试论美国黑人英语的语言特征

On the Linguistic Features of American Black English

1982年美国《洛杉矶时报》刊登了一组幽默漫画。一个黑人孩子问另一个黑人孩子:“Where’s Frances?”答曰:“He sick”。旁边一个白人孩子不解地问道:“You mean he IS sick?”黑人孩子显得有些莫名其妙,于是白人孩子又告诉他:“IAM sick.You ARE sick.He IS sick”。那黑人孩子听了似乎顿开茅塞,自言自语道:“Must be an epidemic”。上述漫画中黑人孩子和白人孩子之间的语言障碍,主要是因为黑人孩子没有用系动词be,结果引起误解。系动词be在这种情况下的省略乃是黑人英语(Black English)

This paper deals with the differences between Standard American English and Black English in phonology, syntax and inflections. Meanwhile the origins of their differences are also explored.