By the way, in what I'm saying, I oversimplify by supposing that the basic unit of language is a word.

因为我想说的是，我们现在是把语言的基本单位简单化了。

耶鲁公开课 - 文学理论导论课程节选

There's no language in the world that has a rule that says the fifth word has to be a verb.

世界上并没有语言规定,说第五个词必须是动词

耶鲁公开课 - 心理学导论课程节选

Even if you're like me and you don't know a word of either language, they still sound different.

即使你像我一样,完全不懂这两种语言,它们听起来仍然是不一样的

耶鲁公开课 - 心理学导论课程节选

But the problem is if you use the word "Language" impossibly, incredibly broadly, then from a scientific point of view it becomes useless to ask interesting questions about it.

但问题是,如果你无限宽泛地使用"语言"一词,那么从科学的角度来看,探究语言就变得毫无意义了

耶鲁公开课 - 心理学导论课程节选

You could use a sign language thing for "Drink" that looks sort of like the act of drinking but you can't use a sign language word for "Country" that looks like a country, or for "Idea" that looks like an idea.

你可以用看起来像喝这个动作的手语,来表示"喝",但你无法用看起来像国家的手语,来表示"国家",或用看起来像想法的手语来表示"想法"

耶鲁公开课 - 心理学导论课程节选