ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Suzanne Talhouk - Poet and language advocate
Suzanne Talhouk is an advocate for the Arabic language as a tool of power, pride and unity.

Why you should listen

Raised in war-torn Lebanon, Suzanne Talhouk has a masters in physics and a passion for poetry; she has released two collections of poems. Dismayed by what she saw as a lack of power during the recent war in the Middle East, Talhouk saw the Arabic language as medium to unite and empower the Arab world. She launched Feil Amer, an organization that aims to preserve the Arabic language, and to reinstate the pride in young Arabs towards their language.

More profile about the speaker
Suzanne Talhouk | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxBeirut

Suzanne Talhouk: Don't kill your language

苏珊 塔浩克: 谁说阿拉伯语就不酷了?

Filmed:
1,438,887 views

在这段演讲中,苏珊 塔浩克号召人们用现代化的方式来复苏阿拉伯语这门语言,并将其用于各种创造性的活动中。她的工作集中于恢复阿拉伯世界的自我认知,并让阿拉伯语摆脱作为“次等语言”的处境。
- Poet and language advocate
Suzanne Talhouk is an advocate for the Arabic language as a tool of power, pride and unity. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
Good morning早上!
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早上好!
00:15
Are you awake苏醒?
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你们醒了么?
00:18
They took my name名称 tag标签,
but I wanted to ask you,
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他们刚拿走了我的胸卡,不过我想问问你们
00:21
did anyone任何人 here write their name名称
on the tag标签 in Arabic阿拉伯?
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胸卡上的名字,
有没有人是用阿拉伯语写的?
00:23
Anyone任何人! No one?
All right, no problem问题.
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有么?没有?恩,很好,没问题。
00:29
Once一旦 upon a time, not long ago,
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就在不久之前,
00:33
I was sitting坐在 in a restaurant餐厅 with my friend朋友,
ordering排序 food餐饮.
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我和朋友坐在餐厅里,正要点餐。
00:38
So I looked看着 at the waiter服务员 and said,
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我看着服务员,对他说,
00:42
"Do you have a menu菜单 (Arabic阿拉伯)?"
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“有菜单么?”
(用阿拉伯语)
00:45
He looked看着 at me strangely奇怪,
thinking思维 that he misheard听错.
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他奇怪地盯着我看,以为他听错了。
00:49
He said, "Sorry? (English英语)."
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他(用英文)说:“Sorry?”
00:52
I said,
"The menu菜单 (Arabic阿拉伯), please."
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我又说:“请给我菜单好么?”
(用阿拉伯语)
00:56
He replied回答,
"Don't you know what they call it?"
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他回答:“你难道不知道(菜单的)叫法么?”
00:59
"I do."
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“我知道。”
01:01
He said, "No! It's called "menu菜单" (English英语),
or "menu菜单" (French法国)."
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他说,“应该叫Menu,或者Menu”
(前者英文发音,后者是法文发音)
01:04
Is the French法国 pronunciation发音 correct正确?
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我的法语发音对么?
01:06
"Come, come, take care关心 of this one!"
said the waiter服务员.
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“过来,过来,这桌交给你了”
那个服务员说。
01:09
He was disgusted厌恶的 when talking to me,
as if he was saying to himself他自己,
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他明显不屑于和我说话,
然后他自言自语道,
01:13
"If this was the last girl女孩 on Earth地球,
I wouldn't不会 look at her!"
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“就算世界上只有这一个女人,
我都不会正眼看她一眼。”
01:17
What's the meaning含义
of saying "menu菜单" in Arabic阿拉伯?
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用阿拉伯语说“菜单”意味着什么?
01:19
Two words made制作 a Lebanese黎巴嫩 young年轻 man
judge法官 a girl女孩 as being存在 backward落后
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这两个字让黎巴嫩的青年男子认为,说这话的女人,又封建
01:28
and ignorant愚昧.
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又无知。
01:30
How could she speak说话 that way?
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她怎么说得出这种话?
01:36
At that moment时刻, I started开始 thinking思维.
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从那一刻起,我开始思考这件事。
01:39
It made制作 me mad.
