美語情景對話 第799期:Speaking of Switzerland 瑞士的語言

Todd: Now, also your country is really famous for having different regions, correct? You have three main regions?

託德：你的祖國以劃分爲多個區域而著稱，對吧？你們國家有三個主要地區，對吧？

Anja: We have four.

安雅：我們有四個區域。

Todd: Four?

託德：四個？

Anja: Actually.

安雅：對。

Todd: Could you talk about them?

託德：你能說說是哪四個區域嗎？

Anja: Yes, we have four regions and this actually concerns the languages, which we have four official languages. It's German, French, Italian, and Romansh. And actually, the last one, Romansh, it became an official language just like twelve years ago, and only a little part the Swiss population can speak Romansh, actually, but it just sort of became a national, an official language some years ago. And yeah, well, the country's really small and we sometimes have some troubles communicating to each other, but usually people talk at least two languages, so it works out most of the time.

安雅：好，我們的四個區域其實是按語言劃分的，我們有四種官方語言。分別是德語、法語、意大利語和拉丁羅曼語。實際上，拉丁羅曼語在12年前才成爲官方語言，瑞士只有一小部分人說拉丁羅曼語，這種語言在幾年前成爲了官方語言。瑞士很小，有時我們互相之間交流會遇到麻煩，不過基本上瑞士人至少會說兩種語言，所以大部分時間交流沒問題。

Todd: So, in your country, you don't have the one uniform language that everybody speaks?

託德：那瑞士沒有所有人都說的統一語言嗎？

Anja: No, we don't. Like we have Swiss, but Swiss is only being used in the German speaking part of Switzerland, which means like we don't actually use German when we talk. It's only for writing, but when we talk to each other, to our parents, to our teachers, we use Swiss.

安雅：沒有，沒有。我們有瑞士德語，不過瑞士德語只在德語區使用，這意味着我們在說話時並不使用德語。德語只在寫作中使用，我們在和父母、老師說話時，用瑞士德語。

Todd: So Swiss is closest to German? It's Germanic?

託德：那瑞士德語和德語很像嗎？德國腔？

Anja: Yes, you can say that but it's very difficult for German people to understand us when we're talking actually because it's really fast and a really cute language, apparently. Yes.

安雅：對，可以這麼說，不過德國人很難理解我們說的瑞士德語，因爲我們的語速非常快，而且我們的語言很可愛。

Todd: Now, what is the percentage breakdown, like what percentage is French, Italian, etc?

託德：那語言使用比例呢，說法語和意大利語的人有多少？

Anja: I couldn't tell you the percentage but the biggest part is German, followed by French, Italian, and Romansh is only zero point five percent of the population, so.

安雅：我不知道準確的比例，不過使用最多的是德語，之後是法語、意大利語，說拉丁羅曼語的人數只佔總人口的0.5%。

Todd: And just out of curiosity, Romansh, what does that sound like? Does that sound like Italian or?

託德：我好奇的是，拉丁羅曼語怎麼說？發音和意大利語像嗎？

Anja: It's a mix of the three main languages I would say, like a mix of German, French, and Italian and, I can catch a word here or there but, yeah, I don't really understand it.

安雅：我覺得有點像其他三種語言的混合，像德語、法語和意大利語的混合，偶爾有幾個詞我可以聽懂，不過還是不明白在講什麼。

Todd: And lastly, what part are you from in Switzerland?

託德：最後一個問題，你來自瑞士的哪個地區？

Anja: I'm from the German part.

安雅：我來自德語區。

Todd: OK.

託德：好。

Anja: Yes.

安雅：對。

Todd: Oh, thanks Anja.

託德：哦，謝謝你，安雅。

Anja: Oh, you're welcome.

安雅：哦，不客氣。

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重點講解：
1. be famous for 著名的；有名的；
例句：This restaurant is famous for roast duck.
這家餐館的烤鴨很有名氣。
2. sort of 有幾分；近似；有那麼點兒；
例句：In the end, she sort of pushed it.
最後，她幾乎是用了推的。
3. each other 彼此；互相；
例句：They stood there, glaring at each other.
他們站在那，互相怒視着對方。
4. work out （如期）發生；進展（順利）；
例句：He hopes this plan will work out.
他希望這項計劃將是切實可行的。
5. out of 出於；由於；
例句：He took up office out of a sense of duty.
他就任公職是出於一種責任感。