{"id":14762,"date":"2020-03-02T17:46:09","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T17:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/?p=14762"},"modified":"2020-03-03T08:05:11","modified_gmt":"2020-03-03T08:05:11","slug":"why-chinese-is-so-hard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/my\/why-chinese-is-so-hard\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Chinese Is So Hard"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is truth in this linguistic yarn; Chinese does deserve its reputation for heartbreaking difficulty. Those who undertake to study the language for any other reason than the sheer joy of it will always be frustrated by the abysmal ratio of effort to effect. Those who are actually attracted to the language precisely because of its daunting complexity and difficulty will never be disappointed. Whatever the reason they started, every single person who has undertaken to study Chinese sooner or later asks themselves "Why in the world am I doing this?" Those who can still remember their original goals will wisely abandon the attempt then and there, since nothing could be worth all that tedious struggle. Those who merely say "I've come this far — I can't stop now" will have some chance of succeeding, since they have the kind of mindless doggedness and lack of sensible overall perspective that it takes.<\/div>\n
\u8fd9\u4e9b\u53ef\u4e0d\u5b8c\u5168\u662f\u5728\u8bf4\u7b11\u8bdd\uff0c\u4e2d\u6587\u90a3\u4ee4\u4eba\u5fc3\u75db\u7684\u96be\u5ea6\u662f\u540d\u526f\u5176\u5b9e\u7684\u3002\u6240\u6709\u90a3\u4e9b\u8bd5\u56fe\u5b66\u4e60\u8fd9\u95e8\u8bed\u8a00\u7684\u4eba\u4eec\uff0c\u9664\u4e86\u7eaf\u7cb9\u4ee5\u6b64\u4e3a\u4e50\u7684\uff0c\u90fd\u4f1a\u5bf9\u5b66\u4e60\u4e2d\u6781\u4f4e\u7684\u6295\u5165\u4ea7\u51fa\u6bd4\u611f\u5230\u6cae\u4e27\u3002\u90a3\u4e9b\u5b9e\u9645\u4e0a\u6b63\u662f\u88ab\u8fd9\u95e8\u8bed\u8a00\u5413\u4eba\u7684\u590d\u6742\u548c\u96be\u5ea6\u5438\u5f15\u7684\u5bb6\u4f19\uff0c\u5219\u7edd\u4e0d\u4f1a\u5931\u671b\u3002\u4e0d\u7ba1\u539f\u56e0\u4e3a\u4f55\uff0c\u6240\u6709\u4e2d\u6587\u5b66\u4e60\u8005\u65e9\u665a\u90fd\u4f1a\u95ee\u81ea\u5df1\u8fd9\u4e2a\u95ee\u9898“\u6211\u5230\u5e95\u4e3a\u5565\u5728\u5e72\u8fd9\u4e2a\uff1f”\u8fd8\u80fd\u8bb0\u7740\u81ea\u5df1\u521d\u8877\u7684\u4eba\u4f1a\u660e\u667a\u7684\u9009\u62e9\u7acb\u523b\u653e\u5f03\uff0c\u56e0\u4e3a\u6ca1\u6709\u4ec0\u4e48\u503c\u5f97\u4ed8\u51fa\u5982\u6b64\u591a\u7684\u75db\u82e6\u6323\u624e\u3002\u800c\u5bf9\u81ea\u5df1\u56de\u7b54\u8bf4“\u4e8b\u5df2\u81f3\u6b64\uff0c\u65e0\u8def\u53ef\u9000”\u7684\u4eba\u5462\uff0c\u5219\u6709\u673a\u4f1a\u6210\u529f\uff0c\u56e0\u4e3a\u4ed6\u4eec\u62e5\u6709\u5b66\u4e60\u4e2d\u6587\u5fc5\u9700\u7684\u7d20\u8d28——\u4e0d\u89c1\u9ec4\u6cb3\u4e0d\u6b7b\u5fc3\u7684\u6b7b\u94bb\u725b\u89d2\u5c16\u7cbe\u795e\u3002<\/div>\n

