評(píng)論
打印
The language I'm speaking right now is on its way to becoming the world's universal language, for better or for worse.
我現(xiàn)在說(shuō)的英語(yǔ)正逐漸變成全球通用語(yǔ)言，這有好處也有弊端。
Let's face it, it's the language of the internet, it's the language of finance,
我們會(huì)認(rèn)同，這是互聯(lián)網(wǎng)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)語(yǔ)言，是金融界通用語(yǔ)言，
it's the language of air traffic control, of popular music, diplomacy -- English is everywhere.
是空中管制標(biāo)準(zhǔn)語(yǔ)言，流行音樂(lè)，外交活動(dòng)。英語(yǔ)無(wú)處不在。
Now, Mandarin Chinese is spoken by more people,
實(shí)際上，說(shuō)漢語(yǔ)的人數(shù)更多一些，
but more Chinese people are learning English than English speakers are learning Chinese.
但是學(xué)英語(yǔ)的中國(guó)人要比學(xué)漢語(yǔ)的英語(yǔ)母語(yǔ)者要多。
Last I heard, there are two dozen universities in China right now teaching all in English. English is taking over.
我之前聽說(shuō)，現(xiàn)在中國(guó)有二十多所大學(xué)使用純英語(yǔ)教學(xué)。英語(yǔ)已占統(tǒng)治地位。
And in addition to that, it's been predicted that at the end of the century almost all of the languages that exist now
除此之外，預(yù)計(jì)在本世紀(jì)末期，絕大多數(shù)現(xiàn)存的語(yǔ)言，
there are about 6,000 -- will no longer be spoken.
大約6000種，將會(huì)失傳。
There will only be some hundreds left.
只會(huì)有幾百種剩下。
And on top of that, it's at the point where instant translation of live speech is not only possible, but it gets better every year.
另一方面，現(xiàn)在同傳翻譯不僅已經(jīng)成為可能，而且每年都在變得更好。
The reason I'm reciting those things to you is
我跟大家說(shuō)這么多，
because I can tell that we're getting to the point where a question is going to start being asked, which is:
是因?yàn)槲乙鲆粋€(gè)問(wèn)題，一個(gè)大家或許已經(jīng)在問(wèn)的問(wèn)題，就是：
Why should we learn foreign languages -- other than if English happens to be foreign to one?
為什么我們需要學(xué)習(xí)除英語(yǔ)的外語(yǔ)？
Why bother to learn another one when it's getting to the point where almost everybody in the world will be able to communicate in one?
既然很快英語(yǔ)會(huì)成為通用語(yǔ)言，為什么還要去學(xué)習(xí)新的語(yǔ)言呢？
