为什么称之为“母语”？
Why's it called 'mother tongue'?
Hello. This is 6 Minute English, I'm Sam.
大家好。这里是六分钟英语，我是萨姆。
And I'm Georgina.
我是乔治娜。
Georgina, what languages do you speak?
乔治娜，你会说什么语言？
Well, my mother tongue is English and I also speak Spanish and French badly!
嗯，我的母语是英语，我还说西班牙语和法语，但是说得不好！
OK. It’s interesting that we say ‘mother tongue’, isn’t it?
好的。我们称某些语言是“母语”，这很有趣，不是吗？
Like many languages, English has a number of gender-specific terms that don’t refer to gender-specific ideas and concepts.
和许多语言一样，英语中有许多性别类词语，它们并不涉及性别类的观点和概念。
And this complicated relationship between language and gender is what we will be talking about today.
而且语言和性别之间的这种复杂关系就是我们今天要讨论的。
But first, this week’s quiz question, which is also on the topic of languages.
但首先是这周的测试问题，它也是关于语言的话题。
Which of these languages is the newest?
这些语言中哪一种是最新出现的？
Is it: A: Esperanto, B: Afrikaans, or C: Light Warlpiri?
是A：世界语，B：阿非利堪斯语，还是C：轻瓦尔皮瑞语？
What do you think, Georgina?
你觉得呢，乔治娜？
Well, I’ve only heard of two of these - Esperanto and Afrikaans
好吧，我只听说过其中的两种——世界语和阿非利堪斯语
– so I think I’m going to choose the other one, Light Warlpiri,
——所以我想我会选择另一种，轻瓦尔皮瑞语，
purely as I’ve never heard of it, so I think that must be the one.
纯粹是因为我从未听说过，所以我想肯定是那种语言。
OK, well we’ll find out if your intuition is correct later in the programme.
好的，稍后我们将看看你的直觉是否正确。
Professor Lera Boroditsky is a cognitive scientist who was a guest on the BBC World Service programme, The Conversation.
莱拉·博洛迪茨基教授是认知科学家，曾做客BBC全球服务节目《对话》。
She was asked about why we use the term ‘mother tongue’ in English.
她被问及为什么我们在英语中使用“母语”一词。
Different languages actually do it differently,
不同的语言被称为“母语”其实是有差异的，
but definitely there’s a strong association between mothers as primary caregivers and people who teach us things,
但作为主要照顾者和教我们东西的人，母亲之间有很强的联系，
and so there’s that point of origin metaphor that applies in a lot of languages.
因此对于“母语”源头的隐喻适用于很多种语言。
So, how does she explain the use of mother tongue, Georgina?
所以，她如何解释母语的使用，乔治娜？
Well, she says it’s a form of metaphor.
她说那是一种隐喻。
A metaphor is a way of describing something by comparing it to something else.
隐喻是通过将某物比作别的东西来描述某物的一种方式。
In a metaphor, though, you don’t say that something is like something else, you say that it ‘is’ something else.
但在隐喻中，你不是说某物像别的东西，你会说它就是别的东西。
For example, having good friends is the key to a happy life.
例如，有好朋友就是幸福生活的关键。
It is indeed.
确实是。
In this metaphor, language is seen as coming from your primary caregiver, the person who looked after you most when you were young,
在这个隐喻中，语言被认为来自你的主要照顾者，在你年轻的时候照顾你最多的人，
and traditionally this was mothers.
传统上那是指母亲。
So, this is perhaps the point of origin, the starting place, of the metaphorical phrase, mother tongue.
所以，这可能是隐喻短语——“母语”的源头，开始的地方。
Let’s listen again.
让我们再听一遍。
Different languages actually do it differently,
不同的语言被称为“母语”其实是有差异的，
but definitely there’s a strong association between mothers as primary caregivers and people who teach us things,
但作为主要照顾者和教我们东西的人，母亲之间有很强的联系，
and so there’s that point of origin metaphor that applies in a lot of languages.
因此对于“母语”源头的隐喻适用于很多种语言。
Language is very powerful in society and culture, and when it comes to gendered language, it can cause some issues.
语言在社会和文化中是非常强大的，当涉及到性别类语言时，它会引起一些问题。
Here’s Lera Boroditsky again.
