We Should not Have a Global Language
It could be said that the incompletion of the tower of Babel results from different languages, which facilitates cultural diversity. But it is hard to fully understand each other if you speak a different tongue, so that is why some people advocate that we should establish a global language.
In my opinion, it is not a good idea to establish a global language. First, language itself is part of a culture. The meaning of words in one language is endowed by their cultural context rather than dictionary definition. Second, it is hard to choose an existing language as our global language. The equality between cultures rules out the rationale that one language should be chosen over all the others. And last but not least, to create a brand-new and so-called "neutral language" is not desirable either. History has already proven the failure of the wide use of Esperanto.
Indeed, a global language can save us a lot of time, money and energy currently devoted to translation and interpreting. But as I see it, such a cost is worthwhile to protect cultural diversity in the world. Just as Bertrand Russell said: "Diversity is essential to happiness". (195 words)
結(jié)構(gòu)剖析
文章分為三段
第一段引出話題it could be said that, 指出世界通用語(yǔ)的使用與否。
第二段用in my opinion開頭，是作者自己的觀點(diǎn)，他認(rèn)為全球通用語(yǔ)言不是個(gè)好主意，并從三個(gè)方面分析了原因。
第三段是對(duì)第二段的補(bǔ)充，的確indeed通用語(yǔ)能節(jié)省很多的財(cái)力物力，但是最后作者引用諺語(yǔ)："Diversity is essential to happiness"表明還是要保持文化的多樣性。
我們不應(yīng)該有全球通用語(yǔ)言
可以這么說，通天塔之所以沒有完成是因?yàn)檎Z(yǔ)言不通，但這也促進(jìn)了文化的多樣性。但是，如果人們使用的語(yǔ)言不通，很難完全理解彼此，所以這也是為什么有些人主張我們應(yīng)該設(shè)立全球通用語(yǔ)言。
我認(rèn)為，設(shè)立全球通用語(yǔ)言不是個(gè)好主意。首先，語(yǔ)言本身就是文化的一部分。一種語(yǔ)言中單詞的意思都是由它們的文化背景所賦予的，而不是字典定義的。其次，很難選擇現(xiàn)存的一門語(yǔ)言來(lái)當(dāng)作我們的全球通用語(yǔ)言。文化間的平等性排除掉了在所有語(yǔ)言中選擇一門語(yǔ)言的合理性。最后，要?jiǎng)?chuàng)造一門全新的所謂的"中立語(yǔ)言"也沒有吸引力。歷史已經(jīng)證明了世界語(yǔ)在廣泛應(yīng)用上的失敗。
其實(shí)，全球通用語(yǔ)言可以為我們節(jié)省好多時(shí)間、金錢和精力，而現(xiàn)在要依賴于筆譯和口譯。但是依我看來(lái)，這種花費(fèi)在保護(hù)世界文化多樣性方面是有價(jià)值的。正如羅素所說："須知參差多態(tài)，乃是幸福本源"。
Babel n. 巴別塔，通天塔
result from 是由......造成的
advocate v. 提倡，主張，擁護(hù)
establish v. 建立，創(chuàng)辦，安置
be endowed by 賜予，捐贈(zèng)
rule out 消除，取消
brand-new adj. 全新的，嶄新的
indeed adv. 的確，真正地
essential adj. 基本的，必要的，本質(zhì)的
Diversity is essential to happiness. 須知參差多態(tài)，乃是幸福本源。
1. It could be said that the incompletion of the tower of Babel results from different languages, which facilitates cultural diversity. 可以這么說，通天塔之所以沒有完成是因?yàn)檎Z(yǔ)言不通，但這也促進(jìn)了文化的多樣性。
2. The meaning of words in one language is endowed by their cultural context rather than dictionary definition. 一種語(yǔ)言中單詞的意思都是由它們的文化背景所賦予的，而不是字典定義的。
3. The equality between cultures rules out the rationale that one language should be chosen over all the others. 文化間的平等性排除掉了在所有語(yǔ)言中選擇一門語(yǔ)言的合理性。
4. Just as Bertrand Russell said: "Diversity is essential to happiness". 正如羅素所說："須知參差多態(tài)，乃是幸福本源"。
