對音樂、體育的狂熱是源自一種發(fā)自內(nèi)心不能自已的喜愛，而對英語的狂熱卻是另一番風(fēng)景，這是一種源自求生好勝本能的瘋狂。請看TED2009年度大會(huì)上JayWalker對亞洲人學(xué)英語熱潮的分析。Jay Walker解釋了為什么全世界20億人在學(xué)英語。他展示了一些圖片和一些令人激動(dòng)的錄像，展示了成千上萬的中國學(xué)生練習(xí)“世界第二語言”英語的場面。

Jay Walker explains why two billion people around the world are trying to learn English. He shares photos and spine-tingling audio of Chinese students rehearsing English -- "the world's second language" -- by the thousands.

視頻文本：

Let's talk about manias. Let's start with Beatle mania. Hysterical teenagers, crying, screaming, pandemonium. Sports mania. Deafening crowds. All for one idea. Get the ball in the net. Okay, religious mania. There's rapture. There's weeping. There's visions. Manias can be good. Manias can be alarming. Or manias can be deadly.
讓我們來談?wù)効駸?，先從甲殼蟲熱說起。歇斯底里的少年們，高呼，尖叫，喧囂的場面。體育熱震耳欲聾的人群。都是為了一個(gè)目標(biāo)，要球進(jìn)網(wǎng)。 還有，宗教熱。有歡笑，也有淚水。還有夢想?？駸峥梢允羌檬?。狂熱也可以使人擔(dān)心。有時(shí)狂熱也可以是致命的。

The world has a new mania. A mania for learning English. Listen as Chinese students practice their English by screaming it.
現(xiàn)在世界上有一種新的狂熱。 學(xué)習(xí)英語的狂熱。聽，中國學(xué)生在練習(xí)講英語，用高聲叫喊的方式練習(xí)英語。

Teacher: ... change my life!
老師：……改變我的生活！

Students: I will change my life.
學(xué)生：我要改變我的命運(yùn)。

T: I don't want to let my parents down.
老師：我不想讓父母失望。

S: I don't want to let my parents down.
學(xué)生：我不想讓父母失望。

T: I don't ever want to let my country down.
老師：我從不想讓國家失望。

S: I don't ever want to let my country down.
學(xué)生：我從不想讓國家失望。

T: Most importantly ... S: Most importantly ...
老師：最重要的…… 學(xué)生：最重要的……

T: I don't want to let myself down.
老師：我不想讓我自己失望。

S: I don't want to let myself down.
學(xué)生：我不想讓我自己失望。

Jay Walker: How many people are trying to learn English worldwide? Two billion of them.
Jay Walker: 全世界現(xiàn)在有多少人學(xué)習(xí)英語？ 20億。

Students: A t-shirt. A dress.
學(xué)生：一件襯衫。一條裙子。

JW: In Latin America, in India, in Southeast Asia, and most of all in China. If you are a Chinese student you start learning English in the third grade, by law. That's why this year China will become the world's largest English speaking country. (Laughter) Why English? In a single word: Opportunity. Opportunity for a better life, a job, to be able to pay for school, or put better food on the table. Imagine a student taking a giant test for three full days. Her score on this one test literally determines her future. She studies 12 hours a day for three years to prepare. 25 percent of her grade is based on English. It's called the Gaokao. And 80 million high school Chinese students have already taken this grueling test. The intensity to learn English is almost unimaginable. Unless you witness it.
JW：在拉丁美洲，在印度，在東南亞。和幾乎整個(gè)中國。如果你是個(gè)中國學(xué)生，根據(jù)法律，在小學(xué)三年級你得開始學(xué)習(xí)英語。這就是為什么今年中國會(huì)成為全世界最大的講英語的國家。（笑聲）為什么是英語？用一個(gè)詞來回答：機(jī)會(huì)。一個(gè)獲得更好生活，工作的機(jī)會(huì)。 可以上得起學(xué)，可以吃更好的食物。想象一個(gè)學(xué)生用整整三天時(shí)間參加一次大考。她的這個(gè)考試的成績真正地決定了她的前途。她每天學(xué)習(xí)12個(gè)小時(shí)，三年間都是如此，就是為了準(zhǔn)備這個(gè)考試。其中25%的成績是由英語決定的，這個(gè)考試叫做高考。有8000萬的中國高中生都已經(jīng)參加過這個(gè)“獨(dú)木橋”考試。學(xué)習(xí)英語的強(qiáng)度幾乎不可想象。除非你親自見證過。

Teacher: Perfect! Students: Perfect!
老師：完美！學(xué)生：完美！

T: Perfect! S: Perfect!
老師：完美！學(xué)生：完美！

T: I want to speak perfect English.
老師：我想講完美的英語。

S: I want to speak perfect English.
學(xué)生：我想講完美的英語。

T: I want to speak -- S: I want to speak --
老師：我想說--學(xué)生：我想說--

T: perfect English. S: perfect English.
學(xué)生：完美的英語。學(xué)生：完美的英語。

T: I want to change my life!
老師：我要改變我的命運(yùn)！

S: I want to change my life!
學(xué)生：我要改變我的命運(yùn)！

JW: So is English mania good or bad? Is English a tsunami, washing away other languages? Not likely. English is the world's second language. Your native language is your life. But with English you can become part of a wider conversation. A global conversation about global problems. Like climate change or poverty. Or hunger or disease. The world has other universal languages. Mathematics is the language of science. Music is the language of emotions. And now English is becoming the language of problem solving. Not because America is pushing it. But because the world is pulling it. So English mania is a turning point. Like the harnessing of electricity in our cities, or the fall of the Berlin Wall, English represents hope for a better future. A future where the world has a common language to solve its common problems.
JW：那么這股英語熱是好還是壞呢？ 英語是海嘯嗎？席卷其他所有的語言？不見得。英語是世界第二大語言。你的母語是你的生活，但是英語可以讓你參與更大范圍的討論。一個(gè)全世界范圍的關(guān)于全球問題的討論。比如氣候改變或者貧窮，或者饑餓，或是疾病。這個(gè)世界上還有其他的全球性語言。數(shù)學(xué)是科學(xué)的語言，音樂是感情的語言。現(xiàn)在，英語正在成為解決問題的語言。并不是因?yàn)槊绹偈蛊淙绱?。而是因?yàn)槿澜绲男枰Ｋ杂⒄Z熱是一個(gè)轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn)。就像我們城市里的供電系統(tǒng)，或者柏林墻的倒塌，英語代表著希望，擁有一個(gè)更好的未來的希望。未來全世界將用共同語言去解決共同的問題。

Thank you very much. (Applause)
非常感謝。（掌聲）

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