这是莱拉·博洛迪茨基再次谈到的。
… in English of course we have some words that are gendered, like ‘actor’ and ‘actress’ or ‘waiter’ and ‘waitress’,
当然在英语中我们有一些性别类词语，像“男演员”和“女演员”或者“男服务员”和“女服务员”，
and very commonly when there are those two gender forms people perceive the masculine form as being a more prestigious job or the more skilled job than the feminine form,
而且在有两种性别形式的情况下，人们通常会认为男性的工作比女性更重要，更有技术含量，
so an actor is a fancier job than an actress and a waiter is a fancier job than a waitress, and so they could then come with pay disparities and so on.
所以男演员是比女演员更高级的工作，男服务员是比女服务员更高级的工作，因此他们可以会出现薪资差异等等。
So, what’s the subconscious difference in attitude towards, for example, an actor and actress?
那么，潜意识里对例如男女演员的态度有什么不同呢？
Well, she says that people perceive those roles differently.
好的，她说人们对这些角色的认知是不同的。
This means that we are aware of, or believe there is a difference in the jobs because of the vocabulary.
这意味着我们觉得或者认为，由于表示工作的词汇不同，工作是存在差异的。
The male form is perceived to be more prestigious – more important, more respected, even though it’s exactly the same job.
男性被认为更有声望——更重要，更受尊重，即使是完全相同的工作。
And this attitude can lead to problems such as disparities in pay.
这种态度可能会导致一些问题，比如薪酬差距。
A disparity is a difference, an inequality, and in the world of work it can mean men getting paid more than women for the same job.
“A disparity”是一种差异，一种不平等，在工作领域，它可能意味着同样的工作，男性的工资比女性高。
Here’s Professor Boroditsky again.
再听一遍莱拉·博洛迪茨基教授所说的。
… in English of course we have some words that are gendered, like ‘actor’ and ‘actress’ or ‘waiter’ and ‘waitress’,
当然在英语中我们有一些性别类词语，像“男演员”和“女演员”或者“男服务员”和“女服务员”，
and very commonly when there are those two gender forms people perceive the masculine form as being a more prestigious job or the more skilled job than the feminine form,
而且在有两种性别形式的情况下，人们通常会认为男性的工作比女性更重要，更有技术含量，
so an actor is a fancier job than an actress and a waiter is a fancier job than a waitress, and so they could then come with pay disparities and so on.
所以男演员是比女演员更高级的工作，男服务员是比女服务员更高级的工作，因此他们可以会出现薪资差异等等。
OK, before we take another look at today’s vocabulary, let’s reveal the answer to this week’s quiz.
好的，在我们回顾今天的词汇之前，我们先来揭晓一下本周小测验的答案。
Which of these languages is the newest, is it: A: Esperanto, B: Afrikaans, or C: Light Warlpiri?
这些语言中哪一种是最新出现的？是A：世界语，B：阿非利堪斯语，还是C：轻瓦尔皮瑞语？
Georgina, what did you say?
乔治娜，你说是什么？
I thought it had to be Light Walpiri, but just because I had never heard of it before.
我觉得肯定是轻瓦尔皮瑞语，但仅是因为我以前从未听说过。
Well, congratulations. Your instincts were good, that is correct.
好吧，恭喜你。你的直觉是对的。
Let’s move on to vocabulary and look at today’s words and phrase again.
让我们继续词汇部分，再次看看今天的单词和短语。
A primary caregiver is a person who has most responsibility for looking after someone.
主要照顾者是负有最大责任照顾某人的人。
A point of origin is the place or time when something begins.
源头是某件事开始的地点或时间。
A metaphor is a way of describing something.
隐喻是描述某事物的一种方式。
We can say that something is something else that has similar qualities.
我们可以说某物就是具有相似性质的别的东西。
You’re a star!
你就是明星！
Aw, thank you.
啊，多谢。
No, I meant, you're a star, is an example of a metaphor.
不，我的意思是，“你是个明星”是个隐喻的例子。
Oh, OK. Of course, I knew that.
哦，好吧。我当然知道。
Mmmm, if you say so.
嗯，如果你这么说的话。
To perceive is to think of something in a particular way.
感知就是以一种特殊的方式去思考某件事。
We might perceive the value of different jobs based on the vocabulary used to describe them.
我们可能会根据用来描述不同工作的词汇来感知它们的价值。
Something prestigious is important and respected.
某事物有声望就是重要的和受人尊敬的。
And finally, a disparity is a difference, an inequality and is often used when talking about how men and women aren’t always paid the same for the same job.
最后，“a disparity”是一种差异，一种不平等，经常被用于当男性和女性做同样的工作却没有得到同样的报酬。
And that is all from us.
以上就是我们的全部内容。
We look forward to your company again soon.
我们期待你的下次参与。
Bye for now.
再见了。
Bye!
拜！