:11
Before I go any further,
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在我进一步阐述之前，
02:13
let me clarify my role in all of this.
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让我声明一下我工作的范畴。
02:15
I do not write dictionaries.
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我没有编过字典，
02:17
I do, however, collect new words
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但我的确收集过新的单词
02:20
much the way dictionary editors do,
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跟字典的编辑做的差不多，
02:23
and the great thing about being a historian
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作为
02:25
of the English language
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一个英文语言历史学家的最佳之处
02:26
is that I get to call this "research."
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就是我可以把这叫做“研究”。
02:30
When I teach the history of the English language,
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当我教英文语言历史这门课的时候
02:32
I require that students teach me
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我要求学生们在我开讲之前教我
02:35
two new slang words before I will begin class.
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两个新的俚语单词。
02:38
Over the years, I have learned
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多年以来，我已经通过
02:41
some great new slang this way,
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这种方法学到了很多新的俚语。
02:44
including "hangry," which --
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包括“饥饿“ ，”这个－
02:48
(Applause) —
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鼓掌－
02:52
which is when you are cranky or angry
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这个是说
02:54
because you are hungry,
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因为你饿了，你就会感到愤怒而且蛮不讲理，
02:58
and "adorkable,"
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还有“adorkable，”
03:03
which is when you are adorable
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是说当你
03:05
in kind of a dorky way,
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因为某种蠢笨而显得可爱的时候，
03:08
clearly, terrific words that fill
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很清楚，精彩的词汇
03:11
important gaps in the English language.
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填补着英文语言的空缺。
03:14
(Laughter)
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笑声。
03:18
But how real are they
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然而，这些词汇有多少真实
03:21
if we use them primarily as slang
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如果我们只是把它们作为俚语
03:23
and they don't yet appear in a dictionary?
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而它们还没有出现在字典里？
03:27
With that, let's turn to dictionaries.
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带着这个疑问，让我们来看看字典。
03:30
I'm going to do this as a show of hands:
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请现场观众举手， 让我来看看
03:32
How many of you still regularly
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你们中间有多少人依然
03:34
refer to a dictionary, either print or online?
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查字典，不管是印刷版还是网上的？
03:39
Okay, so that looks like most of you.
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嗯，看起来大多数人都还这样做。
03:41
Now, a second question. Again, a show of hands:
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现在第二个问题，再次举手：
03:44
How many of you have ever looked to see
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你们中间有多少人曾经查看
03:47
who edited the dictionary you are using?
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是谁编辑了你用的字典？
03:54
Okay, many fewer.
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好的，这不太多。
03:57
At some level, we know that there are human hands
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在某种程度上，我们都知道
04:01
behind dictionaries,
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字典是人编的，
04:02
but we're really not sure who those hands belong to.
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但我们并不知道他们是谁。
04:07
I'm actually fascinated by this.
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事实上我对此很感兴趣。
04:09
Even the most critical people out there
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即使是重要人物
04:12
tend not to be very critical about dictionaries,
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也不会对字典很挑剔，
04:14
not distinguishing among them
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不会去分辨它们
04:16
and not asking a whole lot of questions
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不会去问很多有关
04:18
about who edited them.
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谁编辑了那些字典的问题。
04:20
Just think about the phrase
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想想这个短句
04:22
"Look it up in the dictionary,"
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“到字典里去找，”
04:24
which suggests that all dictionaries
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那是在说所有的字典
04:26
are exactly the same.
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是一模一样的。
04:28
Consider the library here on campus,
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想想校园里的图书馆
04:30
where you go into the reading room,
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你去了阅读室，
04:32
and there is a large, unabridged dictionary
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那儿有一本巨大的，没有删节的字典
04:35
up on a pedestal in this place of honor and respect
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在一个有着荣誉和令人尊敬的台座上
04:39
lying open so we can go stand before it
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摊开放着，那么我们可以站在它的面前翻阅，
04:41
to get answers.
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得到答案。
04:43
Now, don't get me wrong,
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现在，别把我想错了，
04:46
dictionaries are fantastic resources,
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字典是奇妙的源泉，
04:49
but they are human
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但它们来自人类，
04:50
and they are not timeless.
