方言

中国幅员辽阔,人口众多,很多地方人们都说自己的方言。方言在发音上差别最大,词汇和语法差别较小。有些方言,特别是北方和南方的方言,差异很大,以至于说不同方言的人常常很难听懂彼此的讲话。方言被认为是当地文化的一个组成部分,但近年来能说方言的人数不断减少。为了鼓励人们更多说本地方言,一些地方政府已经采取措施，如在学校开设方言课,在广播和电视上播放方言节目，以期保存本地的文化遗产。

China has a vast territory and a large population. In many places of China, people speak their own dialects. The dialects are very different in pronunciation, while there is little difference in vocabulary and grammar. Some dialects, especially those in the north and the south of China, are so different that it is often too difficult for people who speak different dialects to understand each other. The dialect is regarded as a part of the local culture, but the number of people who can speak dialects has been declining in recent years. In order to encourage people to speak more of their local dialects, some local governments have taken some measures, such as offering dialect classes in schools and broadcasting dialect programmes on radio and television, with a view to preserve the local cultural heritage.