TEDxDubai
Patricia Ryan: Don't insist on English!
Patricia Ryan：別堅持說英語！
Filmed:
Readability: 3.6
2,138,668 views
在TEDxDubai，資深的英語老師Patricia Ryan問了一個發人深省的問題 ：這個世界獨尊英語, 是否會阻礙其他語言傳播優秀的想法？（例如：假如愛因斯坦需要通過托福考試？）這是一場捍衛翻譯和分享想法的熱情演說。
Patricia Ryan - Language teacher
Patricia Ryan has spent the past three-plus decades teaching English in Arabic countries -- where she has seen vast cultural (and linguistic) change. Full bio
Patricia Ryan has spent the past three-plus decades teaching English in Arabic countries -- where she has seen vast cultural (and linguistic) change. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:16
I know what you're thinking.
0
1000
2000
我知道你們在想什麼
00:18
You think I've lost my way,
1
3000
2000
你們覺得我迷路了
00:20
and somebody's going to come on the stage in a minute
2
5000
2000
馬上就會有人走上台
00:22
and guide me gently back to my seat.
3
7000
2000
溫和地把我帶回我的座位上
00:24
(Applause)
4
9000
6000
(掌聲)
00:30
I get that all the time in Dubai.
5
15000
3000
我在杜拜總會遇上這種事
00:33
"Here on holiday are you, dear?"
6
18000
2000
“來這裡度假的嗎，親愛的？”
00:35
(Laughter)
7
20000
2000
(笑聲)
00:37
"Come to visit the children?
8
22000
3000
“來探望孩子的嗎？
00:40
How long are you staying?"
9
25000
2000
這次要待多久呢？"
00:42
Well actually, I hope for a while longer yet.
10
27000
3000
恩，事實上，我希望能再待久一點
00:45
I have been living and teaching in the Gulf
11
30000
3000
我在波斯灣這邊生活和教書
00:48
for over 30 years.
12
33000
2000
已經超過30年了
00:50
(Applause)
13
35000
4000
(掌聲)
00:54
And in that time, I have seen a lot of changes.
14
39000
4000
這段時間裡，我看到了很多變化
00:58
Now that statistic
15
43000
2000
現在這份數據
01:00
is quite shocking.
16
45000
2000
是挺嚇人的
01:02
And I want to talk to you today
17
47000
2000
而我今天要和你們說的
01:04
about language loss
18
49000
2000
是有關語言的消失
01:06
and the globalization of English.
19
51000
3000
和英語的全球化
01:09
I want to tell you about my friend
20
54000
2000
我想和你們談談我的朋友
01:11
who was teaching English to adults in Abu Dhabi.
21
56000
3000
她在阿布達比教成人英語
01:14
And one fine day,
22
59000
2000
在一個晴朗的日子裡
01:16
she decided to take them into the garden
23
61000
2000
她決定帶她的學生到花園去
01:18
to teach them some nature vocabulary.
24
63000
2000
教他們一些大自然的詞彙
01:20
But it was she who ended up learning
25
65000
2000
但最後卻變成是她在學習
01:22
all the Arabic words for the local plants,
26
67000
2000
所有當地植物在阿拉伯語中是怎麼說的
01:24
as well as their uses --
27
69000
2000
還有這些植物是如何被使用
01:26
medicinal uses, cosmetics,
28
71000
3000
作為藥材，化妝品
01:29
cooking, herbal.
29
74000
3000
烹飪，香草
01:32
How did those students get all that knowledge?
30
77000
2000
這些學生是怎麼得到這些知識的呢？
01:34
Of course, from their grandparents
31
79000
2000
當然是從他們的祖父母
01:36
and even their great-grandparents.
32
81000
3000
甚至曾祖父母那裡得來的
01:39
It's not necessary to tell you how important it is
33
84000
3000
不需要我來告訴你們
01:42
to be able to communicate
34
87000
2000
能夠跨世代溝通
01:44
across generations.
35
89000
2000
是多麼重要
01:46
But sadly, today,
36
91000
2000
但遺憾的是，今天
01:48
languages are dying
37
93000
2000
很多語言
01:50
at an unprecedented rate.
38
95000
2000
正在以前所未有的速度消失
01:52
A language dies every 14 days.
39
97000
3000
每14天就有一種語言消失
01:56
Now, at the same time,
40
101000
2000
而在此同時
01:58
English is the undisputed global language.