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它们不是永恒的。
04:53
I'm struck as a teacher
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我作为一个老师
04:55
that we tell students to critically question
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经常告诉学生要批判性
04:58
every text they read, every website they visit,
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地对待他们读到的每段文字，浏览的每个网站，
05:01
except dictionaries,
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但字典除外，
05:03
which we tend to treat as un-authored,
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我们好像把它作为没有作者的，
05:06
as if they came from nowhere to give us answers
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好像它们自然而然地给了我们
05:09
about what words really mean.
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关于所有单字的意思的答案。
05:13
Here's the thing: If you ask dictionary editors,
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其实：如果你询问字典的编辑，
05:17
what they'll tell you
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他们会跟你说的
05:18
is they're just trying to keep up with us
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是他们正在努力跟上我们的脚步
05:20
as we change the language.
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当我们改变语言的时候。
05:22
They're watching what we say and what we write
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他们看我们怎么说和写的
05:24
and trying to figure out what's going to stick
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并且努力弄清楚什么会一直继续，
05:27
and what's not going to stick.
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而什么是不会继续的。
05:29
They have to gamble,
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他们不得不赌一下，
05:30
because they want to appear cutting edge
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因为他们想展示其跟上了时代，
05:32
and catch the words that are going to make it,
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并且抓住那些能够成功的词
05:34
such as LOL,
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比如说 LOL，
05:37
but they don't want to appear faddish
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但是他们并不想显得赶时髦
05:39
and include the words that aren't going to make it,
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包括那些不能成功的单词，
05:42
and I think a word that they're watching right now
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我想他们现在正在关注的一个单词是
05:43
is YOLO, you only live once.
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YOLO，意思是你只活一次。
05:49
Now I get to hang out with dictionary editors,
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现在我得跟字典编辑常在一起，
05:51
and you might be surprised
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你也许会惊讶
05:53
by one of the places where we hang out.
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于一个我们去过的地方。
05:55
Every January, we go
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每年一月，我们都去
05:57
to the American Dialect Society annual meeting,
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美国地方语言社的年会，
06:00
where among other things,
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除了其他事情，
06:02
we vote on the word of the year.
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我们还选出当年的”热词“。
06:05
There are about 200 or 300 people who come,
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大约有200 到300 人参加，
06:08
some of the best known
linguists in the United States.
linguists in the United States.
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有一些是最知名的
美国的语言专家。
美国的语言专家。
06:11
To give you a sense of the flavor of the meeting,
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告诉你这个会议的一点儿有味道的小料吧，
06:13
it occurs right before happy hour.
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它总是在“快乐小时”之前开始。
06:16
Anyone who comes can vote.
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任何来者都可以投票。
06:18
The most important rule is
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最重要的规则是
06:19
that you can vote with only one hand.
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你只能用一只手表决。
06:23
In the past, some of the winners have been
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过去，有些通过的单词有
06:26
"tweet" in 2009
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2009年的“tweet”
06:28
and "hashtag" in 2012.
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2012年的“hashtag”，
06:32
"Chad" was the word of the year in the year 2000,
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“chad"是200年获选的单词。
06:35
because who knew what a chad was before 2000,
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因为Chad是在2000年前就知道的是什么意思的，
06:39
and "WMD" in 2002.
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2002年有”WMD",
06:43
Now, we have other categories in which we vote too,
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现在，我们有其它的分类可以评选，
06:46
and my favorite category
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我最喜欢的分类
06:48
is most creative word of the year.
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是这一年最有创造性的单词。
06:50
Past winners in this category have included
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这一类里获选的的单词包括
06:53
"recombobulation area,"
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“recombobulation area,”
06:56
which is at the Milwaukee Airport after security,
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意思是在米尔瓦奇机场安全检查后，
07:00
where you can recombobulate.
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你可以重新整理自己的行装。
07:02
(Laughter)
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笑声
07:04
You can put your belt back on,
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你可以系上你的皮带，
07:05
put your computer back in your bag.
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把电脑放回自己的包里。
07:10
And then my all-time favorite word at this vote,
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这次评选中我最爱的单词
07:13
which is "multi-slacking."
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就是“multi-slacking."
