then we're not going to be able to find interesting generalizations

那我们就无法得出各种有趣的概论
or do good science about it.

或是无法对语言进行科学的研究
So, what I want to do is,

因此我想做的是
I want to discuss the scientific notion of language,

我想来谈谈语言的科学定义
at first restricting myself

首先我会将自己限定在
to systems like English and Dutch and American sign language

诸如英语荷兰语美国手语
and Navajo and so on.

或迪瓦霍语等语言系统之下
Once we've made some generalizations

一旦我们在狭义上
about language in this narrow sense,

得出了某些关于语言的概论
we could then ask, and we will ask,

那我们就可以发问
to what extent

诸如动物交流系统之类的其他系统
do other systems such as animal communication systems

会在多大程度上