3.10 口语与口语体

口语是口头交际时使用的表达形式,也是语言的第一性形式。它的词汇特点是通俗、简练、生动,变化快,创新成分多,经常与语气词“啊”、“呀”、“哇”、“哦”、“呗”、“呢”、“吗”、“啦”等连用。它的语法特点是比较松散,有时存在不规范的情况,省略和简化的现象突出,短句、疑问句、感叹句和祈使句的使用频率比书面语多。口语句式结构比较简单,用作关联成分的介词和连词相对少些。例如:

◇ A.One of you, come on.Let's look at the folder.Tell me about rice.Why rice anyway?

B.Well, well, because Chinese people eat rice, don't they?

A.Yes, well, at least they do in the South.Do you know what they eat in the North? 18

B.Noodles.

A.How do you know that?

B.It was in the book.

A.Some of these look great...

B.Can we—— oh, it doesn't matter.

A.Can we what — it does matter — why doesn't it matter? ...Don't just keep looking at each other.What do you want to say? Pippa? Oh, come on, please.What is it?

◇ Well, my mom and papa told me, “Son, you gotta make some money if you wanna use the car to go ridin'next Sunday.”Well, I didn't go to work, told the boss I was sick.“Now you can't use the car, 'cause you didn't work a lick.”Sometimes I wonder what I'm gonna do, there ain't no cure for the summertime blues.

I'm gonna take two weeks, gonna have a vacation.I'm gonna take my problem to the United Nations.Well, I called my congressman and he said, I'd like to help you son, but you're too young to vote.

Summertime Blues

昨天才对平民百姓开放的车展就甭提有多火爆了,几十万的市民趁着假日一窝蜂涌向国展,想瞧个够新型轿车是啥模样。

一位工薪族爷们说:“眼下聊车、侃车可是最时髦的话题,什么新车又上市了,哪款进口车又落价了,手动好还是自动好,哪个省油哪个费油。要是对汽车一窍不通,您哪,绝对是个没见过世面的家庭妇女。”

一位自称“来瞧热闹”的居委会大妈说:“早先谁想过给自个儿买车的事?现如今皮夹子鼓起来了,守着那么一大把钱不放心,存银行又觉着利息低,买股票咱嫌累。得了,买车吧!自己图个乐,给国家也作点贡献。”

汉语的文言最初是在口语基础上形成的,随着语言的发展,与口语的差别越来越大。所以,不是为了追求特别的表达效果时不宜在翻译中过多使用。白话文是唐宋时期开始形成的,跟文言相比易读易懂,但是与现代汉语也有较明显的差别。

口语体以口语为其基本形式,一般用于交际双方的直接接触。由于使用口语时发音、声调、手势、脸部表情、交际环境甚至听话人的反馈对于说话人意思的表达都有帮助,所以允许重复、语序颠倒或者当时自我更正,语法比较灵活。

翻译人物对话、儿童故事、民间传说、通俗小品、非正式谈话或信件时,可以较多使用口语。具有口语特征的文字材料,如话剧台词、广播稿、科普读物,也接近于口语体。用口语体写文章是现在许多人追求的目标。