clusters　of　Chinese　characters　that　surrender　to　you　by　the　family　group　makes　the　going
  quicker　and　easier。
  One　problem：　the　pronunciation　of　each　Chinese　character　is　always　one　syllable
  and　one　syllable　only。　Therefore；　the　same　sound　has　to　represent　a　lot　of　different　things。
  We　have　a　slight　touch　of　that　in　English　–　a　pier　has　nothing　to　do　with　a　peer　–　but
  imagine　how　much　utterance　duplication　you’d　have　if　each　word　in　the　language　were
  limited　to　one　syllable　only。　（Beginners　who　learn　that　the　Chinese　word　for　“chopsticks”
  is　kwai　dze　and　“bus”　is　gung　gung　chee　chuh　may　object。　I　simply　mean　that　the　term　for
  “chopsticks”　is　two　separate　words　＇characters＇　in　Chinese　and　the　term　for　“bus”　is
  four！）　A　Chinese　textbook　for　Americans　that　makes　no　pretense　of　being　complete　lists
  seventy…five　different　meanings　for　the　sound　shih　alone！
  Chinese　differentiates　among　the　various　possibilities　of　meaning　by　the　use　of
  tones。　Each　Chinese　word　is　assigned　a　specific　tone；　like　a　musical　note。　Mandarin
  Chinese　has　four　tones；　Cantonese　has　nine。
  The　word　wu　in　Mandarin’s　first　tone　means　“room；”　in　tone　two　it　means　“vulgar；”
  in　tone　three　it　means　“five；”　and　in　tone　four　wu　means　“disobedient。”
  Take　the　sentence　“Mother　is　scolding　the　horse。”　The　spoken　Chinese　transliterates
  as　ma　ma　ma　ma。　If　we　want　to　make　it　a　question　and　ask　“Is　mother　scolding　the
  horse？”　just　add　a　fifth　ma。　Without　the　tones　a　Chinese　person　would　hear　an
  unintelligible　babble。　With　the　correct　tones；　however；　it　would　be　as　clear　to　him　as
  “Peering　at　a　pair　of　pairs　on　the　pier”　is　to　us。
  Ideally　you　should　know　the　tone　of　each　word　and　the　circumstances　under　which
  words　shifts　tones；　but　until　you　attain　that　lofty　peak；　you’ll　be　okay　if　you　do　your　best
  to　imitate　the　tonality　of　the　native　Chinese　speaker　on　your　cassettes。
  Much　is　made　of　our　ability　to　read　the　Chinese　soul　through　the　Chinese　language。
  “Tomorrow”　in　Chinese　is　ming　tien；　which　literally　means　“bright　day。”　The　character
  for　“good’　literally　depicts　woman　with　child；　suggesting　that　a　mother　and　child　are
  emblematic　of　everything　good。　The　character　meaning　“peace”　depicts　a　woman　under　a
  roof。　The　character　for　“discord；”　however；　is　three　women　under　one　roof！
  All　that　is　indeed　fun　but　hardly　a　cryptanalysis　of　the　Chinese　soul。　After　all；　how
  much　can　you　tell　about　the　English　soul　by　noting　that　the　word　breakfast　really　means
  “breaking”　the　“fast”　you’ve　engaged　in　since　your　last　bite　the　night　before？
  Japanese
  Like　Chinese；　Japanese　conversation　is　fairly　easy；　but　the　written　language　is
  complicated。　In　wartime；　America　turned　out　interpreters　in　Japanese　and　Chinese　at　a
  satisfactory　rate　by　going　straight　for　the　spoken　language　and　ignoring　the　written
  language　completely。　You　may　be　tempted　to　do　the　same。
  Certainly　you　can　prioritise　the　ability　to　speak　and　understand　over　the　ability　to
  read　and　write；　but　I　urge　you　to　undertake　serious　study　of　the　written　language　and
  continue　steadily。　If　speech　is　to　be　your　“hare；”　let　writing　at　least　be　your　“tortoise。”
  Written　Japanese　is　not　as　difficult　as　you　might　fear。　Japanese　uses　several
  thousand　characters　borrowed　from　the　Chinese；　but　it　uses　them　in　a　different　and　more
  limited　way　that　makes　them　easy　to　learn。　The　characters　are　used　along　with　two
  syllabaries；　sets　of　simple　written　symbols；　each　of　which　represents　not　one　single　letter
  but　a　complete　syllable。
  Japanese　has　no　tones　to　worry　about；　and　Japanese　grammar　involves　the　learning
  of　certain　speech　patterns　more　than　changes　in　verbs；　nouns；　and　adjectives。
  Japanese　has　a　clarity　missing　from　Chinese。　Learn　a　Japanese　word　from　your
  book　or　cassette　and　your　Japanese　friend　will　understand　it　at　your　first　attempt　to　use　it。
  The　commercial　advantages　of　learning　Japanese　are　obvious　and　on　the　rise。　But
  even　if　your　Japanese　never　reaches　a　level　of　proficiency　enabling　you　to　do　business　in
  Japanese；　your　Japanese　host　and　associates　will　appreciate　your　efforts。　They；　after　all；
  had　to　learn　English。　You　did　not　have　to　learn　Japanese。　Yet。
  Arabic
  Arabic　is　elusive；　guttural；　and　rewarding。　Arabic　script；　written　from　right　to　left；　writes
  each　letter　differently　depending　upon　whether　it　occurs　at　the　beginning；　the　middle；　or
  the　end　of　a　word。　Learn　it；　however；　and　you’ll　be　welcome　from　the　North　Atlantic