41
103000
2000
英語卻無庸置疑地成為全球性的語言
02:00
Could there be a connection?
42
105000
2000
這其中有關聯嗎？
02:02
Well I don't know.
43
107000
2000
我不知道
02:04
But I do know that I've seen a lot of changes.
44
109000
3000
但我知道的是我見證過許多改變
02:07
When I first came out to the Gulf, I came to Kuwait
45
112000
3000
當我初次來到波灣，我是去科威特
02:10
in the days when it was still a hardship post.
46
115000
3000
當時教英文仍然是個困難的工作
02:13
Actually, not that long ago.
47
118000
2000
其實，沒有那麼久啦
02:15
That is a little bit too early.
48
120000
3000
這有點太久以前了
02:18
But nevertheless,
49
123000
2000
總之
02:20
I was recruited by the British Council,
50
125000
2000
我被英國文化協會聘用
02:22
along with about 25 other teachers.
51
127000
2000
連同其他25位老師
02:24
And we were the first non-Muslims
52
129000
2000
我們是第一批非穆斯林的老師
02:26
to teach in the state schools there in Kuwait.
53
131000
3000
在科威特的國立學校任教
02:29
We were brought to teach English
54
134000
2000
我們被派到那裡教英語
02:31
because the government wanted to modernize the country
55
136000
4000
是因為當地政府希望國家可以現代化
02:35
and to empower the citizens through education.
56
140000
3000
並透過教育提升公民的水準
02:38
And of course, the U.K. benefited
57
143000
2000
當然，英國也能得到些好處
02:40
from some of that lovely oil wealth.
58
145000
3000
產油國可是很有錢的
02:43
Okay.
59
148000
2000
言歸正傳
02:45
Now this is the major change that I've seen --
60
150000
3000
我見過最大的改變, 就是
02:48
how teaching English
61
153000
2000
英語教學
02:50
has morphed
62
155000
2000
的蛻變
02:52
from being a mutually beneficial practice
63
157000
4000
如何從一個互惠互利的方式
02:56
to becoming a massive international business that it is today.
64
161000
3000
變成今天這種大規模的國際事業
02:59
No longer just a foreign language on the school curriculum,
65
164000
4000
英語不再是學校課程裡的外語學科
03:03
and no longer the sole domain
66
168000
2000
也不再只是
03:05
of mother England,
67
170000
2000
英國的專利
03:07
it has become a bandwagon
68
172000
2000
英語(教學)已經成為
03:09
for every English-speaking nation on earth.
69
174000
3000
所有英語系國家追逐的潮流
03:12
And why not?
70
177000
2000
何樂而不為呢？
03:14
After all, the best education --
71
179000
3000
畢竟，最好的教育來自於最好的大學
03:17
according to the latest World University Rankings --
72
182000
3000
而根據最新的世界大學排名
03:20
is to be found in the universities
73
185000
2000
那些名列前茅的
03:22
of the U.K. and the U.S.
74
187000
4000
都是英國和美國的大學
03:26
So everybody wants to have an English education, naturally.
75
191000
4000
所以自然每個人都想接受英語教育
03:30
But if you're not a native speaker,
76
195000
2000
但如果你不是以英文為母語
03:32
you have to pass a test.
77
197000
2000
你就要通過考試
03:34
Now can it be right
78
199000
2000
但僅憑語言能力
03:36
to reject a student
79
201000
2000
就拒絕學生
03:38
on linguistic ability alone?
80
203000
2000
這樣對嗎？
03:40
Perhaps you have a computer scientist
81
205000
2000
譬如如果你碰到一位電腦科學家
03:42
who's a genius.
82
207000
2000
他是位天才
03:44
Would he need the same language as a lawyer, for example?
83
209000
3000
他會需要有和律師一樣的語言能力嗎？
03:47
Well, I don't think so.
84
212000
3000
我不這麼認為
03:51
We English teachers reject them all the time.
85
216000
3000
但身為英語老師的我們卻總是拒絕他們
03:54
We put a stop sign,
86
219000
2000
我們處處設限
03:56
and we stop them in their tracks.
87
221000
2000
將學生擋在路上
03:58
They can't pursue their dream any longer,
88
223000
2000
使他們無法再追求自己的夢想
04:00
'til they get English.
89
225000
3000
直到他們通過考試
04:04
Now let me put it this way:
90
229000
3000
現在容我換一個方式說
04:07
if I met a monolingual Dutch speaker
91
232000
4000
如果我遇到了一位只會說荷蘭話的人
04:11
who had the cure for cancer,
92
236000
2000
而這個人能治愈癌症
04:13
would I stop him from entering my British University?