07:15
(Laughter)
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笑声
07:18
And multi-slacking is the act
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multi-slacking 是一种行为
07:20
of having multiple windows up on your screen
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在你的荧幕上有几个窗口同时开着
07:23
so it looks like you're working
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这看起来好像你在工作
07:24
when you're actually goofing around on the web.
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而实际上你在网站上到处漫游。
07:26
(Laughter) (Applause)
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笑声，鼓掌
07:33
Will all of these words stick? Absolutely not.
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所有这些单词都会一直使用吗？绝对不可能。
07:36
And we have made some questionable choices,
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我们给出了一些有争议的选择，
07:39
for example in 2006
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比如在2006年
07:41
when the word of the year was "Plutoed,"
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当那年的单词是“plutoed，”
07:43
to mean demoted.
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意思是降级，贬低。
07:45
(Laughter)
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笑声
07:50
But some of the past winners
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但有些过去的获选单词’
07:52
now seem completely unremarkable,
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现在看起来完全不起眼了，
07:55
such as "app"
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比如“app”
07:57
and "e" as a prefix,
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和“e"作为前缀，
07:59
and "google" as a verb.
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还有”Google“作为动词。
08:02
Now, a few weeks before our vote,
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现在在我们评选之前的几星期，
08:06
Lake Superior State University
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州立高湖大学
08:08
issues its list of banished words for the year.
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给出了一些今年要取消的单词。
08:12
What is striking about this
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比较烦人的是
08:14
is that there's actually often quite a lot of overlap
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事实上
08:17
between their list and the list that we are considering
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在他们的列表和我们正在考虑的
08:20
for words of the year,
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新词当中，总是有很多”撞车“的地方。
08:22
and this is because we're noticing the same thing.
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这是因为我们总在注意同样的事情，
08:26
We're noticing words that are coming into prominence.
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我们总注意那些能造成影响的词汇。
08:29
It's really a question of attitude.
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这的确是一个态度问题。
08:32
Are you bothered by language
fads and language change,
fads and language change,
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你是注意时髦的语言和语言的变化
08:35
or do you find it fun, interesting,
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还是发现它有趣或是
08:39
something worthy of study
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作为一种活的语言，
08:40
as part of a living language?
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它有值得研究的东西？
08:43
The list by Lake Superior State University
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州立高湖大学的列表
08:45
continues a fairly long tradition in English
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继续着英语中一个相当长时间的
08:48
of complaints about new words.
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抱怨新词汇的传统
08:50
So here is Dean Henry Alford in 1875,
188
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4352
这儿是1875年亨利阿尔福德校长
08:54
who was very concerned that "desirability"
189
522795
2246
非常关注“desirability” 这个词
08:57
is really a terrible word.
190
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2449
认为这是一个可怕的单词。
08:59
In 1760, Benjamin Franklin
191
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2734
1760年，本杰明.富兰克林
09:02
wrote a letter to David Hume
192
530224
1456
给戴维.胡米写的一封信
09:03
giving up the word "colonize" as bad.
193
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3803
要放弃“colonize”这个坏单词。
09:07
Over the years, we've also seen worries
194
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2199
许多年来，我们也看到
09:09
about new pronunciations.
195
537682
1890
关于新发音的担心。
09:11
Here is Samuel Rogers in 1855
196
539572
3048
这是1855年山米尔.罗杰斯
09:14
who is concerned about some
fashionable pronunciations
fashionable pronunciations
197
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2599
关注一些时尚的发音
09:17
that he finds offensive,
198
545219
2007
他觉得那很令人反感，
09:19
and he says "as if contemplate were not bad enough,
199
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3488
他说“如果只是想想还不够坏的话，
09:22
balcony makes me sick."
200
550714
2418
那么“balcony”就让我感到噁心。”
09:25
(Laughter)
201
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3396
笑声
09:28
The word is borrowed in from Italian
202
556528
2350
这个词是借用了意大利语
09:30
and it was pronounced bal-COE-nee.
203
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3540
它实际上发音做Bal－COE－nee。
09:34
These complaints now strike us as quaint,
204
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2943
这些抱怨作为一种趣闻让我们发笑，
09:37
if not downright adorkable -- (Laughter) --
205
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4945
如果不是彻头彻尾的adorkble--(笑声）
09:42
but here's the thing:
206
570306
2734
但事情是这样的：
09:45
we still get quite worked up about language change.
