你觉得英语有统治世界的那一天吗?
<p><span word="Just">Just</span> 1,500 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="English">English</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="spoken">spoken</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="smattering">smattering</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Germanic">Germanic</span> <span word="tribes">tribes</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="migrated">migrated</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="mainland">mainland</span> <span word="Europe">Europe</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="island">island</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span>. <span word="Today">Today</span>, <span word="linguists">linguists</span> <span word="whisper">whisper</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="wonder">wonder</span>: <span word="will">will</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="eradicate">eradicate</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="languages">languages</span>?</p><p>1500年前，英语还是一小撮日耳曼部落从欧洲内陆往英伦岛迁移时说的语言。如今，语言学家心生疑惑悄声交流，英语会不会消灭所有其它语言?</p><p><span word="English">English</span>'<span word="s">s</span> 339 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="native">native</span> <span word="speakers">speakers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="outnumbered">outnumbered</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="Spanish">Spanish</span> (427 <span word="million">million</span>) <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Mandarin">Mandarin</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> (897 <span word="million">million</span>). <span word="What">What</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="more">more</span>, <span word="English">English</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="native">native</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span> <span word="population">population</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="decreasing">decreasing</span> <span word="steadily">steadily</span>. <span word="While">While</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="seems">seems</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="suggest">suggest</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="out">out</span>, <span word="globally">globally</span>, <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="ascending">ascending</span>.</p><p>有3.39亿人的母语为英语，而说西班牙语 (4.27亿)和普通话(8.97亿)的人更多。此外，以英语为母语的人数稳步下降。尽管情况看来英语似乎有渐弱之势，但全球范围而言，其实地位正逐步上升。</p><p><span word="That">That</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="because">because</span> 510 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="elected">elected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="learn">learn</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="second">second</span> <span word="language">language</span>. <span word="No">No</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="close">close</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="science">science</span>, <span word="business">business</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="media">media</span>, <span word="English">English</span> <span word="dominates">dominates</span>. <span word="Learning">Learning</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cheap">cheap</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="admission">admission</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="join">join</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="increasingly">increasingly</span> <span word="interconnected">interconnected</span> <span word="world">world</span>.</p><p>那是因为全球5.1亿已经选了英语作为第二外语，没有哪一门语言可以与之匹敌。科学、商务还有媒体领域，英语占主导地位。要进入这个联系日益紧密的世界，学习这门语言是廉价入场券。</p>
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