很多人認為，學一種語言只要記單詞，學語法就可以了。然後就可以按照語法規則造句子。這種想法不完全正確，因為無論口語還是書面語，大部分句子都是符合語法規則的。有時你造出的句子語法是對的，但語言習慣是不對的。 比方說，英語說：I starve to death. 但中國人卻說：I am hungry to death. 這句話語法結構是對的，但語言習慣是錯的。單詞加語法不等於語言。除了單詞和語法外，我們還要學習這種語言的語言習慣。也就是說單詞加語法再加上語言習慣才是語言。
Many people think that, to learn a foreign language, all you have to do is to remember words and learn some grammar. Then you can make sentences by putting the words together according to grammatical rules. But this idea is partly right and partly wrong, because in both speaking and writing most sentences are grammatical. But sometimes you make sentences which are grammatically correct but are wrong in terms of habit of speaking of the target language. For example, in English, they say: I starve to death. But some Chinese say: I am hungry to death. This sentence is grammatically right, but wrong in habit of speaking. So words plus grammar does not mean language. In addition to words and grammar, we have to the develop habit of the target language. So language is the combination of words, grammar and habit of speaking.
我們可能突擊背一些單詞，也可能在較短的時間裡學會一些語法知識。但是，語言習慣是無論如何都不能速成的。那麼語言習慣是什麼呢？它是使用這種語言的人思考問題的方式和表達方式的結合。
We can acquire words massively or learn some grammatical knowledge in a short period of time. But we cannot develop habit of speaking instantly. Then what is habit of speaking? It is the combination of ways of thinking and expression.
比如說：我們中國人說：她怎麼了？或者說：她出什麼事了？而英語則說What’s wrong with her？或What’s the matter with her？或What happened to her？這裡的區別在於：漢語中我們把人當作主語，而英文則把事兒當作主語。這裡就體現出思維方式的不同。我們習慣於先從人的角度考慮問題，以人為中心。
For example, in Chinese we say: 她怎麼了？or: 她出什麼事了？ In English they say: What’s wrong with her? Or: What’s the matter with her? Or: What happened to her? The difference here is in Chinese we make the person as the subject while in English they make the thing as the subject. Chinese are used to regarding human being as the focus when we think of something.
我們真正想知道是：她做了什麼事兒？而這個“做了什麼事兒”的含義可能含混不清；也許是指她主動“做了什麼事兒”。也許是指她被“怎麼樣了”。而英文則把“事兒”做主語。
What we really want to know is: What is the thing that she does? But whether she does something or something happens to her is not clear. Maybe she actively ddoes something or maybe passively receives some action. In English they regard the thing as the subject.
把這幾句英文直譯成漢語是：What’s wrong with her？對於她是什麼錯？What’s the matter with her？對於她是什麼事兒？What happened to her？什麼事發生到她身上？他們認為當某人發生什麼事的時候，並不是這個人主動去做什麼事，而是某事“發生”到某人生身上。這就是思維的不同。
If we translate these sentences into Chinese, they should be respectively like these: What’s wrong with her？對於她是什麼錯？What’s the matter with her？對於她是什麼事兒？What happened to her？什麼事發生到她身上？They think that when something happens to somebody, the person concerned is not the one who actively does the thing but someone who is the receiver of the action. This is the difference in thinking.
再比如說：當我們問別人的名字是，我們說：你叫什麼名字？而英語說What’s your name？（你的名字是什麼？）俄語說：Как тепя зовут？（別人或大家怎麼叫你？）。而法語則說：Comment vous appelez vous？ （你怎麼叫你？） 。思維方式的不同就得用不同的話語方式來表現出來。
Another example, in chinese we say: 你叫什麼名字，or 您貴姓. In English these actually mean: what do you call yourself? Or: what is your last name? In English they say: what’s your name. in Russian, they say: Как тепя зовут？But the sentence really means in English: How do others call you or How does everyone calls you? In French they say: Comment vous appelez vous？This means: How do you call you? The difference between ways of thinking is realized with different expressions.
萬丈高樓平地起，想學好英語，還是跟著散木從頭學起吧。
Great oaks from little acrons grow. If you want to learn English well, please follow Sam the good for nothing.
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