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这件事让我很生气,
01:40
It definitely无疑 hurts伤害!
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而且非常伤人。
01:41
I'm denied否认 the right to speak说话
my own拥有 language语言 in my own拥有 country国家?
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我在自己国家,说自己语言的权利被否定了?
01:44
Where could this happen发生?
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(世界上)还有什么地方会发生这种事?
01:46
How did we get here?
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我们怎么会走到这一步的?
01:49
Well, while we are here,
there are many许多 people like me,
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不过,今天这个场合,
很多人和我一样,
01:53
who would reach达到 a stage阶段 in their lives生活,
where they involuntarily不由自主 give up
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到达了人生中的那个阶段:
心不甘情不愿的,放弃过去的一切,
01:57
everything
that has happened发生 to them in the past过去,
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到达了人生中的那个阶段:
心不甘情不愿的,放弃过去的一切,
01:59
just so they can say that they're modern现代
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只有这样他们才觉得自己是现代人、文化人。
02:01
and civilized文明.
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只有这样他们才觉得自己是现代人、文化人。
02:03
Should I forget忘记 all my culture文化, thoughts思念,
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那我是不是也该把我自己的文化、思想、
02:06
intellect智力 and all my memories回忆?
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智慧和记忆全部都忘掉?
02:11
Childhood童年 stories故事 might威力 be the best最好 memories回忆
we have of the war战争!
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童年可能是战争中我们最美好的回忆了!
02:15
Should I forget忘记 everything
I learned学到了 in Arabic阿拉伯, just to conform符合?
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我是不是该忘掉阿拉伯语,仅仅是随大流而已?
02:20
To be one of them?
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变成他们中的一员?
02:23
Where's哪里 the logic逻辑 in that?
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逻辑何在?
02:26
Despite尽管 all that,
I tried试着 to understand理解 him.
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撇开这些不谈,
我依然试图去理解那个人。
02:29
I didn't want to judge法官 him
with the same相同 cruelty残酷 that he judged判断 me.
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我不想用他那种残忍的标准,
反过来去评判他。
02:35
The Arabic阿拉伯 language语言
doesn't satisfy满足 today's今天的 needs需求.
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阿拉伯语确实满足不了今天的需要。
02:39
It's not a language语言 for science科学,
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不是科学用的语言,
02:41
research研究,
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不是研究用语,
02:43
a language语言 we're used to in universities高校,
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不是大学里用的语言,
02:45
a language语言 we use in the workplace职场,
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不是工作场合的语言,
02:47
a language语言 we rely依靠 on if we were to perform演出
an advanced高级 research研究 project项目,
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不是我们进行尖端研究时的用语,
02:53
and it definitely无疑 isn't a language语言
we use at the airport飞机场.
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而且绝对不是机场用语。
02:56
If we did so,
they'd他们会 strip跳闸 us of our clothes衣服.
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如果我们在机场这么说,
他们肯定当场要搜身了。
03:00
Where can I use it, then?
We could all ask this question!
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那我什么时候才能用到它呢?
这个问题很值得深思!
03:04
So, you want us to use Arabic阿拉伯.
Where are we to do so?
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你告诉我,说阿拉伯语的场合,
哪里去找?
03:08
This is one reality现实.
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这只是其中之一。
03:11
But we have another另一个 more important重要 reality现实
that we ought应该 to think about.
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还有一个更重要的现实需要我们考虑。
03:16
Arabic阿拉伯 is the mother母亲 tongue.
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阿拉伯语是我们的母语。
03:19
Research研究 says that mastery征服
of other languages语言
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研究表明,要想掌握其他语言,
03:25
demands需要 mastery征服 of the mother母亲 tongue.
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需要先掌握自己的母语。
03:29
Mastery征服 of the mother母亲 tongue is a prerequisite条件
for creative创作的 expression表达 in other languages语言.
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掌握母语,是掌握其他语言的前提。
03:36
How?
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此话怎讲?
03:38
Gibran纪伯伦 Khalil哈利勒 Gibran纪伯伦,
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纪伯伦·哈利勒·纪伯伦,
(黎巴嫩诗人,旧译 哈里利·吉布兰)
03:40
when he first started开始 writing写作,
he used Arabic阿拉伯.