\t<\/p>\n

The first question any thoughtful person might ask when reading the title of this essay is, "Hard for whom?" A reasonable question. After all, Chinese people seem to learn it just fine. When little Chinese kids go through the "terrible twos", it's Chinese they use to drive their parents crazy, and in a few years the same kids are actually using those impossibly complicated Chinese characters to scribble love notes and shopping lists. So what do I mean by "hard"? Since I know at the outset that the whole tone of this document is going to involve a lot of whining and complaining, I may as well come right out and say exactly what I mean. I mean hard for me, a native English speaker trying to learn Chinese as an adult, going through the whole process with the textbooks, the tapes, the conversation partners, etc., the whole torturous rigmarole. I mean hard for me — and, of course, for the many other Westerners who have spent years of their lives bashing their heads against the Great Wall of Chinese.<\/div>\n
\u770b\u5230\u8fd9\u7bc7\u6587\u7ae0\u7684\u6807\u9898\uff0c\u4efb\u4f55\u6709\u5934\u8111\u7684\u4eba\u7b2c\u4e00\u4e2a\u95ee\u9898\u90fd\u4f1a\u662f“\u96be\uff0c\u662f\u5bf9\u8c01\u800c\u8a00\uff1f”\u95ee\u7684\u6709\u7406\u3002\u8bf4\u5230\u5e95\uff0c\u4e2d\u56fd\u4eba\u770b\u8d77\u6765\u5b66\u7684\u8fd8\u633a\u987a\u5f53\u7684\u3002\u5f53\u4e2d\u56fd\u5c0f\u5b69\u513f\u7ecf\u5386\u90a3“\u72d7\u90fd\u5acc\u7684\u4e24\u5c81”\u65f6\uff0c\u4ed6\u4eec\u7528\u7684\u662f\u4e2d\u6587\u6765\u628a\u7236\u6bcd\u4eec\u903c\u75af\u3002\u51e0\u5e74\u4e4b\u540e\uff0c\u540c\u6837\u8fd9\u4e9b\u5b69\u5b50\u5c31\u5df2\u7ecf\u5728\u7528\u590d\u6742\u5f97\u4e0d\u53ef\u601d\u8bae\u7684\u6c49\u5b57\u6765\u6b6a\u6b6a\u659c\u659c\u5730\u5199\u60c5\u4e66\u548c\u8d2d\u7269\u6e05\u5355\u4e86\u3002\u6240\u4ee5\u6211\u8bf4\u7684“\u96be”\u5230\u5e95\u662f\u4ec0\u4e48\u610f\u601d\uff1f\u65e2\u7136\u6211\u65e9\u5c31\u77e5\u9053\u672c\u6587\u7684\u8bed\u8c03\u5c06\u5145\u6ee1\u7262\u9a9a\u548c\u62b1\u6028\uff0c\u90a3\u6211\u6700\u597d\u8fd8\u662f\u8bf4\u6e05\u695a\u81ea\u5df1\u5230\u5e95\u662f\u4ec0\u4e48\u610f\u601d\u3002\u6211\u7684\u610f\u601d\u662f\uff0c\u5bf9\u6211\u6765\u8bf4\u5f88\u96be\uff0c\u4e00\u4e2a\u4ee5\u82f1\u8bed\u4e3a\u6bcd\u8bed\uff0c\u8bd5\u56fe\u5b66\u4e60\u4e2d\u6587\u7684\u6210\u5e74\u4eba\u3002\u4ed6\u4f1a\u7ecf\u5386\u6559\u79d1\u4e66\u3001\u78c1\u5e26\u3001\u8bed\u4f34\u7b49\u7b49\u8fd9\u4e00\u6574\u5957\u6298\u78e8\u4eba\u7684\u7e41\u7410\u8fc7\u7a0b\u3002\u6211\u7684“\u96be”\u662f\u8bf4\u7684\u5bf9\u6211\u81ea\u5df1\uff0c\u5443——\u5f53\u7136\u8fd8\u5bf9\u5f88\u591a\u5176\u4ed6\u897f\u65b9\u4eba\uff0c\u90a3\u4e9b\u82b1\u8d39\u4e86\u7ecf\u5e74\u7d2f\u6708\uff0c\u5728\u4e2d\u6587\u7684\u957f\u57ce\u4e0a\u649e\u5230\u5934\u5927\u7684\u4eba\u4eec\uff08\u8bd1\u8005\uff1a\u539f\u6587“Chinese”\u540c\u65f6\u8868\u793a“\u4e2d\u6587”\u548c“\u4e2d\u56fd\u7684”\uff09\u3002<\/div>\n

