中國網(wǎng)站品牌欄目（頻道）
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A recent survey found that the French are the second-most insecure people in Europe after Italy about their proficiency in English. Only 13 percent of the French respondents believed they are proficient in the language, according to the European data agency Eurostat. The situation is no better in business circles, where three-quarters of French executives feel unprepared to hold an interview in English and only 16 percent say they feel comfortable with the language, a separate survey showed. The survey results aren't surprising. The French seem to have always had this cold and gloomy attitude toward the English language. But what struck me is that, despite the French pessimism, living in Paris without being able to speak the language of Moliere is easier these days than in the past. New immigrants are part of the reason. I can have an easy chat with the owner of the laundromat in my neighborhood. Buying the medicine I need at the local pharmacy is effortless. Ordering a meal in English at the restaurant two blocks away from my apartment does not make me feel awkward. It is all because the people who run these businesses are immigrants. With the world becoming smaller and the economic interests of countries becoming so intertwined, immigrants and foreign cultures are pouring into the country. Boundaries are becoming less visible, and it is much harder for people to live an easy life by simply clinging to their own language. Greater tolerance and acceptance of non-French speakers is a reflection of the fact that France, willingly or not, has begun to embrace globalization more comfortably. For instance, you will never get the same look you would have had 15 years ago if you ask for directions in English on the streets of Paris. I have also met many native French who are happy to communicate in English. They are usually the kind of people who are open-minded and are sensitive to the changes beyond their own territories. They are very interested in gaining insight into what is happening on the other side of the globe. In May, the French Parliament passed a law to allow university classes to be taught in English in an effort to boost the attractiveness of the country's universities. The opposition and the controversy it generated showed that the French are still struggling with their insecurity toward English, the invasion of Anglo-American culture and the sense of decline in terms of international influence. In my hometown, English is also being hotly debated since Beijing education authorities decided to reduce the importance of English proficiency in college entrance exams and simultaneously increase that of the Chinese language and literature. The Chinese and the French share similarities in attitudes toward foreign languages. We are both so proud of our own languages and cultures that we can feel uncomfortable when we are forced to communicate in another language. But like it or not, English is still the most widely used language in the world, at least for the foreseeable future. For some occupations, it is a must-speak language. The Chinese people have realized this fact since the country's opening-up in the late 1970s. After all, it is not about abandoning one's own language but about being able to fit more easily into this globalized world. By Li Xiang ( China Daily) |
最近的一項調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，在歐洲法國人是繼意大利人之后第二大對英語感到不安的人。據(jù)歐洲數(shù)據(jù)機(jī)構(gòu)歐盟統(tǒng)計局調(diào)查顯示，僅有13%的法國受訪者認(rèn)為他們可以熟練運用英語。 另一個單獨的調(diào)查顯示，這一狀況在商界也不樂觀，在法國商界有四分之三的高管對英語采訪感到不安，僅有16%的人表示他們對英語得心應(yīng)手。 這一調(diào)查結(jié)果并不讓人意外，法國人看上去一直對英語持有冷漠、陰郁的態(tài)度。但是在我眼里，盡管法國人對英語抱有悲觀情緒，不會法語的人在巴黎生活卻比以前要容易得多。 一部分原因是新移民的影響，我可以在我家附近的洗衣店同老板輕松地聊天，也可以毫不費力地在當(dāng)?shù)厮幏抠徺I到我需要的藥品，用英語在離我家兩條街道遠(yuǎn)的餐館里點餐也不會讓我感到尷尬。這都是因為經(jīng)營這些生意的人都是移民。 隨著世界變得越來越小，國家的經(jīng)濟(jì)利益變得相互影響，移民和外來文化正在涌入每個國家。語言的界限變得越來越模糊，對人們來說，想要僅依靠自己的語言過輕松的生活變得越來越難。 對不說法語的人更大的包容和接受反映了法國如今的現(xiàn)實，不論愿不愿意，法國已經(jīng)開始更加自如地接受全球化了。比如，當(dāng)你在巴黎街上用英語問路的時候，路人的表情不會再跟15年前那樣。 我也遇到過很多法國本土人，他們很樂于用英語交流。他們通常是那種思想開放、對自己國家領(lǐng)域外的變化很敏感的人，他們很有興趣了解發(fā)生在地球另一邊的事情。 五月法國國會通過了一項法律，允許用英語講授大學(xué)課程，目的在于提高國內(nèi)大學(xué)的吸引力。這項法律引起的反對和爭議表明了法國人仍然掙扎于對英語的不安全感、英美文化的入侵，以及法語國際影響力的逐漸衰退。 自從北京政府教育部門決定在高考中降低英語能力的重要性，同時提高漢語語言和文化的重要性之后，這一舉措就在我的家鄉(xiāng)引起了熱烈的討論。 中國和法國在對待外國語言方面抱有相同的態(tài)度。我們都以自己的語言和文化為榮，以至于當(dāng)我們被迫用別的語言與別人交流的時候，我們就會感到很不自在。 但是不管喜歡還是不喜歡，英語仍然是世界上最廣泛應(yīng)用的語言，至少在可預(yù)見的將來是這樣。有一些職業(yè)要求必須說英語。自從二十世紀(jì)七十年代末中國進(jìn)行改革開放以來，中國人民已經(jīng)認(rèn)識到了這個事實。 總而言之，這不是拋棄自己的語言，而是讓自己更從容地融入到全球化的世界中去。 相關(guān)閱讀 【都市漫談】中國游客緊湊的歐洲行程無法領(lǐng)略比利時布魯塞爾的魅力 【中國論壇】樹大招風(fēng) （中國日報記者李想報道） |
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