《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词3500》Unit 4 手语她

（单词翻译）

　　Unit¹ 04
There is one language² that is in use in every country in the world. The people who use it are young and old, thin and fat, short and tall. It is everybody's second language. It is easy to understand, although³ you can not hear it. It is sign language.
When you wave⁴ to a friend who is across⁵ the street, you are using sign language. When you smile at someone⁶, you are saying⁷, "I want to be friendly⁸." but you are not using speech⁹. You are using sign language. When you raise¹⁰ your hand in class, you are saying, "Please ask me. I think I know the correct¹¹ answer."
Babies who can not talk can point at things. They are using sign language. A policeman who wants to stop traffic¹² holds up his hand. He is using sign language. Winston Churchill's famous¹³ "V-for-Victory" was¹⁴ sign language, too.
Many years ago, a French¹⁵ priest¹⁶, Charles Michel de l'Epee, became¹⁷ interested¹⁸ in education¹⁹ for deaf²⁰ people. He invented²¹ a finger alphabet²². It is still in use. People can make signs for letters and spell words with their hands, and deaf people can read and understand them.
The priest who made²³ up the finger alphabet also founded²⁴ the first school for the deaf in Paris in 1760. Teachers and doctors who wanted to help deaf people went to Paris and learnt Abbe de l'Epee's system²⁵. Then they taught²⁶ it to their students and patients²⁷. Soon there were schools for the deaf in many countries.
Today in the United²⁸ States²⁹, there are special TV news³⁰ programs³¹ for deaf people. The newsreader tells the new in sign language. At the same time, the words appear³² on the TV screen³³.
There is also a National³⁴ Theater³⁵ of the Deaf. Most of the actors³⁶ in this group are deaf. They travel³⁷ from city to city and do plays, readings³⁸, poems³⁹ and dances in sign language and pantomime. Two members tell the story or speak the lines during⁴⁰ the performance⁴¹.
The actors in the Theater of the Deaf do not finger spell every word. Sometimes they use hand signs. When they put two hands together, it means⁴² "sandwich". They can make a roof⁴³ with their hands over their heads when they want to show "house". One finger in front of an actor's mouth means "quiet". With sign language, you can talk to people who are behind windows that are closed⁴⁴. And when you go swimming with your friends, you can have a conversation⁴⁵ under water!