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他最初写作时用的是阿拉伯语。
03:44
All his ideas思路, imagination想像力 and philosophy哲学
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他所有的灵感,想象力和哲学观
03:51
were inspired启发 by this little boy男孩
in the village
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都来源于他小时候的乡村成长经历,
03:54
where he grew成长 up,
smelling a specific具体 smell,
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来源于故乡的气味,
03:57
hearing听力 a specific具体 voice语音,
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那特别的声音,
03:58
and thinking思维 a specific具体 thought.
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还有独特的想法。
04:00
So, when he started开始 writing写作 in English英语,
he had enough足够 baggage行李.
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所以当他开始用英文写作时,
肚子里已经有足够的墨水了。
04:04
Even when he wrote in English英语,
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即便之后他用英文写作,
04:07
when you read his writings文章 in English英语,
you smell the same相同 smell,
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当你读他的英文作品时,
你能闻到一样的气味,
04:11
sense the same相同 feeling感觉.
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体味到同样的感觉。
04:13
You can imagine想像 that that's him
writing写作 in English英语,
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你可以想象出用英文写作的他,
04:16
the same相同 boy男孩 who came来了 from the mountain.
From a village on Mount安装 Lebanon黎巴嫩.
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依然是那个从黎巴嫩山村里出来的小男孩。
04:22
So, this is an example
no one can argue争论 with.
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这是个无可争辩的例子。
04:29
Second第二, it's often经常 said
that if you want to kill a nation国家,
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其次,人们经常说,如果要消灭一个民族,
04:34
the only way to kill a nation国家,
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唯一的办法
04:37
is to kill its language语言.
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是消灭它的语言,
04:38
This is a reality现实
that developed发达 societies社会 are aware知道的 of.
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这是发达国家都认识到的事实。
04:44
The Germans德国, French法国, Japanese日本 and Chinese中文,
all these nations国家 are aware知道的 of this.
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德国、法国、日本、中国,
这些国家都意识到了这一点。
04:50
That's why they legislate立法
to protect保护 their language语言.
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这也是为什么他们要立法保护本国语言
04:54
They make it sacred神圣.
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把语言当做神圣的东西看待。
04:57
That's why they use it in production生产,
they pay工资 a lot of money to develop发展 it.
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这也是为什么他们在生产中使用母语,
并投入大量资金发展自己的母语。
05:03
Do we know better than them?
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相比之下,我们的做法更明智吗?
05:06
All right,
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好吧,
05:07
we aren't from the developed发达 world世界,
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我们不属于发达国家
05:08
this advanced高级 thinking思维
hasn't有没有 reached到达 us yet然而,
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这种前卫的想法还没有传播到这里,
05:11
and we would like to catch抓住 up
with the civilized文明 world世界.
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我们希望追赶上文明社会。
05:15
Countries国家 that were once一旦 like us,
but decided决定 to strive努力 for development发展,
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那些曾经和我们一样,
但谋求发展的国家,
05:19
do research研究,
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它们进行研究,
05:21
and catch抓住 up with those countries国家,
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并追上发达水平的,
05:22
such这样 as Turkey火鸡, Malaysia马来西亚 and others其他,
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比如土耳其、马来西亚等等,
05:25
they carried携带的 their language语言 with them
as they were climbing攀登 the ladder阶梯,
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它们不管走到哪里,都会带上自己的语言,
05:29
protected保护 it like a diamond钻石.
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像保护钻石一样。
05:33
They kept不停 it close to them.
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他们把母语紧紧带在身边。
05:34
Because if you get any product产品
from Turkey火鸡 or elsewhere别处
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因为如果你从土耳其买来的东西
05:39
and it's not labeled标记 in Turkish土耳其,
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标签上没有使用土耳其语
05:41
then it isn't a local本地 product产品.
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那就不是当地产品。
05:44
You wouldn't不会 believe it's a local本地 product产品.
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你不会相信这是当地产品的。
05:47
They'd他们会 go back to being存在 consumers消费者,
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他们会变成这样的消费者,
05:49
clueless无知 consumers消费者, like we are
most of the time.
