From “安全套”to 现代汉语世界的遗憾!!

From Wenxuecity BBS: "让英语替我们看家？中国人为何越来越不会说汉语"
[文章来源: 读者文摘 于 2005-07-20 10:06:02 ] ....

2005北京高考作文题目是《说“安”》，在许多人赞扬这个题目出得好并往“和谐社会”的大帽子上靠时，也有来自编辑家不同的声音出现。一位多年从事编辑出版的人士说，“安”是个词素，不是词，词素只有与另一个词素组合起来才有意义，比如“安全”、“安定”等等。他愤愤地说，说“安”我还可以说成是“安全套”啊。 　　

难道不是汉语教育出了问题？复旦大学的一次汉语比赛上，让外国留学生拿了冠军，这只能说明，人家在某种程度上比我们更精通汉语。这把中国人惹急了，可那是你自己不争气。 　　

面对这一汉语教育与研究的危机，中国人不是没考虑过。2005年，中国将首次进行“国家职业汉语能力测试”，虽然，这仅仅是为求职而设立的一个证书。汉语不过关，将会找不到工作。反过来想，要是没有那么多汉语不过关的人，又何必多此一举呢？ 　　中国人找工作还要汉语技能考核，只能说明，在学校所受的教育出问题了。 　　

曾经有这样一件事，一个知识分子家庭要求自己孩子在家里只允许用英语交流，有一次客人来访，孩子用汉语说了句“吃饭了”，结果遭到父亲一记耳光。孩子因说汉语而获罪。最绝的是，客人回家后还以此为榜样：“看看别人的孩子是怎么学英语的？” 　　幼儿园都快成双语了，从中学就开始重视数理化，到大学就搞专业了。汉语教育越来越弱势。除非你大学进了中文系，但毕业找工作是个问题。许多人都抱有同样的看法：汉语还需要学，这辈子不都在说吗？甚至于中文系的学生自己也同样认为，大学中文系学不了什么新东西？

.... Like the author of this article, i too worry about the fate of Chinese. But, what is 汉语?? Can "文言文" represent modern Chinese language[written and spoken]??? Should we "worry about" our mother tongue according to how young people perform in the college entry exam???

Such articles seem to have pointed out certain problems Chinese Language faces, but certain parts of it read like it's written by a lay person. First of all, some editor said that "安"是个词素，不是词.

Of course, "安" is not a "ci," it is a "zi," a character. A character can function both as a 词素 and 词!!! It is sad to see a senior editor give such an naive example , "他愤愤地说，说“安”我还可以说成是“安全套”啊。"

安 can be use in words like 安全, but it is also a noun, such as in "问安,"请安" etc. But the over-all problem is not a grammatical one. Personally, I don't worry too much about the "longevity" of Chinese even though a few people speak and write 文言文.

The life of a language, any language, has to be a media in literature and art that address the most urgent message of the people!!!! What's the most urgent message we get from the Chinese-speaking World?? Money, sex, more money and more sex!!!! The fate of modern Chinese poetry reflects the fate of modern Chinese language. No more, no less. 

----by 作舟