你如何稱呼能說三種語言的人？三聲帶。能講兩種語言的人又如何稱呼？雙聲帶。那么，只會一種語言的人呢？美國人。

 

　　To people in many countries, being bilingual or even trilingual is a way of life. But since the mother tongue of most Americans is English-a language widely spoken around the world-they often don't feel the need to learn a foreign language. Moreover, people who live in the heartland of America have little contact with other linguistic groups, making foreign language skills irrelevant.

 

　　對許多國家的人而言，說兩種或三種語言，是家常便飯。但在美國，由于大多數人的母語為英語--一個世界上廣泛通用的語言--因此美國人都不覺得有必要學習外語。此外，居住于美國大陸內地的人，較少與其它語言族群接觸，因此外語能力更顯得無關緊要。

 

　　Actually, though, this "land of immigrants" has always had people of many different nationalities-and languages. The 1990 census indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non-English language at home. Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English "not well" or "not at all." That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered bilingual. Besides that, many high school and college students-and even some elementary school students-are required to take a foreign language as a part of their curriculum. In addition to old standbys like Spanish, German and French, more and more students are opting for Eastern European and Asian languages. Of course, not all students keep up their foreign language abilities. As the old saying goes, "If you don't use it, you lose it." But still, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of being multilingual.

 

　　事實上，在美國這塊「移民之地」，一直住著來自不同國籍、說不同語言的人口。一九九○年的人口普查顯示，幾乎百分之十四的美國人，在家里不講英語。只有百分之三的人宣稱他們英語「說得不好」或「根本不會說」。這表示十分之一強的美國人可視為雙聲帶。此外，許多中學生、大學生，甚至小學生在校的學科都必須加修一門外語。除了西班牙文、德文與法文等常選的第二語言外，愈來愈多的學生選修東歐和亞洲語言。當然，并非所有學生都能夠學以致用。套句老話：「不用就會丟掉。」盡管如此，愈來愈多的美國人已經開始意識到會說多種語言的好處。

 

　　Ethnic enclaves, found particularly in major metropolitan centers, have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English. Regions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers-numbering over 17 million-compose the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Polish and many other ethnic groups add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country!

 

　　在主要大都市里，有許多族群居住的社區，都還保存著移民的文化傳統和語言。有些當地人在生活上只講母語就夠了，根本不需要學英語。佛羅里達州南部以及美國西南部等區，有許多說西班牙語的社區。事實上，說西班牙語的人口超過一千七百萬，是美國最大的非英語系族群。不過，還有中國、越南、意大利、波蘭與其它很多種族的族群，更使美國語言增色不少。在許多外來民族的后裔社區里，由于外語的廣泛使用，甚至會使訪客有身置異國的感覺。

 

　　Although some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, others have begun to fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the "English Only" movement has sought to promote legislation which would establish English as the "official language" and restrict the use of non-English languages. However, some groups, including TESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, object to such "language restrictionism." Their view, known as "English Plus," suggests that Americans should have respect for people's native language and culture, while promoting the teaching of English to help them fit into the mainstream of society. But so far, 19 states have passed English Only legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate.

 

　　雖然有些美國人歡迎這種語言與文化多元化，也有些人擔心英語已經受到威脅。從一九八○年代以來，「唯用英語」(English Only)運動即試著開始推動立法，將英語訂為「官方語言」，并限制其它語言的使用。但有些團體，如「教導母語為其它語言學生的英語教師組織」（簡稱TESOL)，就反對這種「語言限制主義」。他們提倡的「英語與外語」（English Plus)，建議美國人應尊重其它族群的母語以及文化，同時也推廣英語教學，幫助其它族群融入社會主流。但是到目前為止，已有十九個州通過「唯用英語」一法；該議題也一直是辯論的焦點。

 

　　Whether or not English is the official language of the United States, it remains the "language of wider communication." Nearly everyone recognizes the need to develop proficiency in English in order to do well in America. To help those who want to brush up on their English skills, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes abound. Cities with large numbers of recent immigrants often set up bilingual education programs to teach students content subjects in their native language while they improve their English. Language educators often have strong and divergent views as to which approach helps learners achieve better results: a bilingual approach, an ESL approach-or even a pure immersion ("sink orm") approach. However, all these teachers share a common commitment: to help students function well in English.

 

　　無論英語是否是美國的「官方語言」，它仍是「廣泛溝通的語言」。在美國，幾乎每個人都了解，若想要出人頭地，必須精通英語。為滿足那些想精進英語能力的人的需要，教導英語為第二語言的機構（ESL）到處都是。擁有大批新進移民的一些大都市，都設有雙語教學課程，在移民們加強英語能力的同時，用移民們的母語教授普通科目。語言教育學家對何種方法才能幫助學生更有效地學習英語--利用雙語教學、ESL教學、或讓學生完全浸入一個英語的環境（認輸或強學--），都擁有強烈并分歧的看法。但這些教師都擁有共同使命：幫助學生流利地使用英語。

 

　　Americans recognize that English is the de facto international language, and people with good English skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growing increasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great boon. They can build cross-cultural bridges and give people an edge in a variety of career fields. Indeed, lack of foreign language proficiency can limit one's chances for advancement-and keep one in a cultural cul-de-sac. As many people in America are discovering, being monolingual is no laughing matter.

 

　　美國人了解，英語就是一個實際的國際語言，若能操流利的英語，在許多國際場合都能派得上用場。另一方面當國際間的距離越變越小時，擁有第二外語能力極為有利。外語能力可以建立文化交流的橋梁，并且使人們在不同的專業領域里，占得優勢。的確，缺乏外語能力不僅限制個人的擢升，并且把個人限制在文化的死胡同內。很多美國人都逐漸發現，只會一種語言，不再是一件好事了。