\t<\/p>\n

If this were as far as I went, my statement would be a pretty empty one. Of course Chinese is hard for me. After all, any foreign language is hard for a non-native, right? Well, sort of. Not all foreign languages are equally difficult for any learner. It depends on which language you're coming from. A French person can usually learn Italian faster than an American, and an average American could probably master German a lot faster than an average Japanese, and so on. So part of what I'm contending is that Chinese is hard compared to … well, compared to almost any other language you might care to tackle. What I mean is that Chinese is not only hard for us (English speakers), but it's also hard in absolute terms. Which means that Chinese is also hard for them, for Chinese people.<\/div>\n
\u5982\u679c\u6211\u8981\u8bf4\u7684\u53ea\u6709\u8fd9\u4e9b\uff0c\u90a3\u8fd9\u4e9b\u8bdd\u76f8\u5f53\u7a7a\u6d1e\u3002\u4e2d\u6587\u5bf9\u6211\u6765\u8bf4\u5f53\u7136\u96be\u55bd\u3002\u6bd5\u7adf\uff0c\u4efb\u4f55\u5916\u8bed\u5bf9\u975e\u6bcd\u8bed\u4eba\u58eb\u90fd\u5f88\u96be\uff0c\u5bf9\u4e0d\u5bf9\uff1f\u8fd9\u4e2a\u561b\uff0c\u5dee\u4e0d\u591a\u662f\u8fd9\u6837\u3002\u4e0d\u8fc7\u4e0d\u662f\u6240\u6709\u7684\u5916\u8bed\u5bf9\u4efb\u4f55\u5b66\u751f\u7684\u96be\u5ea6\u90fd\u662f\u4e00\u6837\u7684\u3002\u5b83\u53d6\u51b3\u4e8e\u4f60\u81ea\u5df1\u7684\u6bcd\u8bed\u3002\u4e00\u4e2a\u6cd5\u56fd\u4eba\u5b66\u610f\u5927\u5229\u8bed\u5f80\u5f80\u6bd4\u7f8e\u56fd\u4eba\u5feb\uff0c\u800c\u4e00\u4e2a\u666e\u901a\u7f8e\u56fd\u4eba\u638c\u63e1\u5fb7\u8bed\u5219\u591a\u534a\u6bd4\u4e00\u4e2a\u666e\u901a\u65e5\u672c\u4eba\u5feb\u5f97\u591a\uff0c\u5982\u6b64\u800c\u5df2\u3002\u6240\u4ee5\u6211\u6240\u8c08\u8bba\u7684\u90e8\u5206\u89c2\u70b9\u662f\u6307\u4e2d\u6587\u5f88\u96be\uff0c\u76f8\u5bf9\u4e8e……\u53cd\u6b63\u76f8\u5bf9\u4e8e\u4f60\u6709\u53ef\u80fd\u60f3\u5b66\u7684\u51e0\u4e4e\u5176\u4ed6\u4efb\u4f55\u8bed\u8a00\u3002\u6211\u7684\u610f\u601d\u662f\u4e2d\u6587\u4e0d\u4f46\u5bf9\u6211\u4eec\uff08\u82f1\u8bed\u4eba\u58eb\uff09\u6765\u8bf4\u96be\uff0c\u5b83\u5728\u7edd\u5bf9\u610f\u4e49\u4e0a\u4e5f\u662f\u96be\u7684\u3002\u8fd9\u610f\u5473\u7740\u5bf9\u4e8e\u4e2d\u56fd\u4eba\u6765\u8bf4\uff0c\u4e2d\u6587\u4e5f\u5f88\u96be\u3002<\/div>\n