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和你我一样,一无所知的消费者。
05:55
So, in order订购 for them to innovate创新 and produce生产,
they had to protect保护 their language语言.
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所以,为了创新和生产,
他们必须保护自己的语言。
06:03
If I say, "Freedom自由, sovereignty主权,
independence独立 (Arabic阿拉伯),"
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如果我说,“自由,主权,独立”
(阿拉伯语)
06:08
what does this remind提醒 you of?
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这些词让你联想到什么?
06:12
It doesn't ring a bell, does it?
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没有任何感觉,是么?
06:14
Regardless而不管 of the who, how and why.
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不管让谁说都是一样的。
06:19
Language语言 isn't just for conversing交谈,
just words coming未来 out of our mouths嘴巴.
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语言不只是对话时,从嘴里发出来的音而已。
06:25
Language语言 represents代表 specific具体 stages阶段
in our lives生活,
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语言代表了我们生活中不同的阶段,
06:30
and terminology术语
that is linked关联 to our emotions情绪.
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也是连接我们感情的术语。
06:35
So when we say,
"Freedom自由, sovereignty主权, independence独立,"
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所以当我说,
“自由,主权,独立”
06:38
each one of you draws a specific具体 image图片
in their own拥有 mind心神,
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每一个词都唤起了你脑海中的一副图片,
06:41
there are specific具体 feelings情怀
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在某个时代背景下
06:44
of a specific具体 day
in a specific具体 historical历史的 period.
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存在某种特定的情感。
06:47
Language语言 isn't one, two
or three words or letters put together一起.
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语言并不是单纯的把一个两个三个字放在一起。
06:50
It's an idea理念 inside
that relates涉及 to how we think,
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语言直接关系到我们内心的想法,
06:53
and how we see each other
and how others其他 see us.
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我们对彼此的看法,
以及别人如何看待我们。
06:59
What is our intellect智力?
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智慧是什么?
07:00
How do you say
whether是否 this guy understands理解 or not?
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你怎么判断,对方理解了没有?
07:03
So, if I say, "Freedom自由, sovereignty主权,
independence独立 (English英语),"
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所以,如果我说,“自由,主权,独立”
(英文)
07:12
or if your son儿子 came来了 up to you and said,
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或者如果你儿子走过来,对你说:
07:14
"Dad, have you lived生活 through通过 the period of
the freedom自由 (English英语) slogan口号?"
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“爸爸,你有没有经历过“宣扬自由”(英文)的那个时代”
07:18
How would you feel?
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你会怎么想?
07:21
If you don't see a problem问题,
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如果你不觉得这问题很严重,
07:25
then I'd better leave离开,
and stop talking in vain徒然.
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那我今天全部都是白讲。
不如早点回去比较好。
07:29
The idea理念 is that these expressions表达式
remind提醒 us of a specific具体 thing.
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我的观点是,“表述”能让人联想到特定的某件事。
07:35
I have a francophone法语 friend朋友
who's谁是 married已婚 to a French法国 man.
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我有一个说法语的朋友,嫁给了一个法国人。
07:40
I asked her once一旦 how things were going.
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我有次问她最近如何。
07:44
She said,
"Everything is fine,
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她说
“都还可以,
07:45
but once一旦, I spent花费 a whole整个 night
asking and trying to translate翻译
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但有一次我花了一整晚的时间
07:50
the meaning含义 of the word
'toqborni''toqborni' for him."
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试图向他解释“toqborni”这个词的意思”
(字面意思:愿你把我埋葬)
07:52
(Laughter笑声)
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(其实是对钟爱之人的爱语。愿我走的比你早,因为我不能没有你。)
(笑声)
07:54
(Applause掌声)
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(鼓掌)
08:02
The poor较差的 woman女人 had mistakenly told him
"toqbornitoqborni,"
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那可怜的女人不经意地对他说“toqborni”,
08:05
and then spent花费 the whole整个 night
trying to explain说明 it to him.
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然后不得不花整晚的时间去解释。
08:08
He was puzzled困惑 by the thought:
"How could anyone任何人 be this cruel残忍?
