An overview of the history of English in the Subcontinent (南亚次大陆) will help

游客2024-10-18 55

问题 An overview of the history of English in the Subcontinent (南亚次大陆) will help understand present-day attitudes toward this language including current trends and attitudes toward English language learning in Pakistan. Because of a shared history, there is a parallel to this in India. Even though both countries gained independence from British rule over fifty years ago, the indelible scars of Colonial rule are evident in all aspects of society today most profoundly in the legacy of the English language and intimacy with the educational systems.
The foundation of this influence can be traced back to the seventeenth century with the arrival of the British traders to South Asia. A century earlier the Spaniards had arrived in South America bringing with them the Catholic religion and the Spanish language, inflicting devastating causalities physically and mentally on the indigenous people. The arrival of the British in South Asia was, however, different in that the initial group of traders became acculturated (使适应文化) to the Indian culture. As Dalrymple (2002) records in White Mughals, the first group of British traders become acculturated to the Indian languages, cultures, religions and ways of life. He describes the relationship between Britain and India as "symbiotic". Just as individual Britons in India could learn to appreciate and wish to imitate different aspects of Indian culture, and choose to take on Indian manners and languages, so many Indians at this period began to travel to Britain, intermarrying with the locals there and picking up Western ways (Dalrymple, 2002). Giving examples of immigrants from India settling comfortably and being accepted socially in Britain at that time, he criticizes the distortion of the Edwardian interpretation of the history of that time. Unfortunately, the world remembers this era through the words of Rudyard Kipling as "East is east and West is west and never the twain shall meet."
Even though the connection between these two cultures was promising, by 1818 the British had virtual control over India. Ali (1993) divides the British "power groups" into three categories. The first are the Conservative Tories, which include Warren Hastings, who were interested in implementing the Indian traditions and languages in the education of the Indians. The second are the Evangelicals, including William Pitt, who were "hungry for souls" Proselytizing Christianity and teaching the English language were ways in which this group would deal with the natives. This group of individuals had similar aspirations to the final group, which Ali identifies as the Radicals. These individuals denounced the Indian traditions as barbaric being based on superstition, so they would have to be eradicated to be replaced by the Anglicized (使英国化) world view using English as a means to this end. Ali describes this attempt as demeaning to the Indians. [br] The relationship between Britain and India in the 17th century was______.

选项 A、oppressing and oppressed
B、mutual respect
C、mutual criticism
D、hostile

答案 B

解析理解题。从文章第二段Dalrymple的描述中可以知道当时英国和印度的关系是友好的、相互尊重的。故本题选B。

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