93
238000
3000
我會阻止他進入我的英國大學嗎？
04:16
I don't think so.
94
241000
2000
我想不會
04:18
But indeed, that is exactly what we do.
95
243000
3000
但事實上，我們的確在做這種事
04:21
We English teachers are the gatekeepers.
96
246000
3000
我們這些英語老師就是把關的
04:24
And you have to satisfy us first
97
249000
3000
你必須先讓我們滿意
04:27
that your English is good enough.
98
252000
3000
使我們認定你的英文夠好
04:31
Now it can be dangerous
99
256000
2000
但這可能是危險的
04:33
to give too much power
100
258000
3000
把太多的權力
04:36
to a narrow segment of society.
101
261000
2000
交由這麼小的一群人把持
04:38
Maybe the barrier would be too universal.
102
263000
3000
也許會令這種障礙太過普及
04:41
Okay.
103
266000
2000
好
04:43
"But," I hear you say,
104
268000
3000
"但是"，我聽到你們問
04:46
"what about the research?
105
271000
2000
"那研究呢?"
04:48
It's all in English."
106
273000
2000
"他們都用英文"
04:50
So the books are in English,
107
275000
2000
書用英文寫
04:52
the journals are done in English,
108
277000
2000
期刊也都是用英文
04:54
but that is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
109
279000
3000
但這只是一種理所當然的現象
04:57
It feeds the English requirement.
110
282000
2000
有英語要求自然就有英語供給
04:59
And so it goes on.
111
284000
2000
然後就這麼循環下去
05:01
I ask you, what happened to translation?
112
286000
3000
我倒想問問大家，為什麼不用翻譯呢？
05:04
If you think about the Islamic Golden Age,
113
289000
4000
如果你們想想伊斯蘭的黃金時代
05:08
there was lots of translation then.
114
293000
3000
當時翻譯盛行
05:11
They translated from Latin and Greek
115
296000
3000
他們把拉丁文和希臘文
05:14
into Arabic, into Persian,
116
299000
2000
翻譯成阿拉伯文或波斯文
05:16
and then it was translated on
117
301000
2000
然後再由拉伯文或波斯文翻譯為
05:18
into the Germanic languages of Europe
118
303000
2000
歐洲的日耳曼語言
05:20
and the Romance languages.
119
305000
2000
以及羅曼語言
05:22
And so light shone upon the Dark Ages of Europe.
120
307000
4000
於是文明照亮了歐洲的黑暗時代
05:27
Now don't get me wrong;
121
312000
2000
但不要誤會我的意思
05:29
I am not against teaching English,
122
314000
2000
我不是反對英語教學
05:31
all you English teachers out there.
123
316000
2000
或是在座所有的英語老師
05:33
I love it that we have a global language.
124
318000
2000
我很高興我們有一個全球性的語言
05:35
We need one today more than ever.
125
320000
3000
這在今日尤為重要
05:38
But I am against using it
126
323000
2000
但我反對用英語
05:40
as a barrier.
127
325000
2000
設立障礙
05:42
Do we really want to end up with 600 languages
128
327000
3000
難道我們真希望世界上只剩下600種語言
05:45
and the main one being English, or Chinese?
129
330000
3000
其中又以英文或中文為主流？
05:48
We need more than that. Where do we draw the line?
130
333000
3000
我們需要的不只如此。那麼我們該如何拿捏呢？
05:51
This system
131
336000
2000
這個體制
05:53
equates intelligence
132
338000
3000
把智能
05:56
with a knowledge of English,
133
341000
3000
和英語能力畫上等號
05:59
which is quite arbitrary.
134
344000
2000
這是相當武斷的
06:01
(Applause)
135
346000
6000
(掌聲)
06:07
And I want to remind you
136
352000
2000
我想要提醒你們
06:09
that the giants upon whose shoulders
137
354000
3000
扶持當代知識分子的
06:12
today's intelligentsia stand
138
357000
2000
這些"巨人肩膀"
06:14
did not have to have English,
139
359000
2000
不必非得具有英文能力
06:16
they didn't have to pass an English test.
140
361000
2000
他們不需要通過英語考試
06:18
Case in point, Einstein.