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而他完全无法理解:
“这话也太残忍了”
08:12
Does she want to commit承诺 suicide自杀?
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她是想自杀吗?
08:14
'Bury埋葬 me?' (English英语)"
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“埋了我?”
(英文)
08:17
This is one of the few少数 examples例子.
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这仅仅是一个例子而已。
08:19
It made制作 us feel that she's unable无法 to tell
that word to her husband丈夫,
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这让我觉得她无法跟自己的老公解释这个词,
08:22
since以来 he won't惯于 understand理解,
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因为他无法理解,
08:25
and he's right not to;
his way of thinking思维 is different不同.
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这也是无可厚非的;
毕竟他的思路不同。
08:28
She said to me,
"He listens监听 to Fairuz试车 with me,
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她告诉我,
“他和我一起听Fairuz”
(黎巴嫩歌手)
08:32
and one night,
I tried试着 to translate翻译 for him
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一天晚上,
我试着给他翻译歌词
08:36
so he can feel what I feel when
I listen to Fairuz试车."
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让他也能理解我听Fairuz 时的心情。“
08:40
The poor较差的 woman女人 tried试着 to translate翻译
this for him:
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那个可怜的女人试着翻译这句话:
08:42
"From them I extended扩展 my hands
and stole偷了 you --"
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”我伸长双手,把你从他们那里,偷过来“
08:46
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
08:48
And here's这里的 the pickle泡菜:
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还有更刺激的:
08:49
"And because you belong属于 to them,
I returned my hands and left you."
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”因为你属于他们,我放开双手让你回去“
08:53
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
08:54
Translate翻译 that for me.
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你倒是翻译一个给我看看。
08:56
(Applause掌声)
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(鼓掌)
09:03
So, what have we doneDONE to protect保护
the Arabic阿拉伯 language语言?
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所以,我们是怎么保护阿拉伯语的?
09:08
We turned转身 this into a concern关心
of the civil国内 society社会,
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我们把这个问题变成一个社会议题,
09:11
and we launched推出 a campaign运动 to preserve保留
the Arabic阿拉伯 language语言.
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然后开展了一项保护阿拉伯语的运动。
09:14
Even though虽然 many许多 people told me,
"Why do you bother?
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即使很多人问我
“不觉得麻烦么?
09:17
Forget忘记 about this headache头痛
and go have fun开玩笑."
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忘掉这个烂摊子,去享受生活吧”
09:20
No problem问题!
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没关系的!
09:22
The campaign运动 to preserve保留 Arabic阿拉伯
launched推出 a slogan口号 that says,
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保护阿拉伯语的运动有一句口号,
09:25
"I talk to you from the East,
but you reply回复 from the West西."
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“我们从东面和你交谈,而你们从西面回应”
09:28
We didn't say,
"No! We do not accept接受 this or that."
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我们可没说,“不行!非要怎么怎么样不可!”
09:36
We didn't adopt采用 this style样式 because
that way, we wouldn't不会 be understood了解.
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我们不这样做,
因为这么一来就没人会理解我们了。
09:41
And when someone有人 talks会谈 to me that way,
I hate讨厌 the Arabic阿拉伯 language语言.
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当有人非要这样说时,
我自己都很讨厌这样的阿拉伯语。
09:44
We say-说--
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我们说——
09:46
(Applause掌声)
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(鼓掌)
09:49
We want to change更改 our reality现实,
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我们想要改变现状,
09:51
and be convinced相信 in a way that reflects反映
our dreams, aspirations愿望 and day-to-day日复一日 life.
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并确信存在一种方式,
(用语言)反映我们梦想、灵感和日常生活。
09:56
In a way that dresses礼服 like us
and thinks like we do.
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就像我们的衣服,和我们的想法一样。
10:01
So, "I talk to you from the East,
but you reply回复 from the West西"
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所以“我们从东面和你交谈,而你们从西面回应”
10:04
has hit击中 the spot.
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非常到位。
10:06
Something very easy简单,
yet然而 creative创作的 and persuasive说服力.
