20180605-Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：“lingua franca”
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：“lingua franca”
2018-06-05
English is often regarded as the world’s lingua franca. But what percentage of the world’s population can actually speak English? I was flabbergasted (shocked, surprised) when I read an article in The Guardian newspaper that the percentage of the world’s English speakers is very low. The expression “lingua franca” is Italian in origin. It means a language that is used as a common language by people who speak different languages. For example, English is used as the lingua franca by many airline pilots. It is often also the global business community’s lingua franca. That is why so many people, including Hong Kong people, want to learn English.
I was, therefore, flabbergasted when a group of language experts told The Guardian that 75 percent of the world’s population cannot speak English at all. Only six percent of the world’s population are native English speakers. The experts warned that when Britain leaves the European Union, the country will face isolation unless the people learn other languages. The word “isolation” means the condition of being alone. The experts said three-quarters of British people only know how to speak English and must start to learn other languages if they don’t want Britain to be isolated after it leaves the European Union. But they said most Britons (British people) are lingua-phobic.
The word “lingua” means a tongue or a language. The word “phobic” means having an extreme fear of something. The word “lingua-phobic” therefore means having an extreme fear of other languages. Can you guess what languages the experts said Britons should learn to avoid isolation after Brexit? The new word “Brexit” means Britain leaving or exiting from the European Union. The experts suggested Spanish, Mandarin, French, Arabic, and German as the languages British people should learn to prepare for Brexit. I learnt a little French when I was young but have forgotten it. I like Spanish but never found the time to learn it. I am not lingua-phobic but although I can understand when people speak Mandarin I find it hard to speak it.
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英語常被視為世界的通用語（lingua franca），但其實世上有幾多百分比的人口能真的說英語？《衛報》一篇文章指，世上英語使用者的百分比其實非常低， 當我讀到此時實在大吃一驚（flabbergasted）。習語 lingua franca本身來自意大利語，意思是操不同語言的人之間用作溝通的通用語。譬如，許多航空機師都會以英語作為通用語（lingua franca）；它也是國際商業社會的通用語（lingua franca）。因此有許多人，包括香港人，會想學習英語。
因此當有一群語言學家告訴《衛報》說，有75%的世界人口完全不能說英語時，我不禁目瞪口呆（flabbergasted）。世界人口中只有6%以英語為母語。專家發出警告，當英國脫離歐盟時，除非人們學習其他語言，否則國家將面臨被孤立（isolation）。Isolation就是孤立、隔離的意思。專家說，有四分之三的英國人只懂說英語，如果他們不想英國脫歐後被孤立（isolated），就必須開始學習外語。但專家也說，大部份的英國人（Britons）有語言恐懼症（lingua-phobic）。
Lingua一字指舌或一種語言；phobic就是對某事物極度懼怕。因此“lingua-phobic”一字就是指對於外語極度恐懼。你又能否猜到，專家說英國脫歐（Brexit）後英國人（Britons）應學習哪一種語言去避免孤立（isolation）？新字“Brexit”就是指英國離開或脫離歐盟。專家們建議英國人應學習西班牙語、普通話、法語、阿拉伯語和德語，為脫歐（Brexit）作好準備。我年輕的時候學過一點點法語，但已統統忘掉了。我喜歡西班牙語，但從沒抽時間去學習。我沒有語言恐懼症（lingua-phobic），但即使我聽得懂人們說的普通話，我還是覺得說普通話是很難的。
mickchug@gmail.com 中譯：七刻
褚簡寧
2018-06-05
English is often regarded as the world’s lingua franca. But what percentage of the world’s population can actually speak English? I was flabbergasted (shocked, surprised) when I read an article in The Guardian newspaper that the percentage of the world’s English speakers is very low. The expression “lingua franca” is Italian in origin. It means a language that is used as a common language by people who speak different languages. For example, English is used as the lingua franca by many airline pilots. It is often also the global business community’s lingua franca. That is why so many people, including Hong Kong people, want to learn English.
I was, therefore, flabbergasted when a group of language experts told The Guardian that 75 percent of the world’s population cannot speak English at all. Only six percent of the world’s population are native English speakers. The experts warned that when Britain leaves the European Union, the country will face isolation unless the people learn other languages. The word “isolation” means the condition of being alone. The experts said three-quarters of British people only know how to speak English and must start to learn other languages if they don’t want Britain to be isolated after it leaves the European Union. But they said most Britons (British people) are lingua-phobic.
The word “lingua” means a tongue or a language. The word “phobic” means having an extreme fear of something. The word “lingua-phobic” therefore means having an extreme fear of other languages. Can you guess what languages the experts said Britons should learn to avoid isolation after Brexit? The new word “Brexit” means Britain leaving or exiting from the European Union. The experts suggested Spanish, Mandarin, French, Arabic, and German as the languages British people should learn to prepare for Brexit. I learnt a little French when I was young but have forgotten it. I like Spanish but never found the time to learn it. I am not lingua-phobic but although I can understand when people speak Mandarin I find it hard to speak it.
*****
英語常被視為世界的通用語（lingua franca），但其實世上有幾多百分比的人口能真的說英語？《衛報》一篇文章指，世上英語使用者的百分比其實非常低， 當我讀到此時實在大吃一驚（flabbergasted）。習語 lingua franca本身來自意大利語，意思是操不同語言的人之間用作溝通的通用語。譬如，許多航空機師都會以英語作為通用語（lingua franca）；它也是國際商業社會的通用語（lingua franca）。因此有許多人，包括香港人，會想學習英語。
因此當有一群語言學家告訴《衛報》說，有75%的世界人口完全不能說英語時，我不禁目瞪口呆（flabbergasted）。世界人口中只有6%以英語為母語。專家發出警告，當英國脫離歐盟時，除非人們學習其他語言，否則國家將面臨被孤立（isolation）。Isolation就是孤立、隔離的意思。專家說，有四分之三的英國人只懂說英語，如果他們不想英國脫歐後被孤立（isolated），就必須開始學習外語。但專家也說，大部份的英國人（Britons）有語言恐懼症（lingua-phobic）。
Lingua一字指舌或一種語言；phobic就是對某事物極度懼怕。因此“lingua-phobic”一字就是指對於外語極度恐懼。你又能否猜到，專家說英國脫歐（Brexit）後英國人（Britons）應學習哪一種語言去避免孤立（isolation）？新字“Brexit”就是指英國離開或脫離歐盟。專家們建議英國人應學習西班牙語、普通話、法語、阿拉伯語和德語，為脫歐（Brexit）作好準備。我年輕的時候學過一點點法語，但已統統忘掉了。我喜歡西班牙語，但從沒抽時間去學習。我沒有語言恐懼症（lingua-phobic），但即使我聽得懂人們說的普通話，我還是覺得說普通話是很難的。
mickchug@gmail.com 中譯：七刻
褚簡寧
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