  coast　of　Africa　clear　through　the　Middle　East　to　the　borders　of　Iran　and　Pakistan。　Arabic
  is　also　the　religious　language　studied　by　millions　of　Muslims　around　the　world　whose
  native　languages　are　not　Arabic。　The　Arab　population　of　the　United　States　is　growing
  rapidly。　You　can　hear　Arabic　on　the　streets　and　deal　in　Arabic　in　the　shops　of　places　like
  Dearborn；　Michigan；　where　there　is　a　substantial　Arab　population。
  Your　investment　in　Arabic　is　likely　to　gain　in　value　when　Israel　and　the　Arab　states
  achieve　a　settlement　allowing　for　commerce　and　development　to　replace　a　half　century　of
  open　warfare。
  Hebrew
  Hebrew　is　one　of　the　more　difficult　languages；　and　the　numerical　incentives　for　tackling
  it　are　not　great　because　Hebrew　is　spoken　only　in　Israel　and　in　small　communities　of
  Israelis　in　America　and　other　Western　countries。　Until　recently　the　teaching　of　Hebrew
  was　illegal　in　the　Soviet　Union；　but　classrooms　are　overflowing　now　across　the　country
  as　Jews　prepare　to　emigrate　to　Israel　or　assert　their　Jewishness　inside　the　Soviet　Union。
  Hebrew　is　spoken　wherever　Jews　worship　around　the　world；　and　there　is　a　surge　of
  interest　in　learning　Hebrew　among　young　Americans　who　were　born　Jewish　even　though
  they　may　not　have　had　a　strong　Jewish　upbringing。
  If　you’re　not　Jewish　and　choose　to　learn　Hebrew　anyhow；　you　will　set　loose　waves
  of　appreciation　among　Jews　grateful　to　outsiders　willing　to　go　to　that　much　trouble。
  Once　you　learn　the　Hebrew　alphabet；　you’ll　be　in　command　of　virtually　the　same
  alphabet　used　by　Yiddish；　a　language　based　on　fifteenth　century　low　German　that　was
  spoken　by　millions　of　East　European　Jews　before　Hitler’s　extermination　and　is　still
  understood　in　a　surprising　number　of　places。　It’s　also　the　alphabet　used　by　Ladino；　the
  “Spanish　of　Cervantes”　that　became　the　“Yiddish”　of　the　Jews　of　Spanish　origin　who
  scattered　throughout　the　eastern　Mediterranean　after　the　beginning　of　the　Spanish
  Inquisition。　There　are　few　language　thrills　that　can　match　that　of　an　American　who
  learned　the　Hebrew　alphabet　in　Hebrew　school　looking　at　a　printed　page　in　a　language　he
  didn’t　know　existed　（many　Jews　themselves　are　totally　unaware　of　the　existence　of
  Ladino）　and　discovering　he　can　read　it　and　understand　it　with　his　high　school　Spanish！
  Greek
  Modern　Greek　has　a　grammar　slightly　less　glorious　than　that　of　its　ancient　civilisation。　In
  difficulty；　Greek　falls　somewhere　between　French　and　Russian。　Each　verb　has　two　forms
  and　verbs　change　according　to　person；　number；　and　tense。　The　future　tense　is　almost　as
  easy　as　it　is　in　English　–　the　word　tha　serving　the　role　of　our　will。　Adjectives　agree　with
  their　nouns　according　to　gender　（three　of　them）　and　number。
  Greek　enjoys　a　leftover　prestige；　not　only　from　ancient　times　but　from　the　not　long
  vanished　tradition　of　the　scholar　who　prided　himself　on　being　at　home　in　Latin　and
  Ancient　Greek。　Every　five　minutes　during　your　study　of　Greek　you’ll　be　reminded　of　our
  debt　to　the　Greek　language。　Zestos　means　“hot”　（“zesty”）；　chronos　means　“time”　or
  “year；”　“number”　is　arithmo；　when　you　want　your　cheque　in　a　restaurant　you　ask　for　the
  logariazmo　（as　in　“logarithm”）；　the　Greek　word　for　“clear”　describing　weather　is
  katharos　（as　in　“catharsis”）；　“season”　is　epohi　（“epoch”）；　and　so　on。
  Greek　may　be　the　language　of　one　small　European　country　only；　but　there　are
  thriving　Greek　communities　throughout　the　Middle　East；　Egypt；　and　other　parts　of　Africa；
  and　the　United　States。　Enterprising　Greeks　have　carried　the　language　around　the　world。
  Swedish；　Danish；　Norwegian
  The　Scandinavian　languages　are　lumped　together　because　of　their　similarity　and　the
  reliability　with　which　natives　of　one　Scandinavian　country　can　deal　with　the　languages　of
  the　others。　That　similarity　is　something　for　you　to　know　and　enjoy；　not　something　for　you
  to　mention　to　the　Scandinavians　themselves。　They’re　horrified　when　outsiders　say；　“Gee；
  Swedish；　Danish；　and　Norwegian　are　all　alike！”　They　prefer　to　dwell　upon　the
  differences。　There　was　a　popular　movement　in　Norwegian　early　in　the　twentieth　century
  to　change　the　language　for　no　apparent　reason　other　than　to　make　it　less　like　Danish。
  If　your　aim　is　to　communicate　in　all　three　countries；　learn　Norwegian　first。　It’s　the
  linguistic　centre　of　Scandinavia。　A　Dane　can　deal　comfortably　with　Norwegian；　but　much
  less　so　with　Swedish。　A　Swede　can　deal　comfortably　with　Norwegian；　but　mu