141
363000
3000
愛因斯坦就是典型的例子
06:22
He, by the way, was considered remedial at school
142
367000
3000
順便說一下，他在學校還曾被認為需要補救教學
06:25
because he was, in fact, dyslexic.
143
370000
2000
因為他其實有閱讀障礙
06:27
But fortunately for the world,
144
372000
2000
但對整個世界來說, 很幸運的
06:29
he did not have to pass an English test.
145
374000
3000
當時他不需要通過英語考試
06:32
Because they didn't start until 1964
146
377000
3000
因為他們直到1964年
06:35
with TOEFL,
147
380000
2000
才開始使用托福
06:37
the American test of English.
148
382000
2000
(一種美式英語測驗)
06:39
Now it's exploded.
149
384000
2000
現在英語測驗太氾濫了
06:41
There are lots and lots of tests of English.
150
386000
3000
有太多太多的英語測驗
06:44
And millions and millions of students
151
389000
2000
以及成千上萬的學生
06:46
take these tests every year.
152
391000
2000
每年都在參加這些考試
06:48
Now you might think, you and me,
153
393000
2000
現在你會認為，你和我都這麼想
06:50
"Those fees aren't bad, they're okay,"
154
395000
2000
這些費用不貴，價錢滿合理的
06:52
but they are prohibitive
155
397000
2000
但是對數百萬的窮人來說
06:54
to so many millions of poor people.
156
399000
2000
這些費用高不可攀
06:56
So immediately, we're rejecting them.
157
401000
2000
所以當下我們又拒絕了他們
06:58
(Applause)
158
403000
3000
(掌聲)
07:01
It brings to mind a headline I saw recently:
159
406000
3000
這使我想起最近看到的一個新聞標題：
07:04
"Education: The Great Divide."
160
409000
2000
“教育：大鴻溝”
07:06
Now I get it,
161
411000
2000
現在我懂了
07:08
I understand why people would want to focus on English.
162
413000
3000
我了解為什麼大家都重視英語
07:11
They want to give their children the best chance in life.
163
416000
3000
因為他們希望給孩子最好的人生機會
07:15
And to do that, they need a Western education.
164
420000
3000
為了達成這目的，他們需要西方教育
07:18
Because, of course, the best jobs
165
423000
2000
畢竟，不可否認，最好的工作
07:20
go to people out of the Western Universities,
166
425000
3000
都留給那些西方大學畢業出來的人
07:23
that I put on earlier.
167
428000
2000
就像我之前說的
07:25
It's a circular thing.
168
430000
2000
這是一種循環
07:27
Okay.
169
432000
2000
好
07:29
Let me tell you a story about two scientists,
170
434000
2000
我跟你們說一個關於兩位科學家的故事
07:31
two English scientists.
171
436000
2000
有兩位英國科學家
07:33
They were doing an experiment
172
438000
2000
在做一項實驗
07:35
to do with genetics
173
440000
2000
是關於遺傳學的
07:37
and the forelimbs and the hind limbs of animals.
174
442000
3000
以及動物的前、後肢
07:40
But they couldn't get the results they wanted.
175
445000
2000
但他們無法得到他們想要的結果
07:42
They really didn't know what to do,
176
447000
2000
他們真的不知道該怎麼辦
07:44
until along came a German scientist
177
449000
3000
直到來了一位德國的科學家
07:47
who realized that they were using two words
178
452000
3000
他發現在英文裡
07:50
for forelimb and hind limb,
179
455000
2000
前肢和後肢是不同的二個字
07:52
whereas genetics does not differentiate
180
457000
4000
但在遺傳學上沒有區別
07:56
and neither does German.
181
461000
2000
在德語也是同一個字
07:58
So bingo,
182
463000
2000
所以，賓果！
08:00
problem solved.
183
465000
2000
問題解決了
08:02
If you can't think a thought,
184
467000
2000
如果你不能想到一個念頭
08:04
you are stuck.
185
469000
3000
你會卡在那裏
08:07
But if another language can think that thought,
186
472000
2000
但如果另一個語言能想到那念頭
08:09
then, by cooperating,
187
474000
2000
然後，透過合作
08:11
we can achieve and learn so much more.
188
476000
3000
我們可以達成目的，也學到更多
08:16
My daughter
189
481000
2000
我的女兒
08:18
came to England from Kuwait.
190
483000
3000
從科威特來到英格蘭
08:21
She had studied science and mathematics in Arabic.