207
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4373
我们会因为语言的变化而感到不安。
09:49
I have an entire file in my office
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2062
在我的办公室里，我有一个
09:51
of newspaper articles
209
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3062
新闻报纸的归档，
09:54
which express concern about illegitimate words
210
582537
2693
全是对单词的合法性的质疑，
09:57
that should not have been included in the dictionary,
211
585230
1879
声称哪些单词不该放在字典里面，
09:59
including "LOL"
212
587109
1448
包括“LOL”，
10:00
when it got into the Oxford English Dictionary
213
588557
2070
当它进入了牛津英语字典时
10:02
and "defriend"
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590627
1775
还有”defriend“
10:04
when it got into the Oxford American Dictionary.
215
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2772
进入牛津美语字典的时候。
10:07
I also have articles expressing concern
216
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2217
我还有文章表达对
10:09
about "invite" as a noun,
217
597391
2869
“invite”（邀请）作为名词的关注，
10:12
"impact" as a verb,
218
600260
1956
“impact”（碰撞）作为动词
10:14
because only teeth can be impacted,
219
602216
2971
因为只有牙齿能够impact（碰撞）
10:17
and "incentivize" is described
220
605187
2975
“incentivize“是描述
10:20
as "boorish, bureaucratic misspeak."
221
608162
4511
“粗野，官僚的发音错误。”
10:24
Now, it's not that dictionary editors
222
612673
1961
并不是字典的编辑们
10:26
ignore these kinds of attitudes about language.
223
614634
2691
忽略了他们的这种态度；
10:29
They try to provide us some guidance about words
224
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2555
他们努力给我们提供关于
10:31
that are considered slang or informal
225
619880
2270
那些被认作俚语或非正式词汇的
10:34
or offensive, often through usage labels,
226
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3143
或者那些令人反感的词条的一些指导，
常常通过附录的形式
常常通过附录的形式
10:37
but they're in something of a bind,
227
625293
1690
但他们有时也左右为难，
10:38
because they're trying to describe what we do,
228
626983
3652
因为他们尝试着描述我们的所作所为，
10:42
and they know that we often go to dictionaries
229
630635
2329
他们知道我们常借助字典
10:44
to get information about how we should use a word
230
632964
2768
来得到如何
10:47
well or appropriately.
231
635732
1908
正确或者合适地使用一个词汇的信息
10:49
In response, the American Heritage Dictionaries
232
637640
3024
因此，美国遗产字典
10:52
include usage notes.
233
640664
2141
包括了用法注释
10:54
Usage notes tend to occur with words
234
642805
2117
用法注释多出现
10:56
that are troublesome in one way,
235
644922
1323
在某个方面有问题的单词，
10:58
and one of the ways that they can be troublesome
236
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2865
其中一种可能成为麻烦
11:01
is that they're changing meaning.
237
649110
1933
的问题是它们在改变词义
11:03
Now usage notes involve very human decisions,
238
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3426
新的用法注释包括了很人性的决定，
11:06
and I think, as dictionary users,
239
654469
2059
我想，作为字典的使用者，
11:08
we're often not as aware of those human decisions
240
656528
2242
我们不会太注意是谁的决定
11:10
as we should be.
241
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1099
虽然我们应该注意
11:11
To show you what I mean,
242
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1124
为了让你明白我的意思，
11:12
we'll look at an example, but before we do,
243
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2717
让我们来看一个例子，但在此之前，
11:15
I want to explain what the dictionary editors
244
663710
1982
我想解释字典的编辑们
11:17
are trying to deal with in this usage note.
245
665692
3298
在用法注释上是如何处理的
11:20
Think about the word "peruse"
246
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2674
想想单词“peruse”（细读）
11:23
and how you use that word.
247
671664
3638
你是怎样使用的
11:27
I would guess many of you are thinking
248
675302
2536
我猜你们很多人想着
11:29
of skim, scan, reading quickly.
249
677838
4537
浏览，细看，快读等等。
11:34
Some of you may even have some walking involved,
250
682375
2835
你们一些人甚至还包括了走路，
11:37
because you're perusing grocery store shelves,
251
685210
2246
因为你在浏览杂货店的货物架，
11:39
or something like that.
