UN emphasizes global approach to multilingualism(32511)-英语教育-(82)-21英语网

本文作者： 21ST

　　第61届联合国大会日前宣布2008年为国际语言年，要求潘基文秘书长确保联合国内六种语言服务享有平等地位、获得平等的工作条件和资源，并且尽快完成在联合国网站上发布以往重要文献的六种语言版本。

　　THE UN General Assembly proclaimed on May 17, that 2008 will be the International Year of Languages, to show that genuine multilingualism promotes unity in diversity and international understanding.

　　Acting without a vote, the Assembly adopted the resolution by consensus. It emphasized “the paramount importance of the equality of the organization’s six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish)”.

　　The Assembly requested UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to ensure that all language services are given equal treatment and are provided with equally favorable working conditions and resources. The secretary general was also asked to complete the task of publishing all important older UN documents on the organization’s website in all six official languages, on a priority basis.

　　The Assembly emphasized the importance of making appropriate use of all the official languages in all activities of the Department of Public Information, with the aim of eliminating the disparity between the use of English and the use of the other official languages.

　　Introducing the resolution, France’s representative said the text would ensure a “global” approach to multilingualism and would promote a reasonable vision of multilingualism at the United Nations. It would help ensure adherence to the principles of multilingualism in the organization’s daily activities and, for the first time, would underline the importance of providing technical assistance and training in the local languages of beneficiary countries.

　　Although, in theory, all six official languages have equal status at the UN, some languages are more “equal” than others. For example, the Secretariat uses two working languages, English and French. Public information used not to be translated into Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese. This led to a protest in 2001 by the representatives of Spanish-speaking countries.

　　Today, statements made in an official language at a formal meeting in the UN are interpreted simultaneously into the other official languages by UN interpreters. Documents are produced in the six official languages and are issued simultaneously when all the language versions are available.

　　Some people think that the UN spends too much money on translation and interpretation and that it should adopt a single official language. The Transnational Radical Party and Esperanto International Federation have proposed that the UN adopt Esperanto as its official language. Meanwhile others want to add official languages, e.g. Hindi.

　　