语言与思维 Language and Thought

语言yǔyán不仅bùjǐn是shì交流jiāoliú的de工具gōngjù，更gèng是shì思维sīwéi的de载体zàitǐ：我们wǒmen用yòng什么shénme语言yǔyán思考sīkǎo，往往wǎngwǎng决定juédìng了le我们wǒmen如何rúhé看待kàndài世界shìjiè。

Language is not merely a tool for communication; it is, even more, the vehicle of thought: the language we think in often determines how we see the world.

语言学家yǔyánxuéjiā曾céng提出tíchū一个yí ge著名zhùmíng的de假说jiǎshuō：不同bùtóng语言yǔyán的de结构jiégòu，会huì潜移默化qián yí mò huà地de塑造sùzào使用者shǐyòngzhě的de认知rènzhī方式fāngshì。

Linguists once proposed a famous hypothesis: the structure of each language imperceptibly shapes the way its speakers perceive things.

举jǔ个ge例子lìzi，汉语Hànyǔ说shuō“上个月shàng ge yuè”“下个月xià ge yuè”，仿佛fǎngfú时间shíjiān是shì一条yì tiáo自上而下zì shàng ér xià流动liúdòng的de河hé；而ér英语Yīngyǔ则zé习惯xíguàn把bǎ未来wèilái放在fàngzài身体shēntǐ的de前方qiánfāng。

For example, Chinese calls last month "the month above" and next month "the month below," as if time were a river flowing downward, whereas English habitually places the future in front of the body.

再zài比如bǐrú，汉语Hànyǔ的de亲属qīnshǔ称谓chēngwèi极其jíqí精细jīngxì，舅舅jiùjiu、叔叔shūshu、伯伯bóbo各gè有yǒu其qí名míng，说话人shuōhuàrén不得不bùdébù时刻shíkè留意liúyì亲属qīnshǔ关系guānxì的de远近yuǎnjìn。

Another example: Chinese kinship terms are extremely fine-grained — a maternal uncle, a father's younger brother, and a father's elder brother each have their own word — so speakers must constantly attend to exactly how relatives are related.

这zhè并非bìngfēi意味着yìwèizhe语言yǔyán是shì一座yí zuò监狱jiānyù，把bǎ思想sīxiǎng牢牢láoláo锁住suǒzhù；它tā更gèng像xiàng一副yí fù眼镜yǎnjìng，让ràng某些mǒu xiē细节xìjié变得biànde格外géwài清晰qīngxī。

This by no means implies that language is a prison locking thought firmly inside; it is more like a pair of glasses that makes certain details exceptionally clear.

掌握zhǎngwò第二dì èr种zhǒng语言yǔyán的de人rén常常chángcháng发现fāxiàn，在zài两liǎng种zhǒng语言yǔyán之间zhījiān切换qiēhuàn时shí，自己zìjǐ的de性格xìnggé与yǔ语气yǔqì也yě随之suízhī发生fāshēng微妙wēimiào的de变化biànhuà。

People who master a second language often find that when they switch between the two, their personality and tone undergo a subtle change as well.

与其说yǔqí shuō我们wǒmen在zài学习xuéxí一门yì mén外语wàiyǔ，不如说bùrú shuō我们wǒmen在zài学习xuéxí另lìng一种yì zhǒng打量dǎliang世界shìjiè的de目光mùguāng。

Learning a foreign language is not so much acquiring new words as acquiring another gaze with which to look at the world.

下次xiàcì说shuō汉语Hànyǔ时shí，不妨bùfáng留意liúyì：这zhè门mén语言yǔyán正在zhèngzài悄悄qiāoqiāo地de引导yǐndǎo你nǐ注意zhùyì什么shénme、忽略hūlüè什么shénme。

Next time you speak Chinese, take a moment to notice what this language is quietly steering you to pay attention to, and what it is letting you overlook.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

载体zàitǐvehicle; carrier (of ideas)

潜移默化qián yí mò huàto influence imperceptibly

塑造sùzàoto shape; to mold

称谓chēngwèiform of address; appellation

微妙wēimiàosubtle; delicate

打量dǎliangto look someone/something over; to size up

Grammar note 语法点

不仅…，更…

A climactic pair: 'not only A, but even more, B'. 更 upgrades the second clause above the first, stronger than plain 而且. 例：他不仅是老师，更是朋友。

语言不仅是交流的工具，更是思维的载体。 — Language is not merely a tool for communication; it is, even more, the vehicle of thought.

并非

Formal, emphatic negation: 'by no means is / is not at all', typically correcting a likely misreading; 并 reinforces 非 (the literary 不是). 例：成功并非偶然。

这并非意味着语言是一座监狱。 — This by no means implies that language is a prison.

与其说…，不如说…

'It is not so much A as B' — weighs two descriptions and declares the second more accurate. A staple of essay-style reflection. 例：与其说是运气，不如说是坚持。

与其说我们在学习一门外语，不如说我们在学习另一种打量世界的目光。 — Learning a foreign language is not so much acquiring words as acquiring another way of looking at the world.

Check yourself 小测验

1. How does the text say Chinese talks about months?

2. What is the point of the glasses metaphor?

3. What do people who master a second language often notice, according to the text?

语言与思维Yǔyán yǔ sīwéiLanguage and Thought

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

More HSK 6 reading practice