Message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, on the Occasion of International Mother Language Day

聯(lián)合國教科文組織總干事伊琳娜·博科娃女士國際母語日致辭

UNESCO, 21 February 2014

教科文組織，2014年2月21日

Local languages for global citizenship: spotlight on science

當?shù)卣Z言促進世界公民意識：聚焦科學(xué)

For 14 years now, UNESCO and its partners have celebrated International Mother Language Day. We have organized activities, conferences, concerts and seminars around the world to highlight the importance of linguistic diversity and multilingualism.

教科文組織及其合作伙伴慶祝國際母語日已有十四載。世界各地舉辦活動、講座、音樂會、研討會，幫助每個人探討語言多樣性和多語言制的重要意義。

The protection and promotion of mother languages are keys to global citizenship and authentic mutual understanding. Understanding and speaking more than one language leads to a greater understanding of the wealth of cultural interactions in our world. Recognizing local languages enables more people to make their voices heard and take an active part in their collective fate. That is why UNESCO makes every effort to promote the harmonious coexistence of the 7,000 languages spoken by humanity.

保護和促進母語對于世界公民意識以及真正的相互理解至關(guān)重要。懂得和會講多種語言，就可更好地理解我們這個世界豐富的文化互動。承認當?shù)卣Z言可讓最大多數(shù)人發(fā)出自己的聲音，積極參與到集體命運之中。所以教科文組織調(diào)動一切因素來促進人類所講的 7000種語言的和諧共處。

This year, we place special emphasis on “Local languages for global citizenship: spotlight on science”, showing how languages ensure access to knowledge, its transmission and its plurality. Contrary to popular wisdom, local languages are perfectly capable of transmitting the most modern scientific knowledge in mathematics, physics, technology and so on. Recognizing these languages also means opening the door to a great deal of often overlooked traditional scientific knowledge to enrich our overall knowledge base.

今年我們的重點是“當?shù)卣Z言促進世界公民意識：聚焦科學(xué)”，來說明語言對于知識的獲取、傳播和多元化居功至偉。與固有觀念相反，當?shù)卣Z言完全能夠傳播最現(xiàn)代的科學(xué)知識，如數(shù)學(xué)、物理、技術(shù)。承認這些語言，也就打開了經(jīng)常被視而不見的多種傳統(tǒng)科學(xué)知識的大門，并豐富我們的知識。

Local languages constitute the majority of languages spoken across our world in the field of science. They are also the most endangered. Excluding languages means excluding those who speak them from their fundamental human right to scientific knowledge.

在科學(xué)領(lǐng)域，世界上所說的大多數(shù)語言是當?shù)卣Z言。它們也是最受威脅的語言。語言排斥表現(xiàn)在對說這些語言的人的排斥，從他們的基本人權(quán)到科學(xué)知識。

And yet, the rapprochement of peoples in the “global village” makes working towards intercultural understanding and dialogue ever more vital. In today’s world, the norm is to use at least three languages, including one local language, one language of wider communication and one international language to communicate at both the local and global levels. This linguistic and cultural diversity may be our best chance for the future: for creativity, innovation and inclusion. We must not squander it.

然而，“地球村”各民族要和睦相處，文化理解和對話工作就愈加必要。今天，世界上的標準是至少使用三種語言：一種當?shù)卣Z言，一種用于主要交流的語言和一種用于當?shù)睾腿驅(qū)用娼涣鞯膰H語言。這種語言和文化多樣性也許是我們建設(shè)創(chuàng)造性、創(chuàng)新和包容的未來的最大機遇。切莫浪費這一機遇。

International Mother Language Day has contributed for more than a decade to highlighting the many roles played by languages in shaping minds, in the broadest sense, and building a global citizenship where we all have the means of contributing to the lives and challenges of societies. I call upon all the Member States of UNESCO, the International Organisation of La Francophonie—which is associated with the Day in 2014—those active in civil society, educators, cultural associations and the media to make the most of this promise of linguistic diversity for peace and sustainable development.

十幾年來，國際母語日為發(fā)揮語言的多種作用培養(yǎng)廣義的人才、培養(yǎng)世界公民意識、讓人人擁有參與社會生活和挑戰(zhàn)的真正手段做出了貢獻。我請教科文組織的所有會員國、加入到2014年母語日的國際法語組織、民間社會的有關(guān)方面、教育工作者、文化協(xié)會和媒體履行諾言，讓語言多樣性促進和平與可持續(xù)發(fā)展。

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