B

But language is foremost not just because it came first.

后不僭先，絕不是語言地位首屈一指的原因。

In its own right it is a tool of extraordinary sophistication, yet based on an idea of ingenious simplicity:

雖然是能表達無限內(nèi)容的工具，但是其設計初衷是化繁為簡。

'this marvellous invention of composing out of twenty-five or thirty sounds that infinite variety of expressions which, whilst having in themselves no likeness to what is in our mind, allow us to disclose to others its whole secret, and to make known to those who cannot penetrate it all that we imagine, and all the various stirrings of our soul'.

極具人類設計之光的語言，是由二三十個元輔音氣流調(diào)配成字詞，進而能使人吐露心中隱私，能傳達出旁人難以洞察的心中所想，情之所動，再也不會有只可意會不可言傳之情景。

This was how, in 1660, the renowned French grammarians of the Port-Royal abbey near Versailles distilled the essence of language, and no one since has celebrated more eloquently the magnitude of its achievement.

這是1660年凡爾賽的皇家修道院派著名的語法學家對語言本質(zhì)的精煉提煉，自此對語言的贊譽再無能出其右者。

Even so, there is just one flaw in all these hymns of praise, for the homage to languages unique accomplishment conceals a simple yet critical incongruity, language is mankind greatest invention - except, of course, that it was never invented.

但是，向語言致敬的這些溢美之詞中，暗藏著一個能打翻所有贊美之詞的悖論：語言的確是最體現(xiàn)人類智慧的曲盡其妙的創(chuàng)制，那么，不動腦思考的言語，自然不在其中。

This apparent paradox is at the core of our fascination with language, and it holds many of its secrets.

好學深思勤于思考乃是語言得以心游萬仞,精騖八極的關(guān)鍵所在，也是語言的袖里玄機。