\t<\/p>\n

Everyone's heard the supposed fact that if you take the English idiom "It's Greek to me" and search for equivalent idioms in all the world's languages to arrive at a consensus as to which language is the hardest, the results of such a linguistic survey is that Chinese easily wins as the canonical incomprehensible language. (For example, the French have the expression "C'est du chinois", "It's Chinese", i.e., "It's incomprehensible". Other languages have similar sayings.) So then the question arises: What do the Chinese themselves consider to be an impossibly hard language? You then look for the corresponding phrase in Chinese, and you find G\u0113n ti\u0101nsh\u016b yíyàng \u8ddf\u5929\u4e66\u4e00\u6837 meaning "It's like heavenly script."<\/div>\n
\u5927\u5bb6\u90fd\u542c\u8fc7\u8fd9\u4e2a\u516c\u8ba4\u7684\u8bf4\u6cd5\uff0c\u90a3\u5c31\u662f\u5982\u679c\u4f60\u8003\u8651\u82f1\u8bed\u4e2d\u7684“It's Greek to me”\uff08\u8bd1\u8005\u6ce8\uff1a\u539f\u610f\u662f“\u8fd9\u5bf9\u6211\u5c31\u50cf\u5e0c\u814a\u6587”\uff0c\u5f15\u7533\u4e3a“\u96be\u4ee5\u7406\u89e3”\u3002\uff09\uff0c\u7136\u540e\u5728\u5168\u4e16\u754c\u7684\u8bed\u8a00\u4e2d\u5bfb\u627e\u4e00\u4e2a\u4e0e\u4e4b\u76f8\u5bf9\u5e94\u7684\u4e60\u8bed\uff0c\u4ece\u800c\u5f97\u5230\u4e00\u4e2a\u5173\u4e8e\u54ea\u4e2a\u8bed\u8a00\u6700\u96be\u7684\u5171\u8bc6\u3002\u90a3\u8fd9\u6837\u4e00\u4e2a\u8bed\u8a00\u8c03\u67e5\u7684\u7ed3\u679c\u5c06\u662f\u4e2d\u6587\u8f7b\u677e\u83b7\u5f97\u6700\u96be\u89e3\u8bed\u8a00\u7684\u79f0\u53f7\u3002\uff08\u6bd4\u5982\uff0c\u6cd5\u8bed\u5c31\u6709\u8fd9\u79cd\u8868\u8fbe“C'est du chinois”\uff0c\u610f\u4e3a“\u8fd9\u662f\u4e2d\u6587”\uff0c\u4ea6\u5373“\u8fd9\u662f\u795e\u9a6c\u6211\u4e0d\u61c2”\u3002\u5176\u4ed6\u8bed\u8a00\u6709\u7c7b\u4f3c\u8bf4\u6cd5\u3002\uff09\u90a3\u4e48\u95ee\u9898\u6765\u4e86\uff0c\u4e2d\u56fd\u4eba\u81ea\u5df1\u8ba4\u4e3a\u4ec0\u4e48\u624d\u662f\u6700\u4e0d\u53ef\u80fd\u5b66\u4f1a\u7684\u56f0\u96be\u8bed\u8a00\u5462\uff1f\u4f60\u5728\u4e2d\u6587\u4e2d\u5bfb\u627e\u7c7b\u4f3c\u7684\u4e60\u8bed\uff0c\u7136\u540e\u4f60\u627e\u5230\u4e86——“\u8ddf\u5929\u4e66\u4e00\u6837”<\/div>\n

\t<\/p>\n

Okay, having explained a bit of what I mean by the word, I return to my original question: Why is Chinese so damn hard?<\/div>\n
OK\uff0c\u89e3\u91ca\u4e86\u4e00\u4e0b\u6211\u7684\u63aa\u8f9e\u542b\u4e49\u4e4b\u540e\uff0c\u8ba9\u6211\u56de\u5230\u6700\u521d\u7684\u95ee\u9898\uff1a\u4e3a\u4ec0\u4e48\u4e2d\u6587\u8fd9\u4e48TM\u96be\uff1f<\/div><\/p>\n