191
486000
3000
她在阿拉伯的學校學習科學和數學
08:24
It's an Arabic medium school.
192
489000
3000
那是所阿拉伯中學
08:27
She had to translate it into English at her grammar school.
193
492000
3000
在學校裡，她得把這些知識翻譯成英文
08:30
And she was the best in the class
194
495000
2000
而她在班上
08:32
at those subjects.
195
497000
2000
卻是在這些學科上拿到最好的成績
08:34
Which tells us
196
499000
2000
這告訴我們
08:36
that when students come to us from abroad,
197
501000
2000
當外籍學生來找我們
08:38
we may not be giving them enough credit
198
503000
2000
我們可能無法
08:40
for what they know,
199
505000
2000
針對他們所知道的給予讚賞
08:42
and they know it in their own language.
200
507000
3000
因為那是來自於他們母語的知識
08:45
When a language dies,
201
510000
2000
當一個語言消失
08:47
we don't know what we lose with that language.
202
512000
3000
我們不知道還有什麼也一併失去了
08:50
This is -- I don't know if you saw it on CNN recently --
203
515000
4000
這是 --我不知道各位有沒有看最近的CNN--
08:54
they gave the Heroes Award
204
519000
2000
他們頒了一座英雄獎
08:56
to a young Kenyan shepherd boy
205
521000
3000
給一位年輕的肯亞牧童
08:59
who couldn't study at night in his village,
206
524000
3000
在他住的村莊裡，他和村裡其他的孩童一樣
09:02
like all the village children,
207
527000
2000
無法在夜晚讀書
09:04
because the kerosene lamp,
208
529000
2000
因為煤油燈
09:06
it had smoke and it damaged his eyes.
209
531000
2000
產生的煙霧會弄傷他的眼睛
09:08
And anyway, there was never enough kerosene,
210
533000
3000
再說，他也沒有足夠的煤油
09:11
because what does a dollar a day buy for you?
211
536000
3000
畢竟每天只有一塊美金的收入，你還能買什麼？
09:14
So he invented
212
539000
2000
所以他發明了
09:16
a cost-free solar lamp.
213
541000
3000
不需成本的太陽能燈
09:19
And now the children in his village
214
544000
2000
現在他們村子裡的孩子們
09:21
get the same grades at school
215
546000
2000
大家的成績都和
09:23
as the children who have electricity at home.
216
548000
4000
那些家裡有電的孩子相同
09:27
(Applause)
217
552000
6000
(掌聲)
09:33
When he received his award,
218
558000
2000
當他拿到他的獎時
09:35
he said these lovely words:
219
560000
2000
他說了下面這段可愛的話：
09:37
"The children can lead Africa from what it is today,
220
562000
3000
"這些孩子可以帶領非洲
09:40
a dark continent,
221
565000
2000
這塊黑暗大陸
09:42
to a light continent."
222
567000
2000
迎向光明"
09:44
A simple idea,
223
569000
2000
一個簡單的想法
09:46
but it could have such far-reaching consequences.
224
571000
3000
卻能有這樣深遠的影響
09:50
People who have no light,
225
575000
2000
沒有“光”的人
09:52
whether it's physical or metaphorical,
226
577000
3000
無論具體來說，還是抽象來說
09:55
cannot pass our exams,
227
580000
3000
都無法通過我們的測驗
09:58
and we can never know what they know.
228
583000
3000
我們也無法了解他們擁有的知識
10:01
Let us not keep them and ourselves
229
586000
3000
別讓他們和我們自己
10:04
in the dark.
230
589000
2000
都身處在黑暗裡
10:06
Let us celebrate diversity.
231
591000
3000
讓我們一同為多元性歡呼
10:09
Mind your language.
232
594000
3000
持守你的語言
10:12
Use it to spread great ideas.
233
597000
4000
用它來宣揚偉大的想法
10:16
(Applause)
234
601000
7000
(掌聲)
10:23
Thank you very much.
235
608000
2000
非常謝謝各位
10:25
(Applause)
236
610000
3000
(掌聲)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Patricia Ryan - Language teacherPatricia Ryan has spent the past three-plus decades teaching English in Arabic countries -- where she has seen vast cultural (and linguistic) change.
Why you should listen
UK-born language teacher Patricia Ryan has spent most of the past 40 years teaching English in the countries of the Arabian Gulf.
She is currently teaching at Zayed University in Dubai, and studying for a second Masters degree in Law.
Patricia Ryan | Speaker | TED.com