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Now, at the same time, English is the undisputed global language.
而同時，現在英語又無可爭辯地成為全球性語言。
Could there be a connection? Well I don't know.
這兩者間有聯系嗎？我不知道。
But I do know that I've seen a lot of changes.
但是我知道我已目睹了很多變化。
When I first came out to the Gulf, I came to Kuwait in the days when it was still a hardship post.
當我初到海灣時，我到了科威特，那個時候那兒還算是一個艱苦地區。
Actually, not that long ago. That is a little bit too early.
其實也就是沒多久以前。這幅圖還更早一點。
But nevertheless, I was recruited by the British Council, along with about 25 other teachers.
不去管它，我被英國文化協會招聘到這里，同時招來的還有其他25個老師。
And we were the first non-Muslims to teach in the state schools there in Kuwait.
我們是最早在科威特公立學校教書的非穆斯林。
We were brought to teach English because the government wanted to modernize the country
我們被請來教英語，因為政府想要發展國家現代化
and to empower the citizens through education.
讓公民通過學習提高自己。
And of course, the U.K. benefited from some of that lovely oil wealth. Okay.
當然，英國也因此收益于那些讓人喜愛的石油財富。好。
Now this is the major change that I've seen --
這是我看見過的主要變化--
how teaching English has morphed from being a mutually beneficial practice
英語教學是怎樣演變的，使它從一個互惠的交流方式
to becoming a massive international business that it is today.
變成如今的一個規模巨大的國際交流。
No longer just a foreign language on the school curriculum,
它不再只是學校課程的一門外語課。
and no longer the sole domain of mother England.
也不再是英國特有。
It has become a bandwagon for every English-speaking nation on earth.
對地球上每個說英語的國家而言，說英語已成為潮流。
And why not? After all, the best education
為什么不呢？畢竟，最好的教育--
according to the latest World University Rankings -- is to be found in the universities of the U.K. and the U.S.
根據最新的世界大學排名--最好的大學總是在英國或者美國。
So everybody wants to have an English education, naturally.
自然每個人都想得到英語教育。
