内容概述
故事说明在原始语言中，表示小数字的语音常常发展到后来只代表“很多”。文中以昆士兰土著、塔斯马尼亚土著、拉丁语“ter felix”、英语“Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just”和法语“très bien”为例，说明“三”有时被用来表示“非常多”或“极大”的含义。
中文正文
原始人为了成功表达最初几个数字，形成了元音，而最后往往都发出同一个音，只不过代表“很多”。例如，昆士兰的土著人就是这样的，他们数“一，二，二和一，二二，很多”，最后那个词不仅代表五，也代表所有大于四的数。更有趣的例子是，用很小的数“三”来代表“多”或一个非常大的数字。例如，塔斯马尼亚岛（Tasmanian）的土著人数“一，二，很多”。我们在拉丁语中也能看到三的这种用法：“ter felix”本来意思是“三倍的快乐”，而实际意思是“非常快乐”。英语也有这样的例子：“在理的人力大无穷”[5]；而法语的例子是“très bien”（“很好”）。
[5] 原话“Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just”，出自莎士比亚《亨利六世》（中篇第三幕第二场），大意是“他理直气壮，仿佛披着三重盔甲。”我们不妨来看一个中文的例子：《后汉书·袁绍传》：“惟陛下垂尸鸠之平，绝邪谄之论，无令愚臣结恨三泉。”章怀太子（李贤）注说，“三者，数之小终，言深也”。既然是代表一定的“终”，当然可以代表很多。
英文正文
11° The great size of three. In the development, among primitive people, of vocal sounds to represent successively the first few small numbers, a sound is often finally reached which merely signifies "a great many." This, for example, is the case of those natives of Queensland who count "one, two, two and one, two twos, much," where the last term is meant to cover not only five, but all numbers larger than four. It is interesting that there are instances of the use of the very small number three in this sense of "much," or an excessively large number. For instance, the native Tasmanians count "one, two, plenty." Again, it is this use of three that we find in the Latin phrase "ter felix," which, though it literally means "thrice happy," is really meant to imply "very happy." It occurs again in the English "Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just," and in the French "très bien."
英语学习拓展
常用词汇
successively音标/səkˈsesɪvli/
依次地，连续地。
原文用法：In the development ... of vocal sounds to represent successively the first few small numbers（用语音依次表达最初几个小数字）。
signify音标/ˈsɪɡnɪfaɪ/
表示，意味着。
原文用法：a sound is often finally reached which merely signifies "a great many"（最终形成一个只表示“很多”的音）。
excessively音标/ɪkˈsesɪvli/
过度地，极其。
原文用法：the use of the very small number three in this sense of "much," or an excessively large number（用“三”表示“多”或一个极大的数）。
literally音标/ˈlɪtərəli/
照字面地；确实地。
原文用法：though it literally means "thrice happy," is really meant to imply "very happy"（虽然字面意思是“三倍快乐”，实际想表达“非常快乐”）。
imply音标/ɪmˈplaɪ/
意味着，暗示。
原文用法：is really meant to imply "very happy"（实际想表达“非常快乐”）。
同义词与近义词
常用短语与固定搭配
- a great many：许多，大量。原文用法：a sound ... which merely signifies "a great many"。
- in this sense：在这种意义上。原文用法：the use of the very small number three in this sense of "much"。
- for instance：例如。原文用法：For instance, the native Tasmanians count "one, two, plenty."
常用句式
- Pattern: It is interesting that ...：有趣的是……。原文例句：It is interesting that there are instances of the use of the very small number three ...
- Pattern: It is ... that ... (强调句)：正是……。原文例句：it is this use of three that we find in the Latin phrase "ter felix"（正是在这种用法中，我们在拉丁短语“ter felix”里发现了“三”）。
长难句解析
In the development, among primitive people, of vocal sounds to represent successively the first few small numbers, a sound is often finally reached which merely signifies "a great many."
- 主干：a sound is often finally reached（最终常常会形成一个音）。
- 修饰与从句：In the development ... of vocal sounds 为介词短语，说明背景；among primitive people 为插入的介词短语，限定范围；to represent successively the first few small numbers 为不定式短语，作 vocal sounds 的定语；which merely signifies "a great many" 为定语从句，修饰 a sound。
- 逻辑关系：先交代背景（原始人语音的发展），再说明结果（最终形成一个音），最后用定语从句解释这个音的含义。
语言使用特点
- 文本以说明和举例为主，句式正式，使用大量非限制性定语从句和插入语。
- 引用了不同语言的例子（昆士兰语、塔斯马尼亚语、拉丁语、英语、法语），体现跨语言比较。
迁移练习
- 用 for instance 仿写一句：描述一个你熟悉的语言现象。
- 请用 It is interesting that ... 句式表达你对“三”可表示“多”这一现象的看法。
- 将 It is this use of three that we find in the Latin phrase "ter felix." 改为普通陈述句。
点击展开参考答案
- （示例）Many languages use small numbers to mean “many”; for instance, in English we say “a thousand thanks” to mean “thank you very much.”
- （示例）It is interesting that the number “three” can mean “very much” in so many different languages.
- We find this use of three in the Latin phrase "ter felix."