语言建造家:自造语言的无穷魅力
<p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="student">student</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="linguistics">linguistics</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="California">California</span>, <span word="Berkeley">Berkeley</span>, <span word="David">David</span> <span word="Peterson">Peterson</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="secret">secret</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="months">months</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="called">called</span> “<span word="Megdevi">Megdevi</span>”. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="amalgam">amalgam</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="name">name</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Megan">Megan</span>, <span word="his">his</span> <span word="girlfriend">girlfriend</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span>. <span word="Once">Once</span> <span word="satisfied">satisfied</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="grammar">grammar</span> <span word="rules">rules</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="presented">presented</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="her">her</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="grand">grand</span> <span word="romantic">romantic</span> <span word="gesture">gesture</span>: <span word="a">a</span> <span word="private">private</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="communicate">communicate</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="other">other</span>.</p><p>戴维•彼得森(<span word="David">David</span> <span word="Peterson">Peterson</span>)在美国加州大学伯克利分校(<span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="California">California</span>, <span word="Berkeley">Berkeley</span>)学习语言学和英文时，花两个月时间发明了一种秘密语言，给它取名为“梅戴语”(<span word="Megdevi">Megdevi</span>)——这是大卫和他当时的女友梅甘(<span word="Megan">Megan</span>)名字的结合体。待新词和语法规则令他满意后，他将成果展示给女友。这是他送出的一份非常浪漫的爱情大礼：一种只在他俩之间使用的私密语言。</p><p>“<span word="We">We</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="it">it</span>”, <span word="the">the</span> 33-<span word="year">year</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="admits">admits</span> <span word="today">today</span>, 15 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="later">later</span>. <span word="While">While</span> <span word="Megan">Megan</span> <span word="appreciated">appreciated</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="effort">effort</span>, <span word="she">she</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="learn">learn</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="language">language</span>. “<span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="work">work</span>.” <span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="married">married</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="else">else</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="agitated">agitated</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="technical">technical</span> <span word="shortcomings">shortcomings</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Megdevi">Megdevi</span>, <span word="describing">describing</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="as">as</span> “<span word="an">an</span> <span word="abomination">abomination</span>”. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="laments">laments</span>: “<span word="It">It</span> <span word="tried">tried</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bunch">bunch</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ended">ended</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span>.”</p><p>不过15年后，33岁的彼得森承认：“我们没用过它。”梅甘虽然赞赏了他的努力，但并不想学习这门语言。“太费力了。”如今，已娶别人为妻的彼得森对“梅戴语”的技术缺陷更为心烦，称之“令人讨厌”。他叹道：“它想一次实现许多个目标，结果落得一无是处。”</p>
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