252
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1671
或者类似的事。
11:41
You might be surprised to learn
253
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2484
你也许很吃惊地得知
11:43
that if you look in most standard dictionaries,
254
691611
1869
如果你在最标准的字典上查找
11:45
the first definition will be to read carefully,
255
693480
2773
首条定义是仔细地读
11:48
or pour over.
256
696253
2444
或者是伏案的意思
11:50
American Heritage has that as the first definition.
257
698697
2859
美国遗产字典的第一个定义也是那个意思，
11:53
They then have, as the second definition, skim,
258
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2965
然后浏览是第二个意思，
11:56
and next to that, they say "usage problem."
259
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3795
再下面就是他们所说的“用法问题。”
12:00
(Laughter)
260
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1910
笑声
12:02
And then they include a usage note,
261
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2088
然后他们包括了一个用法注释，
12:04
which is worth looking at.
262
712314
1877
值得一看。
12:06
So here's the usage note:
263
714191
1911
这儿就是这个用法注释：
12:08
"Peruse has long meant 'to read thoroughly' ...
264
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2357
“peruse 很长时期都被认为是‘精读’。。。
12:10
But the word if often used more loosely,
265
718459
1767
但它的词义更多时候是比较宽松的，
12:12
to mean simply 'to read.' ...
266
720226
2160
只是意味着‘阅读’。。。
12:14
Further extension of the word
to mean 'to glance over, skim,'
to mean 'to glance over, skim,'
267
722386
2929
更多词义的延伸是
“看一眼，浏览，”
“看一眼，浏览，”
12:17
has traditionally been considered an error,
268
725315
2456
这些在传统上被认为是错的，
12:19
but our ballot results suggest that it is becoming
269
727771
2403
但我们的表决结果建议它的这些意思
12:22
somewhat more acceptable.
270
730174
1696
更容易接受。
12:23
When asked about the sentence,
271
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1399
当问到关于这句话的时候，
12:25
'I only had a moment to peruse the manual quickly,'
272
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2731
“我只有一点儿时间，就只看了手册一眼，”
12:28
66 percent of the [Usage] Panel
273
736000
2075
1988年，百分之六十六的用法委员会成员
12:30
found it unacceptable in 1988,
274
738075
2347
觉得这不能接受，
12:32
58 percent in 1999,
275
740422
2107
到1999年，只有百分之五十八，
12:34
and 48 percent in 2011."
276
742529
3868
在2011年是百分之四十八。“
12:38
Ah, the Usage Panel,
277
746397
1961
啊，用法委员会，
12:40
that trusted body of language authorities
278
748358
2610
那个被充分信任的语言权威
12:42
who is getting more lenient about this.
279
750968
2852
对这是越来越宽容了。
12:45
Now, what I hope you're thinking right now is,
280
753820
2070
现在，我希望你们在想的是，
12:47
"Wait, who's on the Usage Panel?
281
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3995
“等等，谁是用法委员会？
12:51
And what should I do with their pronouncements?"
282
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3112
对于他们的通告我们该做些什么？
12:54
If you look in the front matter
283
762997
1963
如果你看看
12:56
of American Heritage Dictionaries,
284
764960
1108
美国遗产字典的前页，
12:58
you can actually find the names
285
766068
1575
事实上你可以找到
12:59
of the people on the Usage Panel.
286
767643
1569
用法委员会成员名单。
13:01
But who looks at the front matter of dictionaries?
287
769212
2032
但是谁去注意字典的前页呢？
13:03
There are about 200 people on the Usage Panel.
288
771244
3047
大约有200个人在用法委员会名单上。
13:06
They include academicians,
289
774291
2377
包括学者们，
13:08
journalists, creative writers.
290
776668
1677
记者们，创作型作家们。
13:10
There's a Supreme Court justice on it
291
778345
2092
还有高级法院的法官，
13:12
and a few linguists.
292
780437
1899
和不多的语言学家。
13:14
As of 2005, the list includes me.
293
782336
4832
2005年开始，我也在名单里。
13:19
(Applause)
294
787168
3812
鼓掌
13:23
Here's what we can do for you.
295
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3368
这儿是我们能为你做的。
13:26
We can give you a sense
296
794710
2360
我们能给你
13:29
of the range of opinions about contested usage.
