And in that time, I have seen a lot of changes. Now that statistic is quite shocking. And I want to

在過去這段時間，看到已經發生很多的改變。現在這些數據是相當驚人的

talk to you today about language loss and the globalization of English. I want to tell

而我想在今天與你們談到，關於語言消失和英語的全球化。我想要告訴

you about my friend who was teaching English to adults in Abu Dhabi. And one fine day,

你們有關我的朋友在阿布達比教授成人英語的故事。在一個天氣不錯日子

she decided to take them into the garden to teach them some nature vocabulary. But it

她決定帶領學生進入到花園教他們一些大自然的字彙。

was she who ended up learning all the Arabic words for the local plants, as well as their

但是當他們學習完所有的當地植物的阿拉伯單字和如何使用它們

uses -- medicinal uses, cosmetics, cooking, herbal. How did those students get all that

醫藥用、化妝用、烹調用、草本用。學生們怎麼有這些全部的知識？

knowledge? Of course, from their grandparents and even their great-grandparents. It's not

當然，從他們的袓父母親，甚至和他們的曾袓父母親

necessary to tell you how important it is to be able to communicate across generations.

這不是必需去告訴你，能夠去跨不同世代溝通有多重要

But sadly, today, languages are dying at an unprecedented rate. A language dies every

但很可惜，在今日，語言是以前所未有的速率在消失

14 days. Now, at the same time, English is the undisputed global language. Could there

每14天就有一個消失。同時現在，英語毫無疑問是世界的語言

be a connection? Well I don't know. But I do know that I've seen a lot of changes. When

這個之間有什麼關聯？我不清楚。但我看到已經發生很大的改變

I first came out to the Gulf, I came to Kuwait in the days when it was still a hardship post.

當我第一次到波斯灣區，就停留科威特市。那段時間，書信往返還相當困難

Actually, not that long ago. That is a little bit too early. But nevertheless, I was recruited

實際上，不久以前。這裡有些未開發。然而，

by the British Council, along with about 25 other teachers. And we were the first non-Muslims

我與其它25位教師被英國議會雇用。我們是第一批非伊斯蘭教

to teach in the state schools there in Kuwait. We were brought to teach English because the

在科威特國立學校教書。我們被帶來教英文是因為

government wanted to modernize the country and to empower the citizens through education.

政府想要把國家現代化，並企圖以教育強化市民素質

And of course, the U.K. benefited from some of that lovely oil wealth.

再者，英國一直因為科威特出產的石油而受益

Okay. Now this is the major change that I've seen -- how teaching English has morphed from

現在，我看到了這些主要的改變。教英文這件事是如何演變

being a mutually beneficial practice to becoming a massive international business that it is

從一個互相有益的學習變成現今大規模的國際性業務

today. No longer just a foreign language on the school curriculum, and no longer the sole

在學校課程裡，不再只是作為一門外國語言課程，不再只是限於英國領域

domain of mother England, it has become a bandwagon for every English-speaking nation

在地球上每個用英語講話的國家，它變成一個時尚

on earth. And why not? After all, the best education -- according to the latest World

何樂而不為？說到底，根據最新世界大學排名，最好的教育

University Rankings -- is to be found in the universities of the U.K. and the U.S. So everybody

都能夠在美國和英國找到。所以每個人

wants to have an English education, naturally. But if you're not a native speaker,

天生地想要英語教育。但如果你不是以英語作為母語的人

you have to pass a test. Now can it be right to reject a student on

你必需通過一個測驗認證。現在它能有權力去否決一位學生的語文能力？

linguistic ability alone? Perhaps you have a computer scientist who's a genius. Would

也許你有想成為一個天才電腦科學家

he need the same language as a lawyer, for example? Well, I don't think so. We English

舉例來說，他會需要相同語言當一個律師？我不這麼認為

teachers reject them all the time. We put a stop sign, and we stop them in their tracks.

我們英語教師不斷拒絕他們。我們設立一個禁止進入牌子，阻擋他們的跑道

They can't pursue their dream any longer, 'til they get English. Now let me put it this

他們再也不能夠逐夢，直到他們學會英語。現在讓我這樣說

way: if I met a monolingual Dutch speaker who had the cure for cancer, would I stop

如果我遇到一位只會講荷蘭語的人，他握有治癌的方法，我該阻止

him from entering my British University? I don't think so. But indeed, that is exactly

他進入英國的大學嗎？我不這麼想。但實際上，我們確實是這麼幹

what we do. We English teachers are the gatekeepers. And you have to satisfy us first that your

我們英語教師是守門人。你首先必需要英語夠好才能使我們滿意

English is good enough. Now it can be dangerous to give too much power to a narrow segment

英語已經發展的相當不錯。現在對於社會弱勢部份，它變得太強大招來危險

of society. Maybe the barrier would be too universal.

