255.英文正文(255)
thebwordswereinallcasescompoundwords。***
theyconsistedoftwoormorewords,orportionsofwords,weldedtogetherinaneasilypronounceableform。theresultingamalgamwasalwaysanoun-verb,andinflectedaccordingtotheordinaryrules。totakeasingleexample:thewordgoodthink,meaning,veryroughly,“orthodoxy”,or,ifonechosetoregarditasaverb,“tothinkinanorthodoxmanner”。thisinflectedasfollows:noun-verb,goodthink;pasttenseandpastparticiple,goodthinked;presentparticiple,goodthinking;adjective,goodthinkful;adverb,goodthinkwise;verbalnoun,goodthinker。
thebwordswerenotconstructedonanyetymologicalplan。thewordsofwhichtheyweremadeupcouldbeanypartsofspeech,andcouldbeplacedinanyorderandmutilatedinanywaywhichmadethemeasytopronouncewhileindicatingtheirderivation。inthewordcrimethink(thoughtcrime),forinstance,thethinkcamesecond,whereasinthinkpol(thoughtpolice)itcamefirst,andinthelatterwordpolicehadlostitssecondsyllable。becauseofthegreatdifficuityinsecuringeuphony,irregularformationswerecommonerinthebvocabularythanintheavocabulary。forexample,theadjectiveformsofminitrue,minipax,andminiluvwere,respectively,minitruthful,minipeaceful,andminilovely,simplybecause-trueful,-paxful,and-lovefulwereslightlyawkwardtopronounce。inprinciple,however,allbwordscouldinflect,andallinflectedinexactlythesameway。
someofthebwordshadhighlysubtilizedmeanings,barelyintelligibletoanyonewhohadnotmasteredthelanguageasawhole。consider,forexample,suchatypicalsentencefromatimesleadingarticleasoldthinkersunbellyfeelingsoc。theshortestrenderingthatonecouldmakeofthisinoldspeakwouldbe:“thosewhoseideaswereformedbeforetherevolutioncannothaveafullemotionalunderstandingoftheprinciplesofenglishsocialism。”butthisisnotanadequatetranslation。tobeginwith,inordertocompoundwordssuchasspeakwrite,wereofcoursetobefoundintheavocabulary,buttheseweremerelyconvenientabbreviationsandhadnospecialideologicalcolour。