一、课文内容

Lesson 25 Do the English speak English?
I arrived in London at last.
The railway station was big, black and dark.
I did not know the way to my hotel, so I asked a porter.
I not only spoke English very carefully, but very clearly as well.
The porter, however, could not understand me.
I repeated my question several times and at last he understood.
he answered me, but he spoke neither slowly nor clearly.
'I am a foreigner,' I said.
Then he spoke slowly, but I could not understand him.
My teacher never spoke English like that!
The porter and I looked at each other and smiled.
Then he said something and I understood it.
'You'll soon learn English!' he said.
I wonder. In England, each person speaks a different language.
The English understand each other, but I don't understand them!
Do they speak English?

二、课文译文

我终于到了伦敦。火车站很大，又黑又暗。
我不知道去饭店的路该怎么走，于是向一个搬运工打听。
我的英语讲得不但非常认真，而且咬字也非常清楚。
然而搬运工却不明白我的话。我把问话重复了很多遍。
他终于听懂了。他回答了，但他讲得既不慢也不清楚。
“我是个外国人，”我说。于是他说得慢了，可我还是听不懂。
我的老师从来不那样讲英语！我和搬运工相视一笑。
接着，他说了点什么，这回我听懂了。
“您会很快学会英语的！”他说。我感到奇怪。在英国，人们各自说着一种不同的语言。
英国人之间相互听得懂，可我却不懂他们的话！他们说的是英语吗？