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简简单单,有创造性,又有说服力。
10:10
After that,
we launched推出 another另一个 campaign运动
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之后我们开展了另一项运动,
10:14
with scenes场景 of letters on the ground地面.
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在地面上放置大幅文字。
10:17
You've seen看到 an example of it outside,
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你在外面就能看到一个,
10:20
a scene现场 of a letter surrounded包围
by black黑色 and yellow黄色 tape胶带
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用黑色、黄色的胶带围起来,
10:24
with "Don't kill your language语言!"
written书面 on it.
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写着“不要消灭你的母语!”。
10:27
Why?
Seriously认真地, don't kill your language语言.
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为什么?
我是认真的,不要消灭自己的母语。
10:31
We really shouldn't不能 kill our language语言.
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我们真的不应该消灭自己的语言。
10:34
If we were to kill the language语言,
we'd星期三 have to find an identity身分.
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如果我们消灭了语言,
我们就必须去寻找另一种身份。
10:39
We'd星期三 have to find an existence存在.
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我们必须去寻找另一种存在形式。
10:41
We'd星期三 go back to the beginning开始.
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我们必须重新开始。
10:43
This is beyond just missing失踪 our chance机会
of being存在 modern现代 and civilized文明.
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这么一来,
失去的可不光是现代化机会而已了。
10:51
After that we released发布 photos相片
of guys and girls女孩 wearing穿着 the Arabic阿拉伯 letter.
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然后我们放出了男孩女孩穿着纹有阿拉伯文字的衣服。
10:57
Photos相片 of "cool" guys and girls女孩.
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很"酷"的男孩女孩的照片。
11:00
We are very cool!
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我们真的"酷"毙了。
11:02
And to whoever might威力 say,
"Ha! You used an English英语 word!"
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至于那些说,
“哈,你这不是用英文了么!”
11:07
I say,
"No! I adopt采用 the word 'cool'凉.'"
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我会说,
“错!是我们搬用了cool这个词”
11:11
Let them object目的 however然而 they want,
but give me a word that's nicer更好
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随他们怎么否认,
但这个词真的又好用
11:14
and matches火柴 the reality现实 better.
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又贴切,找不到更好的了。
11:17
I will keep on saying "Internet互联网"
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我还会继续说“互联网(internet)”
11:19
I wouldn't不会 say:
"I'm going to the world世界 wide web卷筒纸"
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我不会说:
“我要去上万维网(www)了”
11:22
(Laughs)
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(笑声)
11:24
Because it doesn't fit适合!
We shouldn't不能 kid孩子 ourselves我们自己.
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因为和时代不符了!
我们还是不要自己开自己的玩笑了
11:27
But to reach达到 this point,
we all have to be convinced相信
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但要做到这件事,
我们必须确信
11:31
that we shouldn't不能 allow允许 anyone任何人
who is bigger
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不能让任何比我们强大的,
11:34
or thinks they have any authority权威 over us
when it comes to language语言,
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或是自认为有权利去控制我们说什么语言的人
11:37
to control控制 us or make us think and feel
what they want.
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来控制我们,把他们的感受和看法强加在我们身上。
11:43
Creativity创造力 is the idea理念.
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创造性是关键。
11:47
So, if we can't reach达到 space空间
or build建立 a rocket火箭 and so on,
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即使我们没办法上太空,
或是造出火箭之类的,
11:50
we can be creative创作的.
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我们还是有创造力的。
11:52
At this moment时刻, every一切 one of you
is a creative创作的 project项目.
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此时此刻,在座的每一个人都是有创意的。
11:55
Creativity创造力 in your mother母亲 tongue
is the path路径.
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母语中的创造性,才是出路。
11:58
Let's start开始 from this moment时刻.
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就让我们从这一刻起开始吧
12:02
Let's write a novel小说
or produce生产 a short film电影.
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我们可以写一本小说
或是拍部微电影。
12:04
A single novel小说 could make us global全球 again.
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一本小说就能让我们重登世界舞台了。
12:07
It could bring带来 the Arabic阿拉伯 language语言
back to being存在 number one.
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足够让阿拉伯语回到世界的顶端。
12:12
So, it's not true真正 that there's no solution;
there is a solution!
