【正文】 s English spreads and is influenced by local languages, could it fragment, as Latin did into Italian and French – or might it survive but spawn new languages, as German did with Dutch and Swedish? Third, if English does retain a standard character that allows it to continue being understood everywhere, will the standard be that of the old Englishspeaking world or something new and different?全球英語的評論人士問及三個主要問題。大約50年前，除了漢語之外，以英語為母語的人口超過了其它任何語言。到本世紀(jì)中葉，以英語為第一語言的人口可能少于阿拉伯母語人口，跌倒世界第五位。 we ran, he ran, they ran.) Definite and indefinite articles are unaffected by gender (the actor, the actress。除了現(xiàn)在時(shí)第三人稱單數(shù)后面那個討厭的“s”以外(“she runs”) ，不管你談到誰，動詞形式保持不變。 we ran, he ran, they ran.)定冠詞和不定冠詞不受性別的影響(the actor, the actress。沒有必要去記住一張桌子是陽性還是陰性。s language because it is easy. In an essay published last year, he said Latin39。 American economic and cultural clout ensured English39。例如，試著解釋一下動詞詞組“I stood up to him”（在他面前，我堅(jiān)持了自己的原則）與“I stood him up”（我爽約了，沒去見他）之間的區(qū)別。他在去年發(fā)表的一篇論文中表示，拉丁語的復(fù)雜語法并未妨礙它的傳播。大英帝國將英語帶到了那么多的國度——在這些國家，太陽永遠(yuǎn)不會落下；在大英帝國沒落之后，美國的經(jīng)濟(jì)和文化影響力確保了英語的統(tǒng)治地位。s rise see Mandarin being the world39?！盎叵胍磺昵?，誰能預(yù)見到拉丁語的消亡呢？” 克里斯特爾問道。中國人正在爭先恐后地學(xué)習(xí)英語。通用語言一旦形成，它的地位就不會在短時(shí)間內(nèi)受到撼動。As for English fragmenting, Mr Graddol argues it has already happened. “There are many Englishes that you and I wouldn39。s journal contains this entry: “Two rival groups are out to have fun . . . you know generally indulge in dhamal [a type of dance] and pass time. So, what do they do? Pick on a bechaara bakra [poor goat] who has entered college.” Prof Kirkpatrick also provides this sample of Nigerian pidgin English: “Monkey de work, baboon dey chop” (Monkeys work, baboons eat).至于英語的分化，葛拉多爾認(rèn)為，這一過程已經(jīng)開始了。香港教育學(xué)院(Hong Kong Institute of Education)教授安迪?科克帕里克(Andy Kirkpatrick)在最近出版的新書《世界英語》(World Englishes)中列舉了一些例子。那么他們做什么呢？作弄一只進(jìn)了大學(xué)的bechaara bakra（可憐的山羊）。It is unlikely, however, that this fragmentation will lead to the disappearance of English as a language understood around the world. It is mon for speakers of English to switch from one or other variantto a use of language more appropriate for work, school or international munication. Mr Crystal says modern munication through television, film and the internet means the world is likely to hold on to an English that is widely understood.然而，這種分化不大可能導(dǎo)致作為全世界都理解的語言——英語的消失?？死锼固貭柋硎荆娨?、電影和互聯(lián)網(wǎng)等現(xiàn)代溝通方式意味著，這個世界可能會堅(jiān)持使用一種可以被廣泛理解的英語。隨著數(shù)以億計(jì)的人開始學(xué)習(xí)這種語言，這種不均衡將得到進(jìn)一步增強(qiáng)。事實(shí)上，他補(bǔ)充道，很多用英語召開的商業(yè)會議在沒有英語母語人士在場時(shí)似乎運(yùn)作得更加平穩(wěn)。他們往往認(rèn)為自己需要避免使用長單詞，而實(shí)際上，理解問題更多地是由他們使用口語和比喻造成的。t conducted a systematic study of this yet, so what I say is anecdotal for the moment, but there seems to be very widespread agreement about it,” she says. She quotes an Austrian banker as saying: “I always find it easier to do business [in English] with partners from Greece or Russia or Denmark. But when the Irish call, it gets plicated and taxing.”維也納大學(xué)(University of Vienna)英語與應(yīng)用語言學(xué)教授芭芭拉?賽德爾霍弗 (Barbara Seidlhofer)表示，人們通常感覺沒有英語母語人士在場會更輕松。我們還沒有對此現(xiàn)象展開系統(tǒng)研究，所以我說的這些目前只能算是軼事，但人們似乎對此已達(dá)成共識，”她表示。但當(dāng)愛爾蘭人來電話的時(shí)候，情況就變得復(fù)雜而費(fèi)力。Prof Seidlhofer is also founding director of the ViennaOxford International Corpus of English (Voice), which is recording and transcribing sp