297
797070
3052
有争议的用法的一些不同的意见。
13:32
That is and should be the extent of our authority.
298
800122
3357
那就应该是我们权力范畴
13:35
We are not a language academy.
299
803479
3411
我们并不是语言学院。
13:38
About once a year, I get a ballot
300
806890
2947
大概是一年一次，我得到一张投票单，
13:41
that asks me about whether new uses,
301
809837
3032
要求我看看是否有新的用法，
13:44
new pronunciations, new meanings, are acceptable.
302
812869
3338
新的发音，新的词义可以接受。
13:48
Now here's what I do to fill out the ballot.
303
816207
2892
而这就是我收到邀请后所做的。
13:51
I listen to what other people are saying and writing.
304
819099
3508
我听取其他人说的和写的。
13:54
I do not listen to my own likes
305
822607
2244
我并不听从我自己
13:56
and dislikes about the English language.
306
824851
3209
是否喜欢那个英文词汇。
14:00
I will be honest with you:
307
828060
1469
我坦诚地告诉你们：
14:01
I do not like the word "impactful,"
308
829529
2949
我不喜欢这个词“impactful，”（有影响力的）
14:04
but that is neither here nor there
309
832478
2002
但这并不是
14:06
in terms of whether "impactful"
is becoming common usage
is becoming common usage
310
834480
3239
决定“impactful“是否成为普遍使用
14:09
and becoming more acceptable in written prose.
311
837719
3251
或在写作上更多地被接受的关键。
14:12
So to be responsible,
312
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1048
那么为了负责任，
14:14
what I do is go look at usage,
313
842018
2528
我所做的就是参考使用情况
14:16
which often involves going to look
314
844546
1836
通常是包括
14:18
at online databases such as Google Books.
315
846382
2695
到网上比如说Google图书里去查找。
14:21
Well, if you look for "impactful" in Google Books,
316
849077
2820
那么，如果你到那里去找“impactful”这个词，
14:23
here is what you find.
317
851897
3206
你就会发现，
14:27
Well, it sure looks like "impactful"
318
855103
2241
“impactful”这个词
14:29
is proving useful
319
857344
1730
的确很有实用价值，
14:31
for a certain number of writers,
320
859074
1629
被一些作家们使用，
14:32
and has become more and more useful
321
860703
1600
而且
14:34
over the last 20 years.
322
862303
1959
经过近20年来，越来越流行
14:36
Now, there are going to be changes
323
864262
2153
现在，将会有一些
14:38
that all of us don't like in the language.
324
866415
2634
我们所有人都不太喜欢的语言上的变化。
14:41
There are going to be changes where you think,
325
869049
2184
也会有些变化让你这么想，
14:43
"Really?
326
871233
987
“真的？
14:44
Does the language have to change that way?"
327
872220
3685
语言一定要那样改变吗？”
14:47
What I'm saying is,
328
875905
1683
我要说的是，
14:49
we should be less quick
329
877588
1722
我们应该比较缓慢
14:51
to decide that that change is terrible,
330
879310
3791
地决定这种变化是可怕的。
14:55
we should be less quick to impose
331
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1714
我们应该比较缓慢地把我们
14:56
our likes and dislikes about words on other people,
332
884815
3301
的喜欢或者不喜欢的词汇强加给别人，
15:00
and we should be entirely reluctant
333
888116
2914
我们不应该完全厌恶地
15:03
to think that the English language is in trouble.
334
891030
2744
想英语有了麻烦
15:05
It's not. It is rich and vibrant and filled
335
893774
4196
不是这样的。它是丰富的， 充满活力
15:09
with the creativity of the speakers who speak it.
336
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3010
被那些具有想象力的人创造出来
15:12
In retrospect, we think it's fascinating
337
900980
2618
我们回想起来会觉得它是迷人的
15:15
that the word "nice" used to mean silly,
338
903598
3378
“nice（好）”这个词过去被用作“傻”，
15:18
and that the word "decimate"
339
906976
1684
“dicimate（消灭）这个词
15:20
used to mean to kill one in every 10.
