第8章 The Importance of One's Own Language——John Locke
内容导读
在维系一个民族共同体的所有要素之中，语言应该占据最重要的地位。它不仅是共同体成员彼此沟通、相互确认的工具，更塑造了他们统一的心理结构和行事模式。因此，加强本族语言的教育，是一个关乎民族身份的大事。
英文正文
To write and speak correctly gives aGrace,and gains afavorable attention to what one has to say;and,since it is English that an English Gentleman will have constant use of,that is the Language he should chiefly cultivate,and wherein most care should be taken to polish and perfect his Style.To speak or write better Latin than English may make aman be talked of;but he would find it more to his purpose to express himself well in his own tongue,that he uses every moment,than to have the vain commendation of others for avery insignificant quality.This Ifind universally neglected,and no care taken anywhere to improve Young Men in their own Language,that they may thoroughly understand and be Masters of it.If anyone among us hath afacility or purity more than ordinary in his Mother Tongue,it is owing to Chance,or his Genius,or anything,rather than to his Education,or any care of his Teacher.To mind what English his Pupil speaks or writes is below the dignity of one bred up amongst Greek and Latin,though he hath but little of them himself.These are the learned Languages,fit only for learned Men to meddle with and teach;English is the language of the illiterate Vulgar,though yet we see the policy of some of our neighbors hath not thought it beneath the public care to promote and reward the improvement of their own Language.Polishing and enriching their Tongue is no small Business amongst them:it hath colleges and stipends appointed it,and there is raised amongst them agreat Ambition and Emulation of writing correctly;and we see what they are come to by it,and how far they have spread one of the worst Languages,possibly,in this part of the World;if we look upon it as it was in some few Reigns backwards,whatever it be now.The great Men amongst the Romans were daily exercising themselves in their own language;and we find yet upon record the Names of Orators who taught some of their emperors Latin,though it were their Mother Tongue.
It is plain the Greeks were yet nicer in theirs;all other Speech was barbarous to them but their own,and no Foreign Language appears to have been studied or valued amongst that learned and acute People;though it be past doubt,that they borrowed their Learning and Philosophy from abroad.
I am not here speaking against Greek and Latin;I think they ought to be studied,and the Latin,at least,understood well,by every Gentleman.But whatever foreign Languages aYoung Man meddles with（and the more he knows the better）,that which he should critically study and labor to get afacility,clearness,and elegancy to express himself in,should be his own,and to this purpose he should daily be exercised in it.
中文译文
论本国语的重要——约翰·洛克
写作与说话用语准确，往往能给人带来某种风采，并能使所讲内容得到人们的较好重视；而英语既为任何一位英国人所经常使用的语言，这个语言便是他的主要学习对象，应当竭尽一切努力把它学得精熟完美。能把拉丁语说写得比英语更好，可能为人赢得某种名气；但是他将发现，能把不可须臾相离的本族语运用自如，实较这点区区末节博来的虚名更为实用。这方面我认为目前还普遍遭到忽视，人们往往不注意培养青年人的本族语言能力，使之真正达到读通精熟的地步。如果我们当中有人在本族语的熟练与纯正上超越一般，也主要由于偶然机缘或本人才能所造成，而非得自他的教育或教师培养。对于一些自幼习诵希腊语与拉丁语的人来说，学生的英语说写得好坏，他们往往不屑一顾，尽管他们自己对希腊语、拉丁语的掌握也不过平平。须知这类语言乃是学者们的语言，仅与学者的活动或者教学有关；英语是一般大众的语言，但我们看到邻邦的政策并不认为对本国语的提倡奖掖一事不值得社会认真过问。提高与丰富本国语在他们国中绝非视同等闲：那里为此设有学院，并出资赞助，人人遂竞相以能文为荣；于今业已成绩斐然，而且已将当初本属相当粗鄙的一种语言推行至我们这个地域；与其说若干王朝之前那种语言尚是如何，那么情形则已今非昔比。古代罗马伟人的日常语言即为其本族语言；曾经教授某些罗马皇帝学拉丁语的演说大家，其姓名至今尚多有文献可稽，虽然拉丁即是这些帝王的母语。
希腊人则显然对他们自己的语言更为关注；除其本民族语言而外，其他语言在国中则不占地位，那些识书聪敏的人并不研习或推崇外国语言，虽然毫无疑问他们的许多知识与哲学都颇曾得诸国外。
我这里决非反对希腊语与拉丁语；我认为这些语言都有研习的必要，至少拉丁语应为每位学人所熟知。但是无论一个青年人学哪些外国语言（学得越多越好），他所必须研习以精熟、明晰与优美地表达自我的那种语言，却应是本民族语言；为达到此目的，他必须研练不懈。
词汇速记
vain adj. 无用的；自负的
facility n. 能力；灵巧
meddle v. 干涉；抚弄
vulgar n. 平民
stipend n. （尤指牧师的）薪俸
emulation n. 仿效；竞争
barbarous adj. 野蛮的
acute adj. 敏锐的
美句欣赏
To speak or write better Latin than English may make aman be talked of;but he would find it more to his purpose to express himself well in his own tongue,that he uses every moment,than to have the vain commendation of others for avery insignificant quality.能把拉丁语说写得比英语更好，可能为人赢得某种名气；但是他将发现，能把不可须臾相离的本族语运用自如，实较这点区区末节博来的虚名更为实用。