也許障礙是很普遍的

Okay. "But," I hear you say, "what about the research? It's all in English." So the books

「但是」我聽到你說「研究又怎麼說？它全部是英文」所以書也是英文

are in English, the journals are done in English, but that is a self-fulfilling prophecy. It

期刊也由英語寫成。但那是一個自我實現的預言

feeds the English requirement. And so it goes on. I ask you, what happened to translation?

它加深英語的需求，所以就這麼運作。我問你，翻譯發生了什麼事？

If you think about the Islamic Golden Age, there was lots of translation then. They translated

如果你想到伊斯蘭黃金時代，那裡有相當多的翻譯本

from Latin and Greek into Arabic, into Persian, and then it was translated on into the Germanic

他們從拉丁語和希臘語翻譯成阿拉伯語，翻譯成波斯語，以前還翻譯成歐洲日耳曼語

languages of Europe and the Romance languages. And so light shone upon the Dark Ages of Europe.

和羅曼語。點亮了歐洲黑暗時代

Now don't get me wrong; I am not against teaching English, all you English teachers out there.

不要誤會我的意思。我不是反對教英語，所有的英語教師都還在那裡

I love it that we have a global language. We need one today more than ever. But I am

我愛英語，我們擁有一個全球的語言。我們比起過去更需要它

against using it as a barrier. Do we really want to end up with 600 languages and the

但是我反對使用它做為一個障礙。我們需要去結束600多種語言，而

main one being English, or Chinese? We need more than that. Where do we draw the line?

只使用主流的英文和中文？我們需要更多。我們可以在哪裡設下停損線

This system equates intelligence with a knowledge of English, which is quite arbitrary.

這個系統等同的英文知識智慧，是相當專制的

And I want to remind you that the giants upon whose shoulders today's intelligentsia stand

而我想提醒你巨人肩膀上，由今日知識份子站著

did not have to have English, they didn't have to pass an English test. Case in point,

他們不必通過英語測驗。如同愛因斯坦的例子

Einstein. He, by the way, was considered remedial at school because he was, in fact, dyslexic.

他過去曾考慮在學校治療誦讀困難的狀況

But fortunately for the world, he did not have to pass an English test. Because they

但是這對全世界是件好事，他不用通過英語測驗。因為他們

didn't start until 1964 with TOEFL, the American test of English. Now it's exploded. There

一直沒有舉辦考試，直到1964年的美國托褔測驗。現在是被破除了

are lots and lots of tests of English. And millions and millions of students take these

那裡有很多很多的英語測驗。和數百萬的學生每年在那裡接受考試

tests every year. Now you might think, you and me, "Those fees aren't bad, they're okay,"

現在你可能在想，你或我「這些費用並不貴，還可以接受」

but they are prohibitive to so many millions of poor people. So immediately, we're rejecting

但是對數百萬窮人來說，它是過高的。所以立刻，我們拒絕他們

them. It brings to mind a headline I saw recently:

我想起最近看了一則頭條

"Education: The Great Divide." Now I get it, I understand why people would want to focus

《教育：最好的分水嶺》現在我知道了，明白為何人們想要去強調英語

on English. They want to give their children the best chance in life. And to do that, they

他們想要給予他們的下一代生命中最好的機會。要做到這件事

need a Western education. Because, of course, the best jobs go to people out of the Western

他們需要華盛頓的教育。當然因為最好工作給出自華盛頓大學的人

Universities, that I put on earlier. It's a circular thing.

我早些時候說明過。這是一個無限循環的事情

When students come to us from abroad, we may not be giving them enough credit for what they know,

當學生從各地過來，我們可能無法給他們足夠的讚揚對於他們知道的

and they know it in their own language. When a language dies, we don't know what we lose with that language

明白事情透過他們自己的語言。當一個語言消失時，我們並不清楚我們損失了什麼

Let us celebrate diversity! Mind your language. Use it to spread great ideas.

讓我們慶祝不同語言的存在！掌握你的語言。並用它去散播更多神奇的點子