1    For most people, learning a foreign language is incredibly hard. Students study long hours and go through exhausting classes. And according to Dr. Benjamin Rifkin, a professor and textbook author of Russian, four years of onehour classes every single school day will get most students only to level 2 out of 5 on a fluency scale(等级). That’s like working on a project for four years and getting a “D”!

Language Geniuses

2    Some people, however, are language geniuses. Without even studying or going to class, they magically (神奇地) pick up a new word every two hours on average, counting the hours they are asleep. That’s like being given a list of 60 vocabulary(词汇) words on Monday and acing(在…中取得好成绩) the test at the end of Friday, without even studying!   

3    For these geniuses, using the words correctly and grammatically(合乎语法地) is a snap(容易的事). Although they make mistakes at first, before long and without studying they achieve excellent language use. A language genius learning English doesn’t have to be told that “I am very hungry” is correct grammatically but “I am hungry very” is not.

4    Who are these language geniuses? You probably know many more than you think. In fact, once you were one!

Learning Without Schooling

5    With the exception of some people with language disabilities(缺陷), every young child is a language genius. Babies learn to speak their native language without going to school or doing homework.

6    Some people might think that this is not so mysterious, that babies inherit(继承) their native language from their parents. It is true that if the parents speak English, usually the child speaks English. However, if that child had been adopted as a baby in Sweden, she would grow up speaking Swedish, not English.

7    Some people might also suspect that it’s the parents who are geniuses, not the kids. Maybe parents are just great teachers. You might remember how your mother taught you new words, or maybe you have seen your father teaching your younger brother or sister what to call a “ball” or a “bicycle.”

8    Well, according to Dr. Steven Pinker, author of The Language Instinct, parents in some cultures don’t talk to their children until the children can talk back. Since those children still learn to speak, lessons must not be necessary.

The Other One Spoon

9    Scientists have observed that even if parents try to teach their children about language,chances are that it doesn’t work out so well. Here is a conversation recorded in The Language Instinct:

Child: Want other one spoon, Daddy.

Father: You mean, you want THE OTHER SPOON.

Child: Yes, I want other one spoon, please, Daddy.

Father: Can you say “the other spoon”?

Child: Other... one... spoon.

Father: Say... “other.”

Child: Other.

Father: “Spoon.”

Child: Spoon.

Father: “Other... spoon.”

Child: Other... spoon. Now give me other one spoon?

10    The child did not understand his “lesson” at all. Even so, he grew up to speak English normally and grammatically. Such evidence suggests to scientists not only that children can learn language without instruction, but also that instruction doesn’t help.

11    So why are children language geniuses and adults not? Why do adults need instruction while children cannot even use it?

Sensitive(敏感的) Youth

12    Scientists are still trying to understand, but it may have something to do with what is called a “sensitive period.” A “sensitive period” is a particular time when a person’s or animal’s brain is ready to learn a particular ability. If he tries to learn too early or too late, it is much harder, but during the sensitive period, it’s just right. A duckling(小鸭子) has a sensitive period, the first three days of its life, for learning which duck is its mother.

13    Humans seem to have a sensitive period for language, which begins early in infancy(婴儿期) and is already fading(逐渐消失) by puberty(青春期).

14    Scientists are still figuring out what parts of the brain cause this sensitive period and why it exists at all. When they finally understand, maybe they can help people of all ages to be language geniuses.

1）Without even studying or going to class, they magically pick up a new word every two hours on average, counting the hours they are asleep.

他们甚至不需要学习或者上课就能神奇地平均每两个小时学会一个生词，这还包括他们在睡觉的时间。

本句中的pick up意为learn sth., especially in an informal way，指“非正规地学习”。counting在本句中的意思是“包括”。又如：

The trip to Australia cost me 5,000 dollars, counting the gifts I bought for my friends. 

我这次澳大利亚之行共花费5 000美元，包括我给朋友们买的礼物。

2）For these geniuses, using the words correctly and grammatically is a snap.

对于这些天才来说，正确地、合乎语法地使用单词是件很容易的事。

本句中snap是美式口语，意为“容易的事”。又如：

Taking the computer apart is a snap, but putting it together may be a tough job. 

把电脑拆开很容易，但是把它组装起来可能就很难了。

3）With the exception of some people with language disabilities, every young child is a language genius.

除了一些有语言缺陷的人外，每个小孩都是语言天才。

本句中的 with the exception of 意为“除了”(=except)。

4）Scientists have observed that even if parents try to teach their children about language, chances are that it doesn’t work out so well.

科学家们观察到，即便父母亲试图教孩子语言，很可能效果也不会那么好。

本句中的chances are that意为“很可能”(=it is likely that)。