340
908660
3505
的意思可以用来作为每十个里面消灭一个。
15:24
(Laughter)
341
912165
4193
笑声
我们认为本.富兰克林傻傻地
15:29
We think that Ben Franklin was being silly
342
917162
5093
15:34
to worry about "notice" as a verb.
343
922255
2649
担心把“notice（注意）”作为动词。
15:36
Well, you know what?
344
924904
1463
那么，你知道吗？
15:38
We're going to look pretty silly in a hundred years
345
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2700
在一百年以后我们也会被认为很傻
15:41
for worrying about "impact" as a verb
346
929067
2297
因为担心“impact（撞击）”作为一个动词
15:43
and "invite" as a noun.
347
931364
2812
而“invite”作为名词。
15:46
The language is not going to change so fast
348
934176
2240
语言本身不会发生那些
15:48
that we can't keep up.
349
936416
1897
我们跟不上的变化。
15:50
Language just doesn't work that way.
350
938313
2283
语言本身不会那样运作。
15:52
I hope that what you can do
351
940596
1613
而我希望你能做的
15:54
is find language change not worrisome
352
942209
2829
是发现了语言的变化却不要去担心
15:57
but fun and fascinating,
353
945038
2038
而是感到有趣和迷人，
15:59
just the way dictionary editors do.
354
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3009
就像字典的编辑们所做的一样。
16:02
I hope you can enjoy being part
355
950085
1962
我希望你能享受成为
16:04
of the creativity that is continually remaking
356
952047
5004
创造力的一部分，一直重新
16:09
our language and keeping it robust.
357
957051
3276
塑造我们的语言并且让它生机勃勃
16:12
So how does a word get into a dictionary?
358
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2920
所以一个词汇是怎样走进字典的？
16:15
It gets in because we use it
359
963247
2469
那是因为我们使用它
16:17
and we keep using it,
360
965716
1624
并且我们一直使用它，
16:19
and dictionary editors are paying attention to us.
361
967340
4235
然后字典的编辑就对我们注意了
16:23
If you're thinking, "But that lets all of us decide
362
971575
3120
如果你在想，“那样就是让我们大家
16:26
what words mean,"
363
974695
1749
来决定单词的意思了，”
16:28
I would say, "Yes it does,
364
976444
4051
我会说，“是的，就是这样，
16:32
and it always has."
365
980495
2352
而且一直都是这样。”
16:34
Dictionaries are a wonderful guide and resource,
366
982847
3927
字典是奇妙的指导和资源
16:38
but there is no objective
dictionary authority out there
dictionary authority out there
367
986774
3496
但绝不是真正的
字典权威，
字典权威，
16:42
that is the final arbiter about what words mean.
368
990270
3773
成为词汇意思的最后仲裁者。
16:46
If a community of speakers is using a word
369
994043
2513
如果人们都在使用一个单词
16:48
and knows what it means, it's real.
370
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3596
并且知道它的意思，它就是真的
16:52
That word might be slangy,
371
1000152
1368
那个单词可能是俚语，
16:53
that word might be informal,
372
1001520
1642
那个单词可能不正规，
16:55
that word might be a word that you think
373
1003162
1905
那个单词可能是你认为
16:57
is illogical or unnecessary,
374
1005067
2457
不合逻辑或者不必要的，
16:59
but that word that we're using,
375
1007524
2551
但那个单词是我们正在使用的，
17:02
that word is real.
376
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那个单词就是真的。
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Thank you.
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谢谢你们
17:06
(Applause)
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鼓掌
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Anne Curzan - Language historianEnglish professor Anne Curzan actually encourages her students to use slang in class. A language historian, she is fascinated by how people use words—and by how this changes.
Why you should listen
Anne Curzan is a collector of slang words, a dissector of colloquialisms and a charter of language evolution. To put it most simply, she is a Professor of English at the University of Michigan who studies how the English language works and how it has changed over time. As she puts it in her talk, “The English language is rich, vibrant and filled with the creativity of the people who speak it.”
In addition to sitting on the usage panel for American Heritage dictionary since 2005, Curzan is also an author—her latest book is called Fixing English: Prescriptivism and Language History. She also co-hosts the show “That’s What They Say” on Michigan Radio, all about language and grammar, and writes regularly for The Chronicle of Higher Education’s language blog, Lingua Franca.
Anne Curzan | Speaker | TED.com