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所以说“没有办法”是不对的。
当然有办法!
12:16
But we have to know that, and be convinced相信
that a solution exists存在,
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但我们要记得,既然解决的方法是有的,
12:20
that we have a duty义务
to be part部分 of that solution.
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我们就有责任成为其中的一份子。
12:23
In conclusion结论, what can you do today今天?
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所以说,你今天能做什么呢?
12:26
Now, tweets微博, who's谁是 tweeting啁啾?
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现在,发微博,有人发微博了么?
12:32
Please, I beg of you,
even though虽然 my time has finished,
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拜托,真的拜托你了,
因为我的时间快到了,
12:37
either Arabic阿拉伯, English英语, French法国
or Chinese中文.
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阿拉伯语,英文,法文,或者中文。
12:42
But don't write Arabic阿拉伯
with Latin拉丁 characters人物 mixed with numbers数字!
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但请不要把阿拉伯和拉丁字母和数字混在一起写!
12:48
(Applause掌声)
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(鼓掌)
12:52
It's a disaster灾害!
That's not a language语言.
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这么写也太糟蹋了
根本不是语言了。
12:55
You'd be entering进入 a virtual虚拟 world世界
with a virtual虚拟 language语言.
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你这是在用虚拟世界里的虚拟语言。
12:59
It's not easy简单 to come back
from such这样 a place地点 and rise上升.
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从这种(支离破碎的)状态再拼起来就很困难了。
13:02
That's the first thing we can do.
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这是我们能做的第一件事。
13:04
Second第二, there are many许多 other things
that we can do.
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其次,还有很多事是我们能做到的。
13:07
We're not here today今天 to convince说服
each other.
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今天我们在这里不是为了说服谁,
13:09
We're here to bring带来 attention注意
to the necessity必要性 of preserving this language语言.
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我们在这里是为了让大众理解,保护语言的重要性。
13:13
Now I will tell you a secret秘密.
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让我来告诉你们一个小秘密。
13:17
A baby宝宝 first identifies识别 its father父亲
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婴儿第一次认识父亲,
13:22
through通过 language语言.
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是通过语言来认识的。
13:24
When my daughter女儿 is born天生, I'll tell her,
"This is your father父亲, honey蜜糖 (Arabic阿拉伯)."
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当我的女儿出生时,我会告诉她,
“宝贝,这是你爸爸”(阿拉伯语)
13:29
I wouldn't不会 say,
"This is your dad, honey蜜糖 (English英语)."
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我不会说,
“宝贝,这是你爸爸”(英语)
13:34
And in the supermarket超级市场,
I promise诺言 my daughter女儿 Noor努尔,
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在超市里的时候,我跟我的女儿诺儿保证,
13:37
that if she says to me,
"Thanks谢谢 (Arabic阿拉伯),"
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如果她用阿拉伯语对我说“谢谢”
13:40
I won't惯于 say, "Dis派息, 'Merci“留言Merci, Maman马曼,'"
and hope希望 no one has heard听说 her.
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我就绝对不会怕别人听到(我女儿这么说),
然后用法文矫正:“要说谢谢,女儿”(法文)
13:44
(Applause掌声)
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(鼓掌)
13:55
Let's get rid摆脱 of this cultural文化 cringe低三下四.
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让我们一起摆脱文化上的崇洋媚外吧。
14:01
(Applause掌声)
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(鼓掌)
Translated by Lyman Zhang
Reviewed by Wu Di

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Suzanne Talhouk - Poet and language advocate
Suzanne Talhouk is an advocate for the Arabic language as a tool of power, pride and unity.

Why you should listen

Raised in war-torn Lebanon, Suzanne Talhouk has a masters in physics and a passion for poetry; she has released two collections of poems. Dismayed by what she saw as a lack of power during the recent war in the Middle East, Talhouk saw the Arabic language as medium to unite and empower the Arab world. She launched Feil Amer, an organization that aims to preserve the Arabic language, and to reinstate the pride in young Arabs towards their language.

More profile about the speaker
Suzanne Talhouk | Speaker | TED.com