The Most Spoken Languages In America - 美国使用最多的语言

Although the United States has no official language, English is the most commonly spoken language within the country, and the explanation for this is very simple. America, before gaining its independence, was a British colony. The country, therefore, inherited much of its culture as well as language from the British. A majority of the country’s population has British ancestry which, along with other factors, has contributed to English standing strong within American language and culture. English is used in official platforms across most states, and almost the entire population has basic knowledge of English. Still, other languages are gaining traction as being frequently used within America’s borders, and we look at some of the most prominent influences on this trend.

虽然美国没有官方语言，但英语是美国国内最常用的语言，对此的解释非常简单：美国在获得独立之前，是英国的殖民地。因此，这个国家从英国人那里继承了很多文化以及语言。这个国家的大部分人口都有英国血统，再加上其他因素，使得英语在美国语言和文化中站稳了脚跟。大多数州的官方平台都使用英语，几乎所有的人都有基本的英语知识。不过，其他语言在美国境内的使用频率也越来越高，我们来看看这一趋势中最突出的一些影响因素。

Following English, the most spoken languages in the United States are Spanish, Chinese, French, Tagalog¹⁾, and Vietnamese.

继英语之后，美国使用最多的语言是西班牙语、汉语、法语、他加禄语²⁾和越南语。

Immigration has largely influenced the demographic patterns of the United States. The predominant majority of US immigrants hail from neighboring Mexico and other Latin American countries. A large influx of Hispanic people has made Spanish the second most widely spoken language in the country. In California and Texas, the Spanish language is spoken and understood to some degree by over 20% of the population. Other states where Spanish’s influence can be greatly felt are New York and Florida. In the latter case, the state's proximity to Cuba and the high rates of immigration from the Caribbean countries have increased the popularity of Spanish in the state.

移民在很大程度上影响了美国的人口模式。美国移民的主要多数来自邻国墨西哥和其他拉丁美洲国家。大量西班牙裔人的涌入，使西班牙语成为美国第二种最广泛使用的语言。在加州和德克萨斯州，超过20%的人口讲西班牙语，并在一定程度上理解西班牙语。其他可以极大地感受到西班牙语影响的州是纽约和佛罗里达。在佛罗里达州，由于该州靠近古巴，而且来自加勒比国家的移民率很高，因此西班牙语在该州的普及率也很高。

Technology also has a direct influence on the frequency and variety of languages spoken in the United States. Technology companies, in a bid to keep up with a high level of global competition, have been forced to employ workers from other technology dominant nations. Most of these expatriates are from Asian countries where technology has been at the forefront of economic development for decades. These immigrant workers have added to the linguistic diversity of the US. Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken Asian language in the country. Nearly 2% of the American population can communicate in this language. Besides Chinese, other Asian languages commonly spoken in the US include Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

技术也直接影响着美国人使用语言的频率和种类。科技公司为了跟上高水平的全球竞争，被迫从其他科技主导国家雇佣工人。这些外派人员大多来自亚洲国家，几十年来，这些国家的科技一直处于经济发展的前沿。这些移民工人增加了美国的语言多样性。中文普通话是美国使用最广泛的亚洲语言。近2%的美国人口可以用这种语言交流。除了中文之外，其他在美国常用的亚洲语言包括韩语、他加禄语和越南语。

German and Hebrew are also spoken in the US by a significant proportion of the population. German immigrants have been arriving in the area since the colonization of the New World. German-Americans is one of the largest ethnic groups in the country. The German influence in the United States can be heavily felt in places such as Chicago, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Hebrew is also commonly spoken in the country since the US has the highest Jewish population outside Israel. The United States and Israel share very close political and economic ties, and this has contributed to a large influx of Israelis into the country. Many Jews also immigrated to the US from Europe to escape the Holocaust. Los Angeles and New York City are great examples of American cities with large Jewish populations today.

在美国也有相当一部分人讲德语和希伯来语。自新大陆殖民以来，德国移民就不断来到这里。德裔美国人是美国最大的民族之一。在芝加哥、南达科他州和北达科他州等地，都能感受到德国人在美国的影响。由于美国是以色列以外犹太人口最多的国家，所以希伯来语在美国也很普遍。美国和以色列有着非常密切的政治和经济联系，这也促使大量以色列人涌入美国。许多犹太人为了躲避大屠杀，也从欧洲移民到美国。洛杉矶和纽约市是今天拥有大量犹太人口的美国城市的典范。

Without a doubt, the United States is a highly multicultural country. It has received immigrants from all across the world who have contributed to the linguistic diversity of the nation. However, one must not forget the indigenous languages of the native Americans that are at great threat today. It is important to note that no native American language makes it to the list of the top 25 languages spoken in the US. The Navajo language, which is the most widely spoken Native American language, has roughly 170,000 speakers only. Thus, the state of preservation and growth of Native American languages is a major issue in the country.

毫无疑问，美国是一个高度多元文化的国家。它接纳了来自世界各地的移民，他们为美国的语言多样性作出了贡献。然而，我们不能忘记今天受到巨大威胁的美洲本土语言。值得注意的是，在美国使用最广泛的25种语言中，没有一种是美洲本土语言。纳瓦霍语是使用最广泛的美洲本土语言，大约只有17万人使用。因此，美洲本土语言的保存和发展状况是该国的一个重大问题。