Ｌast Wednesday, on June 4, I heard a woman being interviewed on an English-language radio station. I did not know who the woman was since I missed the first part of the interview. She spoke fluent English with an American accent. I assumed (presumed, took for granted) that she was a US political analyst or reporter talking about the 25th anniversary of the June 4 crackdown. To assume (verb) something, or to take something for granted, means you consider something to be true even without proof. My assumption (noun) was wrong. When the interview ended, the radio announcer said the woman was Chai Ling. I couldn't believe it.
C
hai Ling was one of several well-known student leaders during the Tiananmen protests in 1989. She was among several student leaders who fled (escaped) to the west through Hong Kong after the military crackdown against the protesters. During my time as a journalist in Washington DC, I met some of these student leaders, who had built new lives for themselves. I saw Chai Ling make a speech at a Microsoft event. Her English was just OK, and she spoke with a mainland accent. That's why I was stunned (shocked) when I heard her on the radio last week.
Her English was not flawless (perfect) during the interview, and she made several minor grammatical mistakes, but that's not important. What is important is that she succeeded in acquiring fluency in English and even acquiring an American accent. The word "acquire" used this way means to learn or develop a skill. Chai Ling now lives in Boston and has an American husband. She has proved that people can acquire fluency in English and even change their accents if they persevere. To persevere is to continue trying despite many difficulties. I am sure that having to speak to her husband in English all the time helped her a lot. I have said many times before, to acquire good English, you must speak it, listen to it, and write it all the time.
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上星期三，六月四日，我從某個英語電台聽到一名女子接受訪問。我初時不知道她是誰，因為我錯過了訪問首部份。她一口美式口音，說着流利英語。我滿以為（assumed）她是一位美國政治分析員或記者，談論六四鎮壓二十五周年。To assume（動詞）或 to take something for granted，解作你在沒有實質理據之前假定某事。但我的假設（assumption，名詞）是錯的，當訪問結束時，電台主持說那女人是柴玲，我實在難以置信。
柴玲是一九八九年天安門學運幾個知名學生領袖之一，也是軍事鎮壓示威後，經香港逃往（fled）西方的學生之一。我還在華盛頓當新聞工作者時，也見過某幾名學生，他們已開展人生新一頁。那時我就曾見過柴玲在一個微軟公司的活動演說，她的英語還可以，帶着大陸口音。因此，上星期在電台節目聽到她說話，我真的很訝異（stunned）。
她受訪時說的英語亦非完美無瑕（flawless），也犯了幾個小小的文法錯誤，但那無關痛癢。重要的是她已成功學得（acquiring）流利英語，甚至學得（acquiring）一口美式口音。Acquire即是學習或發展出一套技能。柴玲現居波士頓，有個美籍丈夫。她證明了，人只要堅定不移（persevere），就能學得（acquire）一口流利英語，甚至可以改變口音。To persevere就是排除萬難的堅持。我深信，常常跟丈夫說英語，對她幫助很大。我以前就曾說過多遍，要學好英語，你必須時時說英語、聽英語、寫英語。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=288875§ion_name=wtt&kw=126
