美語情景對話 第840期:Islands Apart 兩島間的差異

Todd: So what island do you live on?

託德：你住在哪個島上？

CleAnn: I live in Trinidad, on the island of Trinidad. I'm happy that I live in Trinidad, I'm very proud of it because Trinidad is beautiful. Although it's not known for beaches, we have a lot of wetlands like swamps and natural savannah. I think we are the only island in the Caribbean that has savannah. People usually think that an island is too small to have savannah ' have savannah in Trinidad, mangrove forests also. They are also an important part of the ecosystem. But if you meet somebody from Tobago, they will tell you that they are from Tobago and maybe not necessarily from Trinidad and Tobago because they are extremely proud.

科勒安：我住在特里尼達島。我很高興我住在特立尼達島，我對此非常自豪，因爲特立尼達非常漂亮。雖然特立尼達的海灘並不出名，不過我們有很多溼地、沼澤和稀樹草原。我想我們是加勒比地區唯一擁有稀樹草原的島嶼。人們通常認爲島嶼非常小，所以不可能有稀樹草原，不過我們特立尼達島有稀樹草原，還有紅樹林。這些都是生態系統的重要組成部分。如果你遇到多巴哥人，他們會告訴你他們來自多巴哥，而不一定會告訴你他們來自特立尼達和多巴哥，因爲他們對自己的島嶼無比自豪。

Todd: Yeah.

託德：好。

CleAnn: Because Tobago, although we're one country, they have somewhat of a unique history in that in the colonial days when we were colonized by pretty much everyone from the British, Spanish, French, Dutch, Portuguese — Tobago has a very strong Dutch history also. So actually most of the whites who live in Tobago are still of a Dutch or German ancestry. So they are very proud that they have something unique that sets them apart from Trinidad and actually the accent is different. You may not be able to tell the difference but we in Trinidad can hear when somebody is from Tobago.

科勒安：雖然我們是一個國家，但是多巴哥的殖民歷史和我們不同，我們特立尼達曾被英國、西班牙、法國、荷蘭和葡萄牙殖民，多巴哥也有經歷過荷蘭的殖民。所以現在大部分在多巴哥生活的白人都有荷蘭或德國血統。他們對此非常自豪，他們有同特立尼達區分開來的獨特之處，而且他們的口音也不一樣。你們可能聽不出來口音的不同，不過我們特立尼達人能分辨出誰是來自多巴哥的。

Todd: Oh, interesting.

託德：哦，真有意思。

CleAnn: It's very distinct, yes.

科勒安：對，非常不同。

Todd: And now but the official language is English, right?

託德：不過官方語言是英語，對吧？

CleAnn: English is... We speak English. But now in schools French is being taught compulsory I think for at least the first two to three years depending on which school you go to and Spanish.

科勒安：不過現在法語是學校的必修課，我想這要看各學校的安排，不過至少前兩三年也要學習法語，而且也會學習西班牙語。

Todd: And actually, I'm sorry, it's not even an official language, it's the native language, correct?

託德：抱歉，可以說你們不止有一個官方語言，或者說母語，對吧？

CleAnn: Native language. We don't know any other language but English. It's native. And we have what we call some Creole languages which are mixtures of English and French. And in Trinidad the Creole language is called Patois and I can't speak it because it's very French — shortened French words and grammar mixed in with some do you call structures of the sentences. It's extremely interesting if you can ever get a chance to meet someone who speaks Patois and for someone who speaks French. You will never be able to understand them even if you speak French.

科勒安：母語。除了英語，我們沒有其他語言。英語就是母語。我們還有一種克里奧爾語，這種語言混合了英語和法語。在特立尼達島，克里奧爾語算方言，我不會說，因爲這種語言更偏向法語，是把簡寫的法語詞彙和法語語法同英國的句式結構混合在一起。這其實非常有意思，如果你有機會認識說克里奧爾語的人，即使你會說法語，你也無法明白他們在說什麼。

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重點講解：
1. be proud of 自豪的；
例句：We are justly proud of our new achievement.
我們有充分的理由爲我們的新成就感到驕傲。
2. be known for 著名的；
例句：He was known for running a brutal extortion racket.
他因幹過一起殘忍的敲詐勒索而出名。
3. set apart from 使與衆不同；使突出；
例句：What sets it apart from hundreds of similar small French towns is the huge factory.
與其他數百個法國小鎮不同的是它擁有巨大的工廠。
4. be able to do sth. 能夠；可以；
例句：I am able to pick you up on the short wave radio.
我能用短波收音機收聽到你的信號。
5. depend on 依靠；
例句：I will say in a couple of day, or even sooner, depend on the temperature.
我想要幾天時間，或者更快，這取決於溫度。
6. even if 即使；
例句：Try to act naturally, even if you're